Predictors of Post-Traumatic Growth: The Role of Social Interest and Meaning in Life

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) defines a traumatic event as exposure to threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. Considerable research on the prevalence of traumatic experiences in college students has revealed that more than half of students enter college with a history of traumatic events. Although much evidence has accumulated for post-traumatic stress in survivors of various traumatic events, there is also a growing body of empirical evidence that trauma can provide the opportunity for personal and social transformation (i.e., post-traumatic growth).