Personal Growth Initiative and Mental Health: A Meta‐Analysis

Personal growth initiative (PGI) is an individual's active and intentional desire to grow in personally important areas. In the past 20 years, a body of literature has emerged examining PGI's relationship to mental health. We conducted the first meta‐analyses to synthesize this literature. Two meta‐analyses examined the relationship between PGI total scores and distress ( k = 22) and wellness ( k = 37). Both average effect sizes were significant. We also examined the potential impact of nine moderators. The type of outcome assessed was a significant moderator for PGI and distress, and the PGI measure used was a significant moderator for PGI and wellness, accounting for 61% and 15% of the overall variance, respectively. Meta‐analyses examining the relationship between the four PGI subscales (Readiness for Change, Planfulness, Using Resources, and Intentional Behavior) and distress ( k = 4) and wellness ( k = 7) yielded similar results to the total score analyses.