Factors Associated with Posttraumatic Growth Following Traumatic Brain Injury: Rumination and Self-Disclosure.

The current study examined posttraumatic growth (PTG), the experience of positive change following a traumatic event, in a sample of traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors. The focus was on the role of rumination and self-disclosure about trauma in the experience of PTG. Participants (N = 76) were TBI survivors drawn from an existing brain injury survivor database who completed questionnaires over the phone. Participants responded to questionnaires evaluating current depression symptoms, current intrusive (unwanted, distressing) and deliberate (thoughtful, purposeful) rumination, disclosure about PTG and about the negative consequences of the TBI, and experienced PTG. Self-disclosure about a traumatic event was theorized to play an important role in the development of PTG. Challenge to core beliefs about the self, others and the world has been shown to be a key component in PTG development as it prompts rumination and self-disclosure about the event as ways to make sense of new circumstances. Self-disclosure was assessed by evaluating desire to disclose, actual disclosure, and reactions to disclosures by important others. Findings suggest that helpful (supportive, empathic, understanding) responses to disclosures about PTG facilitated PTG, above and beyond deliberate rumination, a known strong positive predictor of PTG. Implications for clinical practice with TBI survivors are discussed.