Abstract
Objective: Since its original publication in 1996, the 21-item Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) has been widely used to assess the experience of personal growth following trauma. In 2017, the expanded 25-item version (PTGI-X) was introduced to better capture spiritual and existential change. In this study, we aimed to develop a short form version of the PTGI-X (PTGI-X-SF) that retains all five domains of posttraumatic growth (PTG) in a brief, clinically useful format. Method: An international sample of 2,093 adults who had completed the PTGI-X in a prior study was analyzed. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine the factor structure of the proposed short form. Results: The resulting PTGI-X-SF includes 10 items—two from each of the five original PTGI subscales. The 10 SF items subjected to confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated acceptable model fit, supporting the validity of the PTGI-X-SF as a brief measure of PTG, which we believe preserves the depth and breadth of the original scale. Conclusions: The PTGI-X-SF offers a concise, psychometrically grounded tool for assessing PTG across all original domains. It can be used in diverse settings and populations, complementing standard trauma assessments to provide a fuller picture of individuals’ responses to adversity. We believe the instrument is a validated, efficient, and globally applicable short-form measure of PTG suitable for use in both research and clinical settings.
Impact Statement
The short form of the expanded Posttraumatic Growth Inventory is a validated, 10-item measure that gives clinicians a quick and reliable way to assess how people grow after trauma. Its brevity makes it especially useful in time-limited settings, allowing clinicians and researchers to evaluate positive psychological change following trauma without sacrificing depth or breadth. We believe the short form of the expanded Posttraumatic Growth Inventory is a globally applicable instrument that complements standard trauma assessments and supports a more holistic understanding of individuals’ responses to adversity.
