Abstract
Posttraumatic growth (PTG) refers to positive psychological growth experienced as a result of adversity and other challenges in order to rise to a higher level of functioning. PTG has five factors: "Relating to Others", "New Possibilities", "Personal Strength", "Spiritual Change", and "Appreciation of Life". These characteristics were expressed in interviews or essays by the Great East Japan Earthquake survivors. Helper therapy principle (or helper theory) suggests that when an individual (the "helper") provides assistance to another person, the helper may benefit. This principle was verified in narratives of professional or volunteer helpers in Tohoku survivors. These phenomena are observed not only in survivors or suffering people who experience disasters, crimes, accidents, illness and so on, but also in human being in general. We must consider the role and meaning of human relationship and spirituality in order to construct science for caring.
