Personality Traits and Post Traumatic Growth among Females Living with HIV/AIDS

There is growing understanding that experience of trauma can bring about positive changes in affected individuals. This posttraumatic growth is found to be associated with a number of factors such as personality traits and gender. The present study is aimed at understanding the personality correlates of posttraumatic growth in female patients living with HIV/AIDS. The cross sectional single group quantitative study included 30 female patients of HIV/AIDS who were assessed on five factor personality traits and posttraumatic growth. The study found that the present sample scored significantly higher on the personality dimension of neuroticism and significantly lower on the personality dimension of conscientiousness compared to the population norm. There was also significant positive correlation between the posttraumatic growth variable new possibilities and the two factors of five factor model viz. openness to experience and agreeableness. Salient points about the results are discussed including the implications of the present findings. Further, limitations of the study along with implications for further researches is also discussed. The present study, despite having a number of limitations, provide an initial look into the personality correlates of posttraumatic growth among a group of women living with HIV/AIDS.