Post-Traumatic Growth and Quality of Life Among World Trade Center Health Registry Enrollees 16 Years After 9/11 †
Highlights
- The prevalence of Post-Traumatic Growth in the World Trade Center Health Registry was 31%.
- Post-Traumatic Growth predicted mental but not physical Quality of Life.
- What is the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Growth in the World Trade Center Health Registry? The prevalence of Post-Traumatic Growth in the World Trade Center Health Registry is 31%.
- Does Post-Traumatic Growth predict Quality of Life? Post-Traumatic Growth predicts mental but not physical Quality of Life.
- Post-Traumatic Growth is common after a disaster and is associated with improved mental Quality of Life.
- Researchers should explore interventions to augment Post-Traumatic Growth.
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Participants
2.2. Outcome
2.3. Exposure
2.4. Covariates
2.5. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Demographic Characteristics of the Total Sample
3.2. Prevalence of PTG
3.3. The Bivariate Associations of PTG with SF12
3.4. Multivariate Associations of PTG with SF12
4. Discussion
Strengths and Limitations
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| WTCHR | World Trade Center Health Registry |
| PTG | Post-Traumatic Growth |
| CI | Confidence Interval |
| DSM-IV | Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV |
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| Full Sample | Injured Only | Non-Injured Only | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | N | % | PCS-12 (Mean) | MCS-12 (Mean) | N | % | PCS-12 (Mean) | MCS-12 (Mean) | N | % | PCS-12 (Mean) | MCS-12 (Mean) |
| Post-Traumatic Growth | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 844 | 30.84 | 39.75 | 49.68 | 351 | 36.49 | 38.04 | 46.84 | 493 | 27.77 | 40.91 | 51.62 |
| No | 1893 | 69.16 | 40.65 | 46.15 | 611 | 63.51 | 37.28 | 40.99 | 1282 | 72.23 | 42.15 | 48.46 |
| Sex | ||||||||||||
| Male | 1564 | 56.14 | 40.24 | 48.54 | 602 | 61.12 | 37.14 | 44.59 | 962 | 53.41 | 42.13 | 50.95 |
| Female | 1222 | 43.86 | 40.56 | 45.44 | 383 | 38.88 | 38.29 | 40.44 | 839 | 46.59 | 41.46 | 47.42 |
| Age at 9/11 | ||||||||||||
| 0–17 | 13 | 0.47 | 50.25 | 32.13 | 1 | 0.10 | 50.25 | 32.13 | 12 | 0.67 | 50.25 | 32.13 |
| 18–24 | 124 | 4.45 | 44.94 | 46.51 | 28 | 2.84 | 43.06 | 41.44 | 96 | 5.33 | 45.37 | 47.68 |
| 25–44 | 1415 | 50.79 | 40.95 | 45.89 | 521 | 52.89 | 37.99 | 42.26 | 894 | 49.64 | 42.60 | 47.90 |
| 45–64 | 1208 | 43.36 | 39.29 | 48.96 | 427 | 43.35 | 36.78 | 44.27 | 781 | 43.36 | 40.55 | 51.31 |
| 65 or older | 26 | 0.93 | 32.06 | 50.22 | 8 | 0.81 | 27.44 | 45.34 | 18 | 1.00 | 33.32 | 51.55 |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||||||||||||
| White non-Hispanic | 2080 | 74.66 | 40.64 | 47.88 | 705 | 71.57 | 37.65 | 44.10 | 1375 | 76.35 | 42.12 | 49.75 |
| Black non-Hispanic | 263 | 9.44 | 40.08 | 45.04 | 110 | 11.17 | 38.71 | 37.54 | 153 | 8.50 | 40.93 | 49.68 |
| Hispanic | 263 | 9.44 | 38.68 | 43.70 | 114 | 11.57 | 36.53 | 40.79 | 149 | 8.27 | 39.99 | 45.48 |
| Asian | 105 | 3.77 | 39.93 | 47.40 | 30 | 3.05 | 36.13 | 44.56 | 75 | 4.16 | 41.35 | 48.46 |
| Other | 75 | 2.69 | 40.52 | 47.65 | 26 | 2.64 | 35.72 | 44.19 | 49 | 2.72 | 43.00 | 49.44 |
| Education | ||||||||||||
| High School/GED | 413 | 14.85 | 38.23 | 45.83 | 207 | 21.06 | 36.26 | 41.71 | 206 | 11.46 | 39.80 | 49.11 |
| Some College | 577 | 20.75 | 38.52 | 45.86 | 284 | 28.89 | 36.70 | 42.49 | 293 | 16.30 | 40.29 | 49.14 |
| College/Post Grad | 1791 | 64.40 | 41.44 | 47.95 | 492 | 50.05 | 38.54 | 43.97 | 1299 | 72.25 | 42.50 | 49.38 |
| Income at Wave 1 | ||||||||||||
| <$25 K | 153 | 6.05 | 40.36 | 40.64 | 75 | 8.35 | 36.38 | 35.52 | 78 | 4.78 | 43.29 | 44.42 |
| $25–<50 K | 387 | 15.30 | 40.19 | 44.30 | 165 | 18.37 | 37.95 | 41.15 | 222 | 13.61 | 41.64 | 46.34 |
| $50–<75 K | 533 | 21.08 | 39.47 | 46.10 | 192 | 21.38 | 36.65 | 42.12 | 341 | 20.91 | 40.96 | 48.20 |
| $75–<150 K | 1019 | 40.29 | 40.00 | 48.56 | 361 | 40.20 | 36.94 | 44.63 | 658 | 40.34 | 41.62 | 50.64 |
