The Impact of Coping Strategies and Resilience on Post-Traumatic Growth among Youth with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Positive Psychology Perspective from the Kashmir Valley, North India

Abstract

Introduction: Traumatic events can cause stress, which can have a wide range of psychological, emotional, and physical effects. PTSD is a mental health disorder that arises from witnessing or experiencing traumatic event. Any person, regardless of age, ethnicity, nationality, or culture, can develop PTSD. Adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 have an 8% lifetime prevalence of PTSD. One in eleven persons is predicted to receive a PTSD diagnosis at some point in their lives. PTSD affects women twice as frequently as it does men. However various psychological factors such as coping and resilience can promote to positive growth after experiencing the trauma. Objectives: The objective of the study is to understand and explore Coping Strategies and Resilience, as predictors of Post Traumatic Growth in the youth of Kashmir with PTSD. Methods: A cross-sectional study, and a sample of 100 participants (male=50; female=50) diagnosed with PTSD by using a purposive sampling method. All the participants were screened on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Brief cope scale, Post-traumatic Growth Inventory, PCL-5, and The Resiliency Scale were used in this study. Results:  The study revealed significant Gender difference in emotional focused coping style, resilience and post-traumatic growth among youth with PTSD. Multiple regression analysis revealed that 16 percent of contribution in post-traumatic growth can be attributed to predictors i.e. is coping and resilience. The resilience (Beta =0.30, p<0.01), emerged as a only significant predictor and have positive impact on post traumatic growth among youth with PTSD. Conclusions: The study aims to explore and understand coping strategies resilience and PTG and impact of coping and resilience on PTG among Kashmiri youth with PTSD. It was concluded that gender differences influence significantly in emotional focused coping style, resilience and post traumatic growth. The resilience has shown strong positive impact on post traumatic growth and promoting resilience could increase the positive growth after trauma.