The Posttraumatic Growth Framework

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The posttraumatic growth (PTG) framework can be a promising tool for working with various populations who have experienced significant trauma. Of special interest are the children of immigrants whose families were forced to relocate to a foreign country (Weiss & Berger, 2008). Researching how the posttraumatic growth framework could aid children who immigrated to the United States with their family members and experienced trauma prior to relocation might be especially useful for the social work sphere.

Although immigration often creates substantial complications for children, the PTG approach primarily focuses on alleviating trauma caused by important stressogenic factors. Even though it was reported that children could significantly suffer from relocating, it is not yet clear which strategy could be the most beneficial for them (Berger & Weiss, 2003). Therefore, it would be advantageous to research how implementing PTG during immigrant children therapy might promote their well-being. It could be appropriate to collect secondary data from the available studies on the topic, unifying the available knowledge and outlining potential areas for future research.

Another theme that recently became prominent among scholars concerns the connection between PTG and family social work. Given the successful implementation of this approach in the therapy conditions, some authors have suggested that the concept could be applied to the sphere of social work. Families that experienced traumatic events often require help from social workers, and it appears that PTG might be a suitable framework for improving social work research and practice (Berger & Weiss, 2009). As such, families that have suffered due to the natural disaster, inhospitable conditions, or other factors that negatively impacted their well-being are the primary populations for a PTG family intervention (Tedeschi & Moore, 2021). To explore this topic in detail, it is possible to conduct a literature review, establishing the theoretical basis for this therapeutic practice and summarizing the findings of other scholars.

In recent years, the posttraumatic growth framework (PTG) has become of particular interest for researching maltreatment in youth. Several authors suggest that there might be a connection between childhood traumas and abnormal adolescent behaviors that leads to the emergence of delinquency (Harmon & Venta, 2021; Mohr & Rosén, 2017). However, it is possible that addressing traumatic experiences using the PTG approach could help the adolescents overcome the negative events, especially early childhood maltreatment, creating a basis for rehabilitation (Harmon, 2021). In this regard, the question arises: how could PTG intervention alleviate the negative effects of maltreatment in adolescents?

Previous research allows shedding light on the described topic. As such, scholars have reported evidence of positive changes in early-maltreated youth who underwent PTG therapy (Manis, 2021). Nevertheless, the evidence remains scarce, and a unified review is needed to establish the credibility of the findings. A meta-analysis of the studies exploring this topic could be highly beneficial for answering the proposed question and summarizing the current state of research in this area.

Secondly, there is a growing interest in incorporating the PTG framework as an aid for minority families who experienced trauma. This approach can facilitate positive change, allowing the family members to reflect on the negative event and build additional resilience towards future disruptions (Felix et al., 2015). Nonetheless, the researchers propose that the cultural upbringing of the family and the ties to the ethnic identities are crucial to consider in order to achieve the most prominent results during therapy (Malda & Mesman, 2017). As such, it is worth exploring whether the cultural aspects of a family could be integrated into the PTG procedures to account for the unique struggles of ethnic minorities.

Substance use disorders negatively affect the well-being of numerous populations worldwide, creating a significant research issue for scholars. Recent findings suggest that the posttraumatic growth framework can be of particular use to individuals suffering from substance use disorders, namely those whose addiction originates from a traumatic event (Whaley & Mesidor, 2021). By focusing on the negative events, PTG therapy allows managing the problematic behaviors. However, the following question arises: does PTG therapy decrease the likelihood of subsequent drug usage in individuals with substance use disorder? To explore this idea, a meta-analysis of the current evidence could be performed, examining the validity and credibility of the research findings on the topic.

Another promising area of investigation is related to the effects of PTG on positive change in patients with opioid dependency caused by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Positive change is a crucial factor in drug use recovery, however, it can be challenging to achieve when comorbidity is present (Whaley & Mesidor, 2021). PTSD and opioid dependency often occur in populations struggling with physical pain, which occurred as a result of a traumatic event, but the administration of opioids frequently leads to dependency due to psychological vulnerability (Ford et al., 2007). In this regard, it is worth questioning whether PTG-initiated positive social change can reduce the opioid dependency rates in populations with PTSD. A suitable research method could be the creation of a literature review that summarizes the scholarly opinions on the matter.

As a therapeutic framework, PTG has been proven highly efficient when addressing childhood