Development and Validation of Post-Traumatic Growth Scale for College Students

Objectives The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a Post-Traumatic Growth Scale specifically designed for college students. Methods To achieve this, preliminary items were initially drafted through a comprehensive literature review and in-depth interviews. These items were then reviewed by experts to construct a preliminary tool. Utilizing this preliminary tool, a pilot survey was conducted with 159 college students, and the results were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis to identify the factor structure. Subsequently, a main survey was conducted with 648 college students, and the results were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis, along with tests for reliability and criterion validity. Results The Post-Traumatic Growth Scale for college students was found to consist of 27 items across 5 factors: positive reappraisal of self/life, self-directedness, improvement in relationship intimacy, others' reactions, and enhancement of coping skills. Confirmatory factor analysis of the 9final 27 items indicated good fit indices and convergent validity. Additionally, the analysis of correlations between latent variables showed statistically significant and positive correlations. Based on these comprehensive results, the construct validity of the Post- Traumatic Growth Scale for college students was positively evaluated. Conclusions This study is significant as it developed a tool to measure post-traumatic growth in college students, proposing an evaluation criterion that encompasses both pathological and growth perspectives on trauma experiences. This tool is expected to assist college students who have experienced trauma in redefining their life goals and meanings, enabling them to lead a new self-actualizing life despite the pain caused by trauma.