Modeling Resilience, Meaning in Life, Posttraumatic Growth, and Disaster Preparedness With Two Samples of Tornado Survivors

A multitude of relationships have been identified through correlational data between meaning in life, resilience, and posttraumatic growth following natural hazards, such that a cohesive and replicable model is needed across diverse samples. Further, additional research is needed on the link between resilience and disaster preparedness. The objective of the article is to develop a cohesive and replicable model of positive factors (i.e., meaning in life, resilience, posttraumatic growth, and disaster preparedness) in the context of tornadoes and to replicate this model across two samples. The first sample consisted of students at a university in a tornado-prone region, and the second was a sample of faculty and staff at the same university. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Across both studies, meaning in life positively predicted resilience and posttraumatic growth. Resilience positively predicted disaster preparedness, and the model supported the theory that resilience and posttraumatic growth are distinct constructs (Comparative Fit Index = .947 for study 1 and .974 for study 2; Standardized Root Mean Square Residual = .050 for study 1 and .045 for study 2; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = .070 for study 1 and .074 for study 2, with 90% confidence interval [.053, .088] for study 1 and [.047, .103] for study 2). Meaning in life is positively related to both resilience and posttraumatic growth in tornado survivors. Psychological resilience is related to disaster preparedness behaviors, so considering resilience within the context of natural hazards is essential.