Testing Cognitive Models to Characterize Trauma Anniversary Reactions Marked by Stress and Growth

Abstract

Objective: Contemporary theories conceptualize the anniversary of a traumatic event as a trauma reminder capable of activating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The current study uses the cognitive stress and growth model to examine this model’s usefulness in characterizing anniversary reactions. Method: Participants ( N = 197) were MTurk workers who endorsed an “emotionally charged reaction on or near the anniversary of a tragic event.” They completed assessments of PTSD, posttraumatic growth (PTG), sense of control, rumination, and trauma centrality. Results: Multiple regression analyses found both anniversary-related stress and PTSD symptoms were associated with similar factors with similar magnitude across both outcomes. Trauma centrality was uniquely associated with anniversary-related PTG. Conclusions: Anniversaries marked by stress are characterized by factors similar to PTSD generally, but growth-related reactions have different correlates compared to PTG outside the reaction. These findings suggest the anniversary period may be a time of self-reflection about the event and its impact.