Table of Contents

SECTION I: POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH THEORY 1. What Is Posttraumatic Growth? 2. A History of the Concept of Posttraumatic Growth in Psychology and Related Disciplines 3. Religion, Philosophy, and Posttraumatic Growth 4. Posttraumatic Growth as Process and Outcome 5. Posttraumatic Growth as Common and Universal Experience 6. The Validity of Reports of Posttraumatic Growth 7. Components of the Theoretical Model of Posttraumatic Growth 8. Theories Related to PTG SECTION II: POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH RESEARCH 9. Qualitative Research on Posttraumatic Growth 10. Quantitative Measures of Posttraumatic Growth 11. Cross-Cultural Research 12. Developmental Research on Posttraumatic Growth 13. Posttraumatic Growth and Neurological and Biological Mechanisms 14. Ideal Research Strategies for Posttraumatic Growth SECTION III: APPLICATION 15. Facilitation of Posttraumatic Growth through Expert Companionship 16. Intervention Models for Posttraumatic Growth 17. PTG Beyond the Individual 18. Vicarious and Secondary PTG 19. Non-Posttraumatic Growth 20. Final Considerations

About the Author

Richard G. Tedeschi, PhD, is a professor of psychological science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he conducts research on posttraumatic growth and serves as core faculty for the health psychology doctoral program.

Jane Shakespeare-Finch, PhD, is a professor in psychology and counseling at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, and president of the Australasian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Dr. Shakespeare-Finch has conducted PTG research for 20 years and published widely.

Kanako Taku, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Oakland University in Michigan. She has conducted PTG research cross-culturally and authored articles and books in English and Japanese.

Lawrence G. Calhoun, PhD, is a professor emeritus of psychological science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Along with Dr. Tedeschi, he is one of the pioneers in research and applications of posttraumatic growth.

Reviews

"It has been over twenty years since the term ‘posttraumatic growth’ was coined by Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun. In that time, these authors’ pioneering and inspirational work has helped posttraumatic growth become a flagship theme of positive psychology, one that has garnered interest from personality, social, and clinical psychologists across the world. This is a milestone book written by the leaders in the field, and it will surely set the agenda for theory, research, and practice for the next twenty years. It is a must read for all students, academics, and practitioners interested in the study of traumatic stress and how to help people overcome adversity."
Stephen Joseph, PhD, author of What Doesn’t Kill Us: The New Psychology of Posttraumatic Growth "This new book is a plentiful harvest of more than twenty years of international research and applied practice on posttraumatic growth. The two world-leading originators of the concept are joined by the two leading experts in international research on posttraumatic growth. What a stupendous work of diligence and scholarship!"
Andreas Maercker, PhD MD, chair and professor of psychology, Division of Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, University of Zurich"Posttraumatic Growth is the definitive and up to date guide on trauma and positive change written by the world’s leading researchers on the subject. The remarkable depth and global reach of the book shows just how far Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun’s pioneering work has come in just a few decades. Posttraumatic Growth is required reading for anyone hoping to understand this fundamental human response to struggle."
Jim Rendon, author of Upside: The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth