682 research outputs found
Spiritual experiences of continuity and discontinuity among parents who lose a child
This is a study of parents' spiritual experience of the loss of a child. Many parents experience continuing bonds with their deceased child as well as forms of posttraumatic growth. Twelve parents of children dying after severe illness were interviewed about their experiences. The interviews contain stories about premonitions, the intensity of the moment of the child's death and the child's presence after death. Thematically the stories reflect the dialectics of continuity and discontinuity in the relationship with the child. This is interpreted in terms of attributing meaning, significance and comprehensibility. Š 2012 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
A theory on reports of constructive (real) and illusory posttraumatic growth
It has been suggested that self-reported posttraumatic growth could sometimes be considered as a way for people to protect themselves from the distress of trauma. In this case, reports of posttraumatic growth could be illusory. We suggest a theory on self-reported constructive (real) posttraumatic growth and illusory posttraumatic growth by using Rogersâs (1959) theory and the work by Vaillant (1995). Through this theoretical framework we attempt to explain when reports of posttraumatic growth are likely to be constructive and real and when such reports are likely to represent aspects of illusions. We will also consider the implications for research practice
Trauma as counter-revolutionary colonisation: narratives from (post)revolutionary Egypt
We argue that multiple levels of trauma were present in Egypt before, during and after the 2011 revolution. Individual, social and political trauma constitute a triangle of traumatisation which was strategically employed by the Egyptian counter-revolutionary forces â primarily the army and the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood â to maintain their political and economic power over and above the social, economic and political interests of others. Through the destruction of physical bodies, the fragmentation and polarisation of social relations and the violent closure of the newly emerged political public sphere, these actors actively repressed the potential for creative and revolutionary transformation. To better understand this multi-layered notion of trauma, we turn to Habermasâ âcolonisation of the lifeworldâ thesis which offers a critical lens through which to examine the wider political and economic structures and context in which trauma occurred as well as its effects on the personal, social and political realms. In doing so, we develop a novel conception of trauma that acknowledges individual, social and political dimensions. We apply this conceptual framing to empirical narratives of trauma in Egyptâs pre- and post-revolutionary phases, thus both developing a non-Western application of Habermasâ framework and revealing ethnographic accounts of the revolution by activists in Cairo
A person-centered perspective on working with people who have experienced psychological trauma and helping them move forward to posttraumatic growth
Over the past decade posttraumatic growth (PTG) has become a major topic for theory, research and practice in mainstream trauma psychology. The aim of this paper is to discuss the implications of PTG for the person-centered approach. It is argued that PTG provides a new non-medical language for understanding psychological trauma that is consistent with the person-centered approach. Person-centered personality theory provides an explanation for how PTG arises and leads to new testable predictions for research into how person-centered therapy may be able to facilitate PTG
Psychological growth in aging Vietnam veterans: redefining shame and betrayal
This study offers alternative interpretations of war-related distress embedded within the social and political context of the Vietnam War. Subjective interpretations from aging Vietnam veterans were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. A central themeâMoral authenticity: Overcoming the betrayal and shame of warâoverarched five subordinate themes. Four subordinate themes encapsulated layers of war-related betrayal associated with shame. Shame was likely to be described as either (a) internal/sense of personal failure, with no acts of rage; or (b) external/reckless or threatening acts of others, engendering rage. A fifth theme, reparation with self, reflected humility, gratitude, and empathy, currently undefined domains of the growth construct
Patient-Perceived Changes in the System of Values After Cancer Diagnosis
A cross-sectional study investigated changes in patientsâ value systems following a diagnosis of cancer. Fifty patients at 1 to 6Â months following cancer diagnosis, were asked to compare their current values with their recollection of past values. Using the Rokeach Value Survey we obtained statistically significant results showing that twenty-seven out of thirty-six values changed their importance from the patientsâ perspective: 16 values significantly increased, while 11 values significantly decreased in importance. Changes with respect to nine values were insignificant. We indentified clusters of values increasing in importance the most: Religious morality (Salvation, Forgiving, Helpful, Clean), Personal orientation (Self-Respect, True Friendship, Happiness), Self-constriction (Self-Controlled, Obedient, Honest), Family security (Family Security, Responsible), and Delayed gratification (Wisdom, Inner Harmony). We also observed that the following value clusters decreased in importance: Immediate gratification (An Exciting Life, Pleasure, A Comfortable Life); Self-expansion (Capable, Ambitious, Broadminded), Competence (A Sense of Accomplishment, Imaginative, Intellectual). The remaining values belonged to clusters that as a group changed slightly or not at all. Practical implications of the study are discussed
Sport coaches' experiences of athlete injury : the development and regulation of guilt
This study sought to examine coachesâ stories of guilt in the specific context of athlete injury. Using narrative interviews with a diverse group of ten coaches, guilt was found to be a commonly experienced emotion that the participants also sought to regulate. The coachesâ experiences of the embodiment and management of guilt is primarily, although not exclusively, interrogated using the mainstream psychological theorising of Kubany and Watson (2003). The article concludes by connecting the coachesâ experiences of guilt with critiques of the prevailing deontological approach used to define what it means to be a âgoodâ sport coach. Here we suggest that dominant perspectives in coach education may be instrumental in entrenching coachesâ experience of guilt
Ambiguous loss and incomplete abduction narratives in Kosovo
Ten mothers of men and boys who were abducted and listed as missing during the war in Kosovo in 1998/1999 were interviewed in Kosovo in the spring of 2012. Although the missing are presumed dead by the authorities, the mothers continue to live in a state of emotional ambiguity where a presumption of death is balanced with the hope of being reunited. In the absence of absolute proof, finding the remains of their loved ones becomes a major preoccupation. Using a social phenomenological approach, this study explored the social and political complexities existing within the life-world of these women. The findings suggest that they live in a continual state of psychological distress, and even when remains are returned, the unknown elements of the narrative of their abduction and murder only add to their distress and force many into self-imposed emotional exile away from community and close family
Posttraumatic growth as positive personality change: evidence, controversies and future directions
This target article focuses on the construct of post-traumatic growthâpositive psychological change experienced as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances. Prominent theories of post-traumatic growth define it in terms of personality change, and as a result, this area of research should be of great interest to personality psychologists. Despite this fact, most of the research on this topic has not been sufficiently informed by relevant research in personality psychology, and much of the extant research suffers from significant methodological limitations. We review the literature on post-traumatic growth, with a particular focus on how researchers have conceptualized it and the specific methodological issues associated with these conceptualizations. We outline some ways in which personality science can both be enriched by the study of this phenomenon and inform rigorous research on post-traumatic growth and provide a series of guidelines for future research of post-traumatic growth as positive personality change
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