Abstract

The post-traumatic growth is defined as the experience of positive change arising from the struggle with a major life crisis of "seismic" proportions. In recent years, Western psychologists have begun to turn their attention to positive human functioning. This article aims at exploring the different conceptualizations of "growth" as "processes" or as "outcome", as "actual" or as "illusory". In particular, the relation of growth to health and the possible qualifiers and moderators of this relation will be investigated. The review will conclude with some suggestions for future directions and some considerations for clinical implications of growth research.