Cognitive-behavioral therapy for post-traumatic growth (PTG) in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES

In evaluating the effectiveness of different therapeutic methods aimed at fostering post-traumatic growth (PTG) in individuals who have experienced trauma, a key inquiry arises: Can cognitive-behavioral therapies enhance PTG in those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder?

METHODS

To address this question, comprehensive searches were conducted across the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases from the inception of these databases through 1 January, 2025. To be included, studies had to consist of clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, or experimental methodologies that applied cognitive-behavioral therapy to enhance post-traumatic growth among individuals suffering from PTSD. Each study was qualitatively assessed using the Verhegen quality assessment checklist.

RESULTS

The results showed that seven articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria, representing a total of 249 individuals and 46 couples, with a gender distribution of 47 males and 164 females. The findings of the study indicated that cognitive behavioral therapies lead to a notable enhancement in post-traumatic growth signs within the intervention group (SMD=-0.81, 95% CI=-1.19, -0.43, p=0.027). Furthermore, as the sample size in the studies increased, the impact of CBT on PTG improvement also grew (P=0.056).

CONCLUSIONS

It can be concluded that CBT-related interventions can assist individuals in achieving growth by engaging with and addressing crises.