Relationship of posttraumatic growth and adjustment to spinal cord injury: moderated by posttraumatic depreciation?

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study is to investigate the associations between posttraumatic growth (PTG) and depreciation (PTD) on one side and life satisfaction and indicators of mental and physical health on the other side in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Its primary aim is to test whether PTD moderates the relationships of PTG and different adjustment indicators. Methods: A total of 141 newly injured patients of one of the four Swiss SCI rehabilitation centres participated in a national cohort study (Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study, SwiSCI) and completed questionnaires assessing PTG and PTD, different indicators of mental and physical health as well as life satisfaction at discharge from their first rehabilitation. Correlational and regression methods were used to examine the research questions. Findings: PTG and PTD were significantly positively correlated (rs = .47). PTD was significantly associated with lower mental and physical health and lower life satisfaction, with small to large effect sizes. PTD moderated the associations of PTG with symptoms of depression and life satisfaction (β of interaction term = -.18 and .24, respectively): PTG was significantly related to lower symptoms of depression and higher life satisfaction in individuals experiencing moderate to high levels of PTD. In contrast, PTG was unrelated to these outcomes in individuals with low PTD levels. Discussion: The results partially explain mixed findings on the association of PTG and adjustment to potentially traumatic events indicating that PTG may only be associated with better adjustment when individuals concurrently experience PTD.