Patterns and transitions of posttraumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth in trauma‐exposed youth: A latent transition analysis

Abstract The present study examined the transition patterns in latent classes of Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post‐traumatic growth among a sample of youth 4–13 months after an explosion accident in China. Latent profile analyses identified consistent three classes (Resilient, Growing, and High‐Symptom) at both waves. Latent transition analysis found most Resilient individuals remained stable while most Growing and High‐symptom individuals transferred. Logistic regression predicting transition pathways suggests younger individuals, males, and those who lack social support are prone to experience reduced post‐traumatic growth, whereas individuals with higher trauma exposure are prone to develop PTSD. Our study provides empirical evidence supporting qualitative transitions in PTSD and post‐traumatic growth levels from a person‐centred perspective. This adds to the current knowledge on the heterogeneity of post‐traumatic responses of human beings and offers valuable guidance for post‐traumatic interventions among youths.