Interpersonal Trauma and Growth: PTSD, Personality, and Narrative Patterns Among Iraqi Youth
摘要
This study investigates the association between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) while examining the role of personality traits (e.g. conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness). It utilizes text mining (TM) techniques to analyze participants’ narratives for semantic insights into their psychological states. A sample of 144 adults, with an average age of 23.92 years; 65% of the participants were women, shared narratives of their most painful traumatic experiences and completed psychometric assessments, including the Arabic versions of the Big Five Inventory, Impact of Event Scale, and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Regression analysis revealed a low but statistically significant association between PTG and PTSS. Significant associations were also found between PTG and the personality traits of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. Subscale analyses indicated that Conscientiousness is significantly associated with both Personal Strength and New Possibilities. Correlational analyses revealed moderate to strong correlations between PTGI and personality traits (e.g., Agreeableness; Conscientiousness), as well as between PTGI subscales and PTSS dimensions. Gender differences were also observed, with women showing higher correlations with numbing PTSS symptoms and Agreeableness. Text mining enriched analysis by identifying thematic patterns in trauma narratives, with interpersonal losses and psychological distress emerging prominently. The findings emphasize conscientiousness’s therapeutic relevance in fostering PTG and advocate for the integration of TM with psychometric tools to deepen insights into trauma and growth dynamics. Future research should diversify samples and explore qualitative analyses to capture nuanced cultural expressions in narratives.