| $150 K or more | 437 | 17.28 | 42.40 | 49.42 | 105 | 11.69 | 41.06 | 45.69 | 332 | 20.36 | 42.83 | 50.61 |
| Employed at Wave 4 | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 1743 | 62.56 | 42.00 | 47.92 | 511 | 51.88 | 39.51 | 44.25 | 1232 | 68.41 | 42.99 | 49.38 |
| No | 1043 | 37.44 | 37.44 | 45.94 | 474 | 48.12 | 35.23 | 41.74 | 569 | 31.59 | 39.14 | 49.16 |
| Social Support Wave 3 | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 1510 | 55.17 | 41.04 | 50.35 | 455 | 47.45 | 38.17 | 47.29 | 1055 | 59.34 | 42.26 | 51.66 |
| No | 1227 | 44.83 | 39.55 | 43.29 | 504 | 52.55 | 36.96 | 39.06 | 723 | 40.66 | 41.19 | 45.96 |
| Threatening Events, Wave 3 | ||||||||||||
| Low | 1916 | 69.29 | 41.21 | 48.26 | 524 | 53.85 | 38.54 | 43.92 | 1392 | 77.68 | 42.13 | 49.77 |
| Medium | 464 | 16.78 | 39.82 | 45.32 | 185 | 19.01 | 37.42 | 41.23 | 279 | 15.57 | 41.25 | 47.75 |
| High | 185 | 6.69 | 37.98 | 44.43 | 109 | 11.20 | 36.95 | 42.63 | 76 | 4.24 | 39.47 | 47.07 |
| Very High | 200 | 7.23 | 36.08 | 44.40 | 155 | 15.93 | 35.04 | 43.02 | 45 | 2.51 | 39.71 | 49.24 |
| Post 9/11 Mental Condition | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 918 | 32.95 | 40.88 | 50.82 | 519 | 52.69 | 37.36 | 38.07 | 399 | 22.15 | 41.67 | 41.69 |
| No | 1868 | 67.05 | 39.33 | 39.72 | 466 | 47.31 | 37.77 | 48.61 | 1402 | 77.85 | 41.86 | 51.25 |
| Post 9/11 Physical Condition | ||||||||||||
| 0 | 1209 | 43.40 | 42.85 | 49.76 | 251 | 25.48 | 41.39 | 45.83 | 958 | 53.19 | 43.20 | 50.71 |
| 1 | 808 | 29.00 | 40.57 | 46.76 | 287 | 29.14 | 38.52 | 43.45 | 521 | 28.93 | 41.62 | 48.45 |
| 2 or more | 769 | 27.60 | 36.39 | 43.74 | 447 | 45.38 | 34.95 | 41.44 | 322 | 17.88 | 38.22 | 46.66 |
| Post 9/11 Alcohol/Drugs | ||||||||||||
| Yes | 92 | 3.75 | 38.95 | 39.22 | 50 | 5.92 | 37.01 | 35.76 | 42 | 2.61 | 41.26 | 43.33 |
| No | 2360 | 96.25 | 40.43 | 47.50 | 795 | 94.08 | 37.59 | 43.54 | 1565 | 97.39 | 41.83 | 49.46 |
| Physical Functioning | Mental Function | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| β | 95% CI | β | 95% CI | |
| Sample Between Canal and Chambers Sts | ||||
| Full (injured + non-injured) a | −0.36 | (−1.08, 0.37) | 4.14 | (2.95, 5.32) |
| Full (injured + non-injured) b | 0.17 | (−0.56, 0.91) | 3.20 | (2.06, 4.33) |
| Injured Only b | −1.50 | (−4.35, 1.35) | 3.32 | (−0.90, 7.54) |
| Non-Injured Only b | 0.25 | (−0.50, 1.00) | 3.15 | (1.97, 4.34) |
| Sample Below Chambers St | ||||
| Full (injured + non-injured) a | −0.77 | (−1.38, −0.15) | 3.50 | (2.47, 4.52) |
| Full (injured + non-injured) b | −0.01 | (−0.61, 0.65) | 3.92 | (2.89, 4.95) |
| Injured Only b | 0.67 | (−0.39, 1.73) | 4.98 | (3.19, 6.77) |
| Non-Injured Only b | −0.10 | (−0.89, 0.69) | 3.37 | (2.10, 4.65) |
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Alper, H.E.; Feliciano, L.; Millien, L.; Pollari, C.; Locke, S. Post-Traumatic Growth and Quality of Life Among World Trade Center Health Registry Enrollees 16 Years After 9/11. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23, 393. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23030393
Alper HE, Feliciano L, Millien L, Pollari C, Locke S. Post-Traumatic Growth and Quality of Life Among World Trade Center Health Registry Enrollees 16 Years After 9/11. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2026; 23(3):393. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23030393
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlper, Howard E., Leen Feliciano, Lucie Millien, Cristina Pollari, and Sean Locke. 2026. "Post-Traumatic Growth and Quality of Life Among World Trade Center Health Registry Enrollees 16 Years After 9/11" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 23, no. 3: 393. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23030393
APA StyleAlper, H. E., Feliciano, L., Millien, L., Pollari, C., & Locke, S. (2026). Post-Traumatic Growth and Quality of Life Among World Trade Center Health Registry Enrollees 16 Years After 9/11. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(3), 393. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23030393

