Collective violence, strengths, and perceived posttraumatic growth: a scoping review

Brooks, Matthew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5469-7769, O'Brien, Rachel Olivia, Livanou, Maria, Turner, Martin J ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1975-5561 and Whittenbury, Kate (2024) Collective violence, strengths, and perceived posttraumatic growth: a scoping review. Trauma, Violence and Abuse: a review journal. ISSN 1524-8380 (In Press)

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Abstract

Collective violence – such as armed conflict, state-sponsored violence, and terrorism – represents a profound form of trauma which can harm individuals, communities, and societies. Existing research has largely examined risk factors and negative psychosocial outcomes from collective violence, neglecting the potential for survivors to draw upon a range of strengths that may allow them to perceive benefits from their experiences, known as posttraumatic growth (PTG). This scoping review uses the resilience portfolio model (Grych et al., 2015) to highlight a potential portfolio of meaning-making, regulatory, and interpersonal-ecological strengths-based resources and assets that are conducive to perceived PTG (PPTG) and possible better functioning following collective violence. The present review identified 52 papers from CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, and PsychInfo, spanning from January 1995 to May 2023, which specifically focused on strengths and PTG in populations who reside (or had resided) in over 20 countries. This review highlights individual and group-level meaning making, regulatory, and interpersonal strengths used by survivors in both individualistic and collectivist societies, providing a more comprehensive understanding of resilience and PPTG after collective violence. Some strengths, such as religious coping, positive reappraisal, and social support demonstrated mixed relations with PPTG. The research also identified previously uncategorized ecological/systemic supports for PPTG such as political climate, access to education, and sanitation infrastructure, which require more research. The findings call for culturally sensitive approaches that recognize and promote individual and community efforts to enhance well-being among populations disproportionately affected by collective violence.