Research Paper Post-traumatic growth following bereavement: A systematic review of the literature

Abstract

BackgroundBereavement research has traditionally focused on the negative sequel of loss. Recently, however, research has begun to focus on the positive outcomes following loss: post-traumatic growth (PTG).PurposeTo synthesise studies which directly examine PTG following bereavement.DesignThis is the first systematic review which synthesises studies into directly examining PTG following bereavement.Data sourcesFrom the 70 published journal articles reviewed from PubMed, PsychINFO, IsiWeb of Knowledge Google Scholar, Science Direct, Springer Link, Taylor & Francis online, Sage Journals and Wiley Online Library, only 15 studies were directly examining PTG following bereavement and thus, included in this review.ResultsFindings of this systematic review suggest that PTG can indeed occur following bereavement and that certain factors can act as mediators for such growth to emerge. Key factors are: (1) The age of the bereaved; (2) social support; (3) time since death; (4) religion; and (5) active cognitive coping strategies.ConclusionsFurther research should include comparative-longitudinal studies controlling for maturational growth with non-trauma comparisons, as well as meta-analytic studies designed to examine effect sizes for associations among variables theorised to predict PTG following bereavement. Potential clinical applications include therapists becoming better positioned to recognise when PTG is likely to occur and its mediating factors, in order to more effectively facilitate it.