Tetyana Cherednychenko - Senior Lecturer at the Department of Psychology of Activity in Special Conditions. National University of Civil Protection of Ukraine.
ORCID 0000-0001-5496-1083
DOI - https://doi.org/10.52363/dcpp-2025.1.6
Keywords: posttraumatic growth, trauma, psychological trauma, traumatic experience, posttraumatic stress disorder, models of posttraumatic growth.
The article is devoted to the phenomenon of posttraumatic growth (PTG) as one of the potential positive outcomes of navigating a life crisis. It emphasizes that, under the current circumstances of full-scale military conflict in Ukraine, the potential for posttraumatic growth has become increasingly relevant for the effective provision of psychological assistance to individuals who have undergone traumatic experiences. The author notes the absence of a unified, universally accepted theoretical framework in contemporary psychology that fully explains the nature of psychological trauma and the mechanisms underlying posttraumatic growth. The term «posttraumatic growth» (PTG) is most commonly used to denote the positive changes that may emerge as a result of grappling with significant psychological adversity. The article outlines the key characteristics of posttraumatic growth, understood as positive psychological change and personality transformation that can occur following exposure to trauma or extreme stress. It identifies the core stages of posttraumatic growth and the domains in which growth manifests. A theoretical analysis of existing psychological models of posttraumatic growth is conducted, including their interpretations of its content and dimensions (predictors). Leading contemporary models of posttraumatic growth are examined, revealing that despite their varied perspectives, they complement one another in viewing personality development after trauma. The analysis reveals a consensus across models that traumatic experience may serve as a catalyst for positive transformation in several fundamental domains: increased appreciation of life, enhanced meaning in interpersonal relationships, heightened sense of personal strength, shifts in life priorities, and deepened spiritual awareness.