Date of Conferral

12-2-2025

Date of Award

December 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Counselor Education and Supervision

Advisor

Geneva Gray

Abstract

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) has received increasing attention in psychological research, yet the PTG experiences of African Americans remain underexplored. Trauma researchers have established the common prevalence of trauma within this population, but there have been very few studies on how African Americans traverse trauma according to PTG. Understanding PTG in this population is essential for clergy, coaches, parents, counselors, and others who work in these communities. The purpose of this quantitative survey study was to determine whether there was a statistically significant relationship between rumination, religious orientation, religious commitment, and stressful life events (SLEs) and PTG among urban African American adults aged 25 and above. Grounded in religious commitment theory (RCT), the PTG Inventory (PTGI) was used as the dependent variable and included the Quest Religious Orientation Scale, the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ), the Religious Commitment Inventory - 10 (RCI-10), and the Event-Related Rumination Inventory (ERRI) as independent variables. A sample of 81 participants completed valid survey responses. Data were analyzed using a multiple linear regression in SPSS. Results of the full model indicated a statistically significant relationship between all four independent variables and PTG, F(4, 76) = 13.29, p < .001, R² = 0.41. These findings suggest that religious and cognitive processes play a significant role in fostering growth after trauma and highlight potential avenues for promoting resilience and well-being in African American communities.

Download

Share

 
COinS