Abstract
That the effects of posttraumatic growth (PTG) are not limited to those directly exposed to the stressor event but also extend to those who witness, accompany, or help them has been recognized, especially in recent years. Gaining benefits from traumatic exposure by affiliation has been conceptualized as vicarious PTG (VPTG) or vicarious resilience (VR). Practice experience and research have addressed the prevalence, characteristics, process, and outcomes of VPTG in family members and a wide array of service providers. While vicarious stress reactions have been documented in those involved in studying trauma survivors, knowledge about vicarious growth in this population group is limited. This chapter discusses available knowledge on how intensive exposure to and interaction with those who report growth following the struggle with highly stressful events can generate an experience of growth in researchers who study them.