Graduation Semester and Year
Summer 2026
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work
Department
Social Work
First Advisor
Dr. Schuman, Donna
Second Advisor
Dr. Ryan, Scott
Third Advisor
Dr. Washburn, Micki
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Park, Yangjin
Fifth Advisor
Dr. Anderson, Keith
Abstract
U.S. military veterans are frequently exposed to traumatic and morally challenging experiences that can disrupt core assumptions about identity, purpose, and control. While much of the veteran mental health literature has emphasized psychological distress and functional impairment, growing attention has been directed toward posttraumatic growth and strengths-based outcomes. This dissertation examined posttraumatic growth among U.S. military veterans with a specific focus on personal strength as a central dimension of growth following trauma.
Using a multi-method design, this dissertation integrated findings from three complementary studies. First, a scoping review mapped how posttraumatic growth, personal strength, and related constructs have been conceptualized, theoretically framed, and operationalized within empirical studies of U.S. military veterans published between 2015 and 2025. Second, a qualitative phenomenological study explored veterans’ lived experiences of posttraumatic growth using Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method. Third, a quantitative study examined the relationship between resilience-related responses to stressful experiences and posttraumatic growth in the personal strength domain using a one-level linear regression model.
Across all three studies, findings converged to support personal strength as a core dimension of posttraumatic growth among veterans. The scoping review revealed substantial variability in conceptual definitions and measurement approaches, with personal strength often embedded within broader constructs rather than examined independently. Qualitative findings demonstrated that veterans experience growth as a nonlinear process shaped by meaning-making, internal and external barriers, sources of strength, identity transformation, and generative action. Quantitative results showed a strong positive association between resilience-related responses to stress and personal strength outcomes, with demographic variables exerting minimal influence on this relationship. These findings collectively support posttraumatic growth as a dynamic process that extends beyond symptom reduction and position personal strength as a central mechanism through which veterans interpret, experience, and demonstrate growth following adversity. This dissertation contributes to the veteran mental health literature by integrating conceptual synthesis, lived experience, and empirical analysis to advance understanding of personal strength following trauma.
Keywords
Posttraumatic Growth, Personal Strength, Military Veterans, Resilience
Disciplines
Social Work
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Moore, Steven, "Personal Strength as a Core Dimension of Posttraumatic Growth: A Multi-Method Study of U.S. Military Veterans" (2026). Social Work Dissertations. 2.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/socialwork_dissertations2/2
Comments
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my dissertation committee for their guidance, mentorship, and unwavering support throughout this research journey. Their expertise, thoughtful feedback, and commitment to scholarly excellence challenged me to become a stronger researcher and clinician. I am also grateful to my fellow researchers, Damone Wisdom and Mayte Ledesma, for their contributions to the literature review, data management, and qualitative research process. Their collaboration and dedication strengthened the rigor of this study and are sincerely appreciated