Posttraumatic Growth Following Interpersonal Trauma: The Roles of Social Desirability, Spiritual Bypass, and Optimism

While researchers have established the prevalence of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and its potential mental health benefits, debate exists among scholars regarding components of PTG. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive nature of social desirability, spiritual bypass, and optimism on PTG to contribute an empirical understanding of the ways in which growth reports may be influenced by avoidance coping processes and/or positive bias responding as measured by these constructs. In this cross-sectional study, 593 adults from a community sample who reported experiencing interpersonal trauma completed the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), along with measures of social desirability, spiritual bypass, and optimism. Utilizing hierarchical multiple regression, the final model was significant (p < .001) and showed that about 26% of the variance in PTG scores as measured by the PTGI was attributable to a combination of social desirability, spiritual bypass, and optimism (R2 = .26). This adds evidence to the idea that PTG reports may include components of positive respondent bias and avoidance coping processes. Our results demonstrate that PTG is a multi-dimensional concept, and its measurement utilizing the PTGI is influenced by multiple factors. Researchers and clinicians should approach PTG in scholarship and in practice by exploring an individual’s motivations for growth reports, understanding the utilization of various coping strategies in the trauma recovery process, and encouraging optimistic coping. By effectively discerning the complexities of PTG, mental health professionals can more effectively facilitate growth in practice and conduct future research with an increased theoretical understanding of this process.