Abstract

The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between posttraumatic growth, ruminations, and core beliefs in grieving individuals after the loss of a loved one. The participants were 140 bereaved individuals (122 women, 18 men; M = 38.40; SD = 13.96). The results showed that posttraumatic growth was positively related to intrusive and deliberate ruminations; however, it was positively predicted only by deliberate ruminations. Core beliefs disruption was also positively related to deliberate and intrusive ruminations, but only deliberate ruminations positively predicted core beliefs. Moreover, posttraumatic growth is positively related to grief after the loss but unrelated to the time elapsed since loss. Higher posttraumatic growth was found in individuals who had experienced a sudden loss and loss of a close family member. Overall, the study shows that deliberate ruminations, for example about the meaning of the loss and its consequences, can stimulate posttraumatic growth in bereaved individuals.