Longitudinal Trajectories of PTSD Symptoms Predict Levels of Posttraumatic Growth in World Trade Center Responders
Background Prior research has indicated that posttraumatic growth (PTG) often co-occurs with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it is yet unclear what longitudinal patterns of posttraumatic symptom levels may predict the development of PTG. Methods World Trade Center (WTC) re...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Chronic Stress |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/24705470221122898 |
| _version_ | 1818010210092974080 |
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| author | Marin M. Kautz Abigail Collins Clyde B. Schechter Ryan Salim Janice Rodriguez Ritika Singh Christopher R. Dasaro Andrew C. Todd Michael Crane Jacqueline M. Moline Iris G. Udasin Denise J. Harrison Benjamin J. Luft Steven M. Southwick Robert H. Pietrzak Adriana Feder |
| author_facet | Marin M. Kautz Abigail Collins Clyde B. Schechter Ryan Salim Janice Rodriguez Ritika Singh Christopher R. Dasaro Andrew C. Todd Michael Crane Jacqueline M. Moline Iris G. Udasin Denise J. Harrison Benjamin J. Luft Steven M. Southwick Robert H. Pietrzak Adriana Feder |
| author_sort | Marin M. Kautz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background Prior research has indicated that posttraumatic growth (PTG) often co-occurs with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it is yet unclear what longitudinal patterns of posttraumatic symptom levels may predict the development of PTG. Methods World Trade Center (WTC) rescue and recovery workers (2038 police and 2103 non-traditional responders) were assessed an average of 3, 6, 8, and 12 years post-9/11/2001. Responders’ WTC-related PTSD symptoms were characterized by No/Low Symptom, Worsening/Subtly Worsening, Steeply Worsening (only for non-traditional responders), Improving, and Chronic trajectories. PTSD symptom trajectories were examined as predictors of PTG, which was assessed using total scores on the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form. Results Across both occupational groups, being female, older, Hispanic, and experiencing more post-9/11 traumatic events were independently associated with self-reported PTG. Among police responders, a greater number of WTC exposures and supportive family members while working at the WTC site were linked to higher PTG. Among non-traditional responders, Black race/ethnicity, less education, fewer pre-9/11 traumatic events, and the presence of support while working at the WTC site were additionally linked to higher PTG. Only the moderate PTSD symptom trajectories (ie, worsening and improving) for police responders and all symptomatic trajectories for non-traditional responders were associated with higher levels of PTG. Conclusions Symptomatic 12-year trajectories of PTSD symptoms and certain sociodemographic characteristics, stressor exposures, and supportive resources were associated with PTG in traditional and non-traditional WTC responders. Results provide insight into subgroups of WTC responders who may benefit from PTG-promoting interventions, as well as potentially modifiable targets to help foster PTG in this population. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T05:52:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-71eff62c003f4579a6a44072e413f223 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2470-5470 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T05:52:19Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Chronic Stress |
| spelling | doaj.art-71eff62c003f4579a6a44072e413f2232022-12-22T02:09:03ZengSAGE PublishingChronic Stress2470-54702022-09-01610.1177/24705470221122898Longitudinal Trajectories of PTSD Symptoms Predict Levels of Posttraumatic Growth in World Trade Center RespondersMarin M. Kautz0Abigail Collins1Clyde B. Schechter2Ryan Salim3Janice Rodriguez4Ritika Singh5Christopher R. Dasaro6Andrew C. Todd7Michael Crane8Jacqueline M. Moline9Iris G. Udasin10Denise J. Harrison11Benjamin J. Luft12Steven M. Southwick13Robert H. Pietrzak14Adriana Feder15 Department of Psychiatry, , New York, NY, USA Department of Psychiatry, , New York, NY, USA Department of Family and Social Medicine, , Bronx, NY, USA Department of Psychiatry, , New York, NY, USA Department of Psychiatry, , New York, NY, USA Department of Psychiatry, , New York, NY, USA Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, , New York, NY, USA Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, , New York, NY, USA Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, , New York, NY, USA Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention, , Great Neck, NY, USA Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, School of Public Health, , Piscataway, NJ, USA Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, , New York, NY, USA Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, , Stony Brook, NY, USA U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA Department of Psychiatry, , New Haven, CT, USA Department of Psychiatry, , New York, NY, USABackground Prior research has indicated that posttraumatic growth (PTG) often co-occurs with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it is yet unclear what longitudinal patterns of posttraumatic symptom levels may predict the development of PTG. Methods World Trade Center (WTC) rescue and recovery workers (2038 police and 2103 non-traditional responders) were assessed an average of 3, 6, 8, and 12 years post-9/11/2001. Responders’ WTC-related PTSD symptoms were characterized by No/Low Symptom, Worsening/Subtly Worsening, Steeply Worsening (only for non-traditional responders), Improving, and Chronic trajectories. PTSD symptom trajectories were examined as predictors of PTG, which was assessed using total scores on the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form. Results Across both occupational groups, being female, older, Hispanic, and experiencing more post-9/11 traumatic events were independently associated with self-reported PTG. Among police responders, a greater number of WTC exposures and supportive family members while working at the WTC site were linked to higher PTG. Among non-traditional responders, Black race/ethnicity, less education, fewer pre-9/11 traumatic events, and the presence of support while working at the WTC site were additionally linked to higher PTG. Only the moderate PTSD symptom trajectories (ie, worsening and improving) for police responders and all symptomatic trajectories for non-traditional responders were associated with higher levels of PTG. Conclusions Symptomatic 12-year trajectories of PTSD symptoms and certain sociodemographic characteristics, stressor exposures, and supportive resources were associated with PTG in traditional and non-traditional WTC responders. Results provide insight into subgroups of WTC responders who may benefit from PTG-promoting interventions, as well as potentially modifiable targets to help foster PTG in this population.https://doi.org/10.1177/24705470221122898 |
| spellingShingle | Marin M. Kautz Abigail Collins Clyde B. Schechter Ryan Salim Janice Rodriguez Ritika Singh Christopher R. Dasaro Andrew C. Todd Michael Crane Jacqueline M. Moline Iris G. Udasin Denise J. Harrison Benjamin J. Luft Steven M. Southwick Robert H. Pietrzak Adriana Feder Longitudinal Trajectories of PTSD Symptoms Predict Levels of Posttraumatic Growth in World Trade Center Responders Chronic Stress |
| title | Longitudinal Trajectories of PTSD Symptoms Predict Levels of Posttraumatic Growth in World Trade Center Responders |
| title_full | Longitudinal Trajectories of PTSD Symptoms Predict Levels of Posttraumatic Growth in World Trade Center Responders |
| title_fullStr | Longitudinal Trajectories of PTSD Symptoms Predict Levels of Posttraumatic Growth in World Trade Center Responders |
| title_full_unstemmed | Longitudinal Trajectories of PTSD Symptoms Predict Levels of Posttraumatic Growth in World Trade Center Responders |
| title_short | Longitudinal Trajectories of PTSD Symptoms Predict Levels of Posttraumatic Growth in World Trade Center Responders |
| title_sort | longitudinal trajectories of ptsd symptoms predict levels of posttraumatic growth in world trade center responders |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/24705470221122898 |
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