Introduction

People with an acquired physical disability face different kinds of disability-related distress. Strategies for coping with wrongdoings include forgiveness. One way of dealing with hurt is through forgiveness, which can be considered at the decision-making and emotional levels. Decisional forgiveness is based on deciding not to hold a grudge against the wrongdoer. In turn, emotional forgiveness involves reformulating emotions based on anger and resentment into neutral and positive ones. Positive resources, such as gratitude and positive adaptation to disability, may facilitate dealing with hurt.

Aim of the research

The aims of this study were to examine the link between gratitude and decisional and emotional forgiveness, and the mediating role of posttraumatic growth in people with an acquired physical disability.

Material and methods

Two hundred and sixty-seven respondents with acquired disability completed a battery of self-report questionnaires, including the Gratitude Questionnaire-6 (GQ-6), Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Decision to Forgive Scale (DTFS), and Emotional Forgiveness Scale (EFS). Mediation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS.

Results

Gratitude and decisional (r = 0.17, p < 0.01) and emotional (r = 0.12, p < 0.05) forgiveness were positively related at the bivariate level. Posttraumatic growth was a mediator between gratitude and decisional forgiveness ( = 0.16, 95% CI [0.09–0.22])) and emotional forgiveness ( = 0.07, 95% CI [0.01–0.14]).

Conclusions

Positive resources, e.g. gratitude and posttraumatic growth, are relevant to dealing with unpleasantness and injustice related to disability through forgiveness.