Future Directions: Posttraumatic Growth and Physical Activity in Female Trauma Survivors

Abstract

Traumatic event exposure is a widespread issue challenging peoples’ ability to thrive. Exposure can result in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which can lead to dysfunction in cognitive, physical, and interpersonal areas of life. Despite public perception, PTSD disproportionally affects women at 2 times the rate as men (Lehavot et al., 2018). Despite this, promising research into trauma-informed care and posttraumatic growth (PTG) have been conducted. PTG can occur simultaneously with PTSD and promotes thriving across social-emotional life domains (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004). Moreover, group activity and physical activity have been shown separately to promote PTG and decrease PTSD symptoms (Love & Sabiston, 2011; Sheppard-Perkins et al., 2022). The following review discusses theoretical frameworks, contemporary trauma recovery research, and need to evaluate physical activity as low-cost adjunctive treatment option for clinical implementation.