An investigation of post-traumatic growth in the individuals with acquired physical disability

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between sociodemographic characteritics, disability related characteristics, personality traits, perceived social support, social appearance anxiety and hope with posttraumatic growth in the individuals with acquired physical disability. The data were collected from a total of 121 participants. In the study, Posttraumatic Growth Invetory, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, and Dispositional Hope Scale were administered to the subjects. Correlation analysis, ANOVA, and regression analysis were performed by using SPSS 21 Programme. The results of analysis that there is a positive relationship the age of the individual and the subdimensions of spiritual change of posttraumatic growth and the age when the individual became disabled and the subdimensions of relationship with others and spiritual change of posttraumatic growth. The results also indicate that there is a negative relationship between the age and disability age of the individual and the new opportunities subdimension of posttraumatic growth. It can be observed that educational status have an effect on the subdimention of new opportunities while marital status has an effect on the spiritual change subdimention. Personality traits of religion predicts the subdimention of spiritual change of posttraumatic growth. There is a positively significant relationship between the total score of social support and the subdimentions of appreciation of life, relations with others and posttraumatic growth. Also it can be observed that there is positively significant relationship between the social support perceived from friends and subdimensions of posttraumatic growth, relations with others, new opportunities, and personal strength. It has also been found that hope is related to posttraumatic growth, new opportunities, personal strength and appreciation of life. No meaningful relationship has been observed between social appearance anxiety and posttraumatic growth. Keywords: physical disability, post-traumatic growth, social support, hope, appearance anxiety