Posttraumatic Growth in War Captives

Abstract

Numerous studies have investigated the various consequences of traumatic experiences during the war. The most significant disorder that occurs as a result of war traumatization is posttraumatic stress disorder, in addition to which other psychological disorders often can occur. In the last few decades, the number of studies researching the occurrence of posttraumatic growth as a positive outcome of trauma, including that of war veterans, has been growing. Among war veterans, prisoners of war stand out for the intensity of their traumatic experience but also for the appearance and intensity of the pathological outcomes of the trauma. Studies show that in this group of veterans, posttraumatic stress disorder and comorbidity disorders often persist for decades after their release from captivity.

There is not much research about the positive outcomes of trauma in these particularly vulnerable populations, and this paper is a review of several different studies, the results of which show that posttraumatic growth is possible even after challenging traumatic experiences such as war captivity.