{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]],"date-time":"2026-09-22T20:45:48Z","timestamp":1790109948210,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,2]],"date-time":"2025-12-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1764633600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Posttraumatic growth (PTG) offers an alternative understanding of trauma response, contrasting with traditional perspectives focused solely on symptom development and resilience. In the PTG model, individuals and groups report positive changes in life philosophy, self-understanding, and interpersonal relationships because of successfully navigating the struggles involved with experiencing adversity. This narrative review includes the evolution of PTG theory, highlighting the disruption of core beliefs, the role of rumination, and the reconstruction of a life narrative as central mechanisms of the PTG process. The authors describe the five empirically validated domains of PTG and outline the naturally occurring PTG process. Methods are discussed for facilitating PTG through \u201cexpert companions,\u201d who may be peers or professionals providing nonjudgmental, supportive relationships that encourage emotional regulation, constructive disclosure, and meaning making. The article explores how these methods can be applied to individuals, communities, and organizations, all of which may experience comparable domains of growth following collective adversity. The article concludes by highlighting how a focus on posttraumatic growth shifts perspectives from viewing trauma survivors as broken to recognizing their potential for transformation and underscores the role of both professional and community support in fostering PTG and healthier organizational climates.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs15121653","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,2]],"date-time":"2025-12-02T08:49:22Z","timestamp":1764665362000},"page":"1653","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Posttraumatic Growth as a Pathway to Wellness for Individuals and Organizations"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3995-7569","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Richard G.","family":"Tedeschi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth, Bluemont, VA 20135, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bret A.","family":"Moore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth, Bluemont, VA 20135, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2514-7263","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Taryn C.","family":"Greene","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth, Bluemont, VA 20135, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Calhoun, L. G., and Tedeschi, R. G. (2013). Posttraumatic growth in clinical practice, Routledge.","DOI":"10.4324\/9780203629048"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"593","DOI":"10.1002\/ajim.23249","article-title":"The role of organizational supports in mitigating mental ill health in firefighters: A cohort study in Alberta, Canada","volume":"64","author":"Cherry","year":"2021","journal-title":"American Journal of Industrial Medicine"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"134","DOI":"10.1002\/jts.21685","article-title":"Guidelines for peer support in high-risk organizations: An international consensus study using the Delphi method","volume":"25","author":"Creamer","year":"2012","journal-title":"Journal of Traumatic Stress"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00877792","article-title":"Strens, traumas, and trauma resolution","volume":"3","author":"Finkel","year":"1975","journal-title":"American Journal of Community Psychology"},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"Herman, J. L. (1992). Trauma and recovery, Basic Books."},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"Janoff-Bulman, R. (1992). Shattered assumptions: Towards a new psychology of trauma, Free Press."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kalmbach, K. C. (2024). Law enforcement. Trauma, resilience, and posttraumatic growth in frontline personnel, Routledge.","DOI":"10.4324\/9781003292807-6"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"897","DOI":"10.1080\/15325024.2024.2448332","article-title":"Facilitating posttraumatic growth among U.S. Military veterans: Evaluating an innovative training program","volume":"30","author":"Kelley","year":"2025","journal-title":"Journal of Loss and Trauma"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1987","DOI":"10.1177\/1077801219888019","article-title":"Sexual assault survivors\u2019 post-traumatic growth: Individual and community-level differences","volume":"26","author":"Kirkner","year":"2020","journal-title":"Violence Against Women"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1037\/a0022030","article-title":"The relationship of core belief challenge, rumination, disclosure, and sociocultural elements to posttraumatic growth","volume":"5","author":"Lindstrom","year":"2013","journal-title":"Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.1080\/10509674.2012.683239","article-title":"\u201cI used to be an offender\u2014Now I\u2019m a defender\u201d: Positive psychology approaches in the facilitation of posttraumatic growth in offenders","volume":"51","author":"Mapham","year":"2012","journal-title":"Journal of Offender Rehabilitation"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"391","DOI":"10.1037\/pst0000228","article-title":"Relationships and responsiveness in the psychological treatment of trauma: The tragedy of the APA clinical practice guideline","volume":"56","author":"Norcross","year":"2019","journal-title":"Psychotherapy"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"656","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(23)00918-2","article-title":"Transforming mental health systems globally: Principles and policy recommendations","volume":"402","author":"Patel","year":"2023","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rhodes, J. R., Tedeschi, R. G., Moore, B. A., Alldredge, C. T., and Elkins, G. R. (2024). Posttraumatic growth-oriented peer-based training among U.S. veterans: Evaluation of post-intervention and long-term follow-up outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology, 14.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1322837"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1177\/1534765611430129","article-title":"Taking care of staff: A comprehensive model of support for paramedics and emergency medical dispatchers","volume":"17","author":"Scully","year":"2011","journal-title":"Traumatology"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Shakespeare-Finch, J., Scully, P., and Bruenig, D. (2024). Trauma, resilience, and posttraumatic growth in frontline personnel, Routledge.","DOI":"10.4324\/9781003292807"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"271","DOI":"10.1080\/15325024.2017.1284504","article-title":"Psychoeducational intervention program about posttraumatic growth for Japanese high school students","volume":"22","author":"Taku","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Loss and Trauma"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1161","DOI":"10.1037\/0003-066X.38.11.1161","article-title":"Adjustment to threatening events: A theory of cognitive adaptation","volume":"38","author":"Taylor","year":"1983","journal-title":"American Psychologist"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"137","DOI":"10.1007\/s10880-011-9255-2","article-title":"Posttraumatic growth in combat veterans","volume":"18","author":"Tedeschi","year":"2011","journal-title":"Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings"},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"Tedeschi, R. G. (2025, August 08). Growth and trauma. Harvard Business Review, Available online: https:\/\/hbr.org\/2020\/07\/growth-after-trauma."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tedeschi, R. G., and Calhoun, L. G. (1995). Trauma & transformation: Growing in the aftermath of suffering, SAGE Publications, Inc.","DOI":"10.4135\/9781483326931"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"455","DOI":"10.1002\/jts.2490090305","article-title":"The posttraumatic growth inventory: Measuring the positive legacy of trauma","volume":"9","author":"Tedeschi","year":"1996","journal-title":"Journal of Traumatic Stress"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tedeschi, R. G., and Calhoun, L. G. (2009). The clinician as expert companion. Medical illness and positive life change: Can crisis lead to personal transformation?, American Psychological Association.","DOI":"10.1037\/11854-012"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1002\/jts.22155","article-title":"The posttraumatic growth inventory: A revision integrating existential and spiritual change","volume":"30","author":"Tedeschi","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Traumatic Stress"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1037\/a0021896","article-title":"Can we facilitate posttraumatic growth in combat veterans?","volume":"66","author":"Tedeschi","year":"2011","journal-title":"American Psychologist"},{"key":"ref_26","first-page":"6","article-title":"A model for developing community-based, grass roots laboratories for postdeployment adjustment","volume":"31","author":"Tedeschi","year":"2016a","journal-title":"The Military Psychologist"},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"Tedeschi, R. G., and Moore, B. A. (2016b). The posttraumatic growth workbook, New Harbinger."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"180","DOI":"10.1037\/int0000250","article-title":"Posttraumatic growth as an integrative therapeutic philosophy","volume":"31","author":"Tedeschi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Journal of Psychotherapy Integration"},{"key":"ref_29","first-page":"40","article-title":"Posttraumatic growth and logotherapy: Finding meaning in trauma","volume":"39","author":"Tedeschi","year":"2016","journal-title":"International Forum for Logotherapy"},{"key":"ref_30","unstructured":"Tedeschi, R. G., Shakespeare-Finch, J., Taku, K., and Moore, B. (2026). Posttraumatic growth: Theory, research, and applications, Routledge. [2nd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"400","DOI":"10.1037\/a0024204","article-title":"Posttraumatic growth, meaning in life, and life satisfaction in response to trauma","volume":"4","author":"Triplett","year":"2012","journal-title":"Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy"},{"key":"ref_32","unstructured":"Williams, M. B., Baker, G. R., and Williams, T. (1999). The great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake: Adapted strategies for survival. When a community weeps: Case studies in group survivorship, Brunner\/Mazel."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"325","DOI":"10.1177\/1069397116663857","article-title":"Communal coping and posttraumatic growth in a context of natural disasters in Spain, Chile, and Colombia","volume":"50","author":"Wlodarczyk","year":"2016","journal-title":"Cross-Cultural Research: The Journal of Comparative Social Science"}],"container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-328X\/15\/12\/1653\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,2]],"date-time":"2025-12-02T09:13:03Z","timestamp":1764666783000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-328X\/15\/12\/1653"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,2]]},"references-count":33,"journal-issue":{"issue":"12","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12]]}},"alternative-id":["bs15121653"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/bs15121653","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-328X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-328X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,2]]}}}