Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Posttraumatic Growth Among Italian Survivors of Emergency Situations

We investigated the relation between posttraumatic growth and posttraumatic stress symptoms among survivors of fires, earthquakes, and floods. Furthermore, we explored the contribution of several predictors to these outcomes. Participants were 173 survivors of several events that have occurred in Italy in the last decade. Posttraumatic growth was positively related to posttraumatic avoidance and intrusion-hyperarousal symptoms. Multiple regression analyses revealed that peritraumatic panic was a predictor of posttraumatic intrusion-hyperarousal symptoms and posttraumatic growth. Moreover, posttraumatic intrusion-hyperarousal symptoms mediate the relationship between peritraumatic panic symptoms and posttraumatic growth. These results contribute to a better understanding of the role of intrusive thoughts in promoting posttraumatic growth.