Confirmatory factor analysis of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory with a sample of soldiers previously deployed in support of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars

Research has documented the impact of combat trauma on psychological functioning but less is known about the measurement of positive changes after military deployments. This study examined the factor structure of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996) on a sample of active duty soldiers (n = 3537) exposed to combat in Iraq or Afghanistan. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted to test a 5-factor model and a single higher-order factor model. CFA results indicated that both models fit the data equally well and provide support for using both the whole scale and a multidimensional scale. The use of the PTGI in military research and the limitations of the current study are discussed. Keywords: Posttraumatic growth; confirmatory factor analysis; post traumatic growth inventory; military; combat exposure DOI: 10.1002/jclp.20692