A grounded theory approach to understanding cultural differences in posttraumatic growth

The last decade has seen a surge of research move away from a pathogenic paradigm of trauma to embrace a positive psychological approach. Research has predominantly used instruments such as the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory to ascertain levels of positive posttrauma change, yielding mixed results across cultures. Addressing a gap in current knowledge, this article uses a grounded theory approach to discover dimensions of posttraumatic growth in an Australian population. Results indicate that there are commonalities between Australian and U.S. populations in the experience of posttraumatic growth and also some differences, specifically in the areas of spirituality, religiosity, and compassion.