Post-traumatic growth amongst refugee populations
The seventeen included studies suggest that post-traumatic growth can occur universally among refugee populations that have experienced trauma. However, there remained insufficient evidence to characterize the relationship between post-traumatic growth and post-traumatic stress symptoms.
Post-traumatic growth refers to positive psychological changes, such as improved emotional well-being and resilience, that may occur in survivors of traumatic events. The authors aimed to systematically review and characterize the incidence of post-traumatic growth literature in refugees who have experienced adversity or trauma. The seventeen included studies suggest that post-traumatic growth can occur universally among refugee populations that have experienced trauma, regardless of cultural background or demographic factors. However, there remained insufficient evidence to characterize the relationship between post-traumatic growth and post-traumatic stress symptoms. In addition, a degree of low-quality evidence was found in support of narrative exposure therapy and other therapeutic models which promote post-traumatic growth in refugee populations. However, limitations of this systematic review include the over-reliance on cross-sectional design, the potential biases of self-report questionnaires, and the heterogeneity of the refugee populations studied. Future studies with either longitudinal or experimental designs are necessary to support potential therapeutic models.