Post-Traumatic Growth and Psychological Resilience During Crisis

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) and psychological resilience are complementary facets of human adaptation in the aftermath of adversity. Whereas resilience refers to the capacity to withstand, recover from and adapt to stressors, PTG denotes the positive psychological change that may emerge when individuals grapple with challenging life events. Research across pandemics, natural disasters and armed conflicts has shown that these phenomena are shaped by intrapersonal processes such as self-efficacy, reflective rumination and cognitive restructuring, as well as interpersonal and organisational support systems. Key themes include shifts in life philosophy, strengthened social bonds and the discovery of new possibilities. Interventions that foster adaptive coping strategies and strengthen social connectedness have been shown to bolster both resilience and growth, yielding benefits for frontline workers, students and wider communities. Translational efforts now focus on embedding evidence-based practices within healthcare training, educational curricula and community outreach to promote sustained well-being in diverse cultural settings.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent qualitative work among college students has elaborated a grounded theory model of PTG during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying core dimensions of self-awareness, societal reflection, enhanced social engagement and lifestyle modification. External influences such as information exposure and collective identity were shown to catalyse growth trajectories. Foundational intervention research with healthcare workers demonstrated that culturally informed positive psychological programmes can significantly elevate PTG scores across domains—most notably the emergence of new possibilities. These findings underline the efficacy of structured, context-sensitive interventions in fostering growth and point to scalable approaches for high-risk populations.

Post-Traumatic Growth and Psychological Resilience During Crisis publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in post-traumatic growth and psychological resilience during crisis across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG): Positive psychological change experienced as a result of the struggle with highly challenging circumstances.

Psychological Resilience: The capacity to maintain or regain mental health despite experiencing adversity.

Vicarious Post-Traumatic Growth (VPTG): PTG experienced indirectly, for example by witnessing or supporting others through trauma.

Coping Profile: A characteristic pattern of behavioural and cognitive strategies used to manage stress.

Deliberate Rumination: Purposeful reflection on one’s traumatic experiences to derive meaning and facilitate growth.

References

1. Promotion factors of emergency nurses’ post-traumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai: a qualitative study. BMC Nursing (2023).
2. Chinese college students’ post-traumatic growth during the COVID-19: a grounded theory study. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2024).
3. Posttraumatic growth of medical staff during COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review. BMC Public Health (2024).
4. Coping profiles and their association with vicarious post‐traumatic growth among nurses during the three waves of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Journal of Clinical Nursing (2024).
5. Effect of Positive Psychological Intervention on Posttraumatic Growth among Primary Healthcare Workers in China: A Preliminary Prospective Study. Scientific Reports (2016).