Posttraumatic growth in treatment-seeking female assault victims.

The importance of measuring growth outcomes following a traumatic event has been highlighted in recent literature (e.g., Linley, Joseph: Journal of Traumatic Stress 17:11-21, 2004). Although reports of growth are abundant, the relationship between growth outcomes and post-trauma distress remains unclear, with studies yielding conflicting results regarding this relationship. The purpose of the present study was to explore the interrelationships among growth outcomes and measures of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among 100 female treatment-seeking physical and sexual assault victims. Although the majority of women reported some degree of growth in this study, and growth scores were comparable to those from other samples, measures of depression and PTSD were not significantly related to growth scores. The implication of these findings and future direction for research are discussed.