| Description |
Much scientific inquiry into the psychological and social issues surrounding age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has focused on the ways in which the condition is a catalyst for negative outcomes. However, enduring and learning from negative life events can offer a benefit never before experienced. One such possibility is called posttraumatic growth (PTG). The aims of this study were to (a) measure and describe the extent to which PTG occurs in a sample of older adults experiencing vision loss caused by AMD; (b) identify the demographic relationships with and correlates of PTG; (c) identify the roles of perceived stressfulness, depression, intrusive and deliberate rumination, social support, and religiosity in PTG; and (d) use semistructured, qualitative interviews to highlight exemplars of growth to better understand how the experience of struggling with vision loss may lead to growth among older adults with severe AMD. In this descriptive and correlational study we used a multimethod approach and cross-sectional design. Data collection occurred in two phases. First, 89 participants completed an interviewer-administered composite questionnaire of demographic questions, the Event-Related Rumination Inventory, Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Geriatric Depression Scale, Lubben's Social Network Scale, two questions about perceived stressfulness, and a question about religiosity. Relationships between variables were examined using path analysis. The hypothesized model was proposed based on the posttraumatic growth theoretical model. Next, we conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews among 15 individuals who scored positively on the PTGI. The final path model indicated that deliberate rumination had a direct effect on PTG; intrusive rumination had indirect effects through deliberate rumination, and depression had indirect effects through social support and deliberate rumination. Qualitative responses cited past experience and resilience as possible reasons for lower overall growth in this sample. PTG resulting from the struggle with the challenges of AMD was a meaningful reality for some. These findings underscore the importance of supportive others and their role in reducing distress and fostering deliberate cognitive processing and eventual PTG. Interventions to promote positive outcomes such as PTG should focus on mitigating depression and intrusive rumination by increasing and enhancing social networks and fostering positive, deliberate cognitive processing. |
