Introduction: The term “post-traumatic growth” describes positive outcomes that accrue from the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances. The purpose of this study is to describe post-traumatic growth accruing from experience with vision loss caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to identify the relationships between depression, cognitive processing, social support, and post-traumatic growth. Methods: Individuals with vision loss caused by AMD completed an interviewer-administered composite questionnaire to identify elements of Tedeschi and Calhoun’s theoretical model of the process of posttraumatic growth, including measures of distress (depression), intrusive and deliberate rumination (cognitive processing), and social support (quality and quantity of social ties). Relationships were examined using path analysis. Results: Eighty-nine participants completed the questionnaire (mean age = 85.3 years, range = 74–98 years). All paths, including from depression to social support (β = –.363, p < .001), from social support to deliberate rumination (β = .233; p ≤ .01), and from intrusive rumination to deliberate rumination (β = .514, p < .01), were significant and consistent with the posttraumatic growth theoretical model. Deliberate rumination had a significant direct path to post-traumatic growth (β = .38, p = .001). Discussion: The findings may illuminate elements of the process of post-traumatic growth among those with AMD. We found that as social support increased, depression decreased. Increased social support seemed to encourage positive deliberate rumination, which led directly to post-traumatic growth. Although intrusive rumination is often associated with negative outcomes, the model demonstrates that it also stimulates engagement in deliberate attempts to process one’s experience. Deliberate cognitive processing is a direct precursor to post-traumatic growth. Implications for Practitioners: A focus on the process of growth and thriving can offer a broader view of the experience of living with vision loss. Interventions that foster post-traumatic growth among those with AMD should focus on enhancing social support and facilitating deliberate cognitive processing.

简介： “创伤后成长”一词描述了在与极具挑战性的生活环境的斗争中产生的积极成果。本研究的目的是描述因年龄相关性黄斑变性 (AMD) 导致的视力丧失而导致的创伤后成长，并确定抑郁、认知处理、社会支持和创伤后成长之间的关系。方法：AMD 导致视力丧失的个体完成了由采访者管理的复合问卷，以确定 Tedeschi 和 Calhoun 的创伤后成长过程理论模型的要素，包括对痛苦（抑郁）、侵入性和故意反刍（认知处理）和社会支持的测量（社会联系的质量和数量）。使用路径分析检查关系。结果： 89 名参与者完成了问卷调查（平均年龄 = 85.3 岁，范围 = 74-98 岁）。所有路径，包括从抑郁到社会支持 (β = –.363, p < .001)，从社会支持到深思熟虑 (β = .233; p ≤ .01)，从侵入性反刍到深思熟虑 (β = .514, p< .01)，具有显着性且与创伤后成长理论模型一致。刻意的反刍对创伤后的成长有显着的直接影响（β = .38，p = .001）。讨论：研究结果可能阐明 AMD 患者创伤后成长过程的要素。我们发现，随着社会支持的增加，抑郁症减少了。增加的社会支持似乎鼓励了积极的深思熟虑，这直接导致了创伤后的成长。尽管侵入性沉思通常与负面结果有关，但该模型表明，它也能激发人们对处理自己经历的刻意尝试的参与。刻意的认知加工是创伤后成长的直接前兆。对从业者的启示：关注成长和繁荣的过程可以提供更广泛的视力丧失生活体验。促进 AMD 患者创伤后成长的干预措施应侧重于增强社会支持和促进深思熟虑的认知处理。