The question that you asked concerns the area that is still not known in psychology. And it's a very interesting question. In my opinion, some predictors of PTG (such as spirituality, and personality traits -conscientiousness) may be foundation of its stability.

In one article, where the dynamics of PTG was examined in patient with severe traumatic brain injury 13 years after, the autors stated that "PTG is a relatively stable phenomenon once established after the early years" (Powell, Gilson, Collin, 2012).

A new quality of life, as a result of PTG, can be a value that is not so easy to let go.

Thanks, Aleksandra Andysz, after experience a traumatic event how much time is required for PTG. I mean, safely after how much time it can be measured empirically?

Let me answer with another quote. Heim et al. (1997) studied adaptation in women with breast cancer and they found that the greatest changes took place between hospitalization and the subsequent 3 months. It shows that PTG, in my opinion - a form of adjustment, may be quite immediate response to trauma. But one has to take: depth and nature of trauma, co-existing other psychological phenomena - e.g. PTSD, and circumstances - e.g. resources and social support, into consideration.

thanks for your valuable response, for a longitudinal study with flood affected individuals,after 2 years, if we want to measure the change in PTG across time in three waves. do you think that the gap of 6 month of Ti and T2 and T2 and T3 is reasonable or any empirical evidences are available to the pattern of change in PTG across time.

I can't answer the question about the pattern of change in PTG. I think there is still no valid model explaining and predicting PTG. The issue is still empirically exploring and researchers are free in planning methodology and flowchart of their research. So good luck!

Thanks

For the novice, would you mind writing out your acronyms; first....?

Post-traumatic Growth (PTG): The positive changes of PTG are generally thought to occur in five domains after exposing to trauma, including; new possibilities, relating to others, personal strength, appreciation of life, and spiritual change (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004).