Optimism, Affect and Post-traumatic Growth in Victims of Domestic Violence Living in Shelter Homes in Pakistan

Abstract

Background: The present study was conducted to investigate Optimism, Affect and Posttraumatic growth in the victims of domestic violence living in Shelter Homes in Pakistan. It was hypothesized that optimism, positive affect are likely predictors of posttraumatic growth in the victims of domestic violence. Method: The sample of (N=100) women was recruited from Darulaman, Dastak, Social Welfare Center, Lahore, Darulaman Bahawalpur and Darulaman Lodhran, Pakistan. Life Orientation Test, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory were used for assessment. Results: Hierarchical regression analysis showed that Positive Affect significantly predicted posttraumatic growth but optimism did not predict posttraumatic growth in the victims of domestic violence living in Shelter homes. Conclusion: Findings have important implications for destitute women who find respite in shelter homes in Pakistan.