Socio-demographic and Psychological Correlates of Posttraumatic Growth among Korean Americans with a History of Traumatic Life Experiences

- Korean American women and those who had lower annual household income tended to report higher PTG.
- Resilience was positively related to PTG, while there was an inverse relationship between depressive symptoms and PTG.
- Praying and seeking help from mental health professionals were important coping strategies among KAs.
- Culturally-appropriate mental health intervention programs should be developed to facilitate PTG among KAs.

This study examined socio-demographic and psychological correlates of posttraumatic growth (PTG) among Korean Americans (KAs) with traumatic life experiences. A total of 286 KAs were included. Being a woman or having a lower annual household income had positive associations with PTG, while having no religion had a negative association with it. In addition, praying and visiting a mental health professional for coping with stress or for psychological problems was positively associated with PTG. Higher resilience scores increased PTG, while depressive symptoms decreased it. We suggest reinforcing help seeking behaviors and accessibility to care facilities, and gender specific strengthening programs for enhancing PTG among KAs.