Individual and Community Post Traumatic Growth: A Data-Driven Examination of Person, Process, and Contextual Factors

This study investigated factors associated with post-traumatic growth (PTG) after severe traumatic societal events. Utilizing a quota-representative sample of 931 Israeli Jews, we assessed individual and community PTG following the Hamas attack of October 7th, 2023, alongside a range of factors guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) model. Using data-driven techniques, we identified three distinct growth profiles: relatively high individual and collective PTG (n = 354), high PTG on all dimensions (n = 273), and secular growth showing high PTG in general but not in spiritual terms (n = 322). Higher levels of religious identification, involvement, and coping, altruistic behavior, social support, optimism, and mindfulness, as well as lower levels of pessimism, were found in the group(s) with the highest PTG. This research highlights the potentially high societal resilience reported after a large-scale traumatic event, identifying factors that may be tested for their potential to maximize growth in the aftermath of trauma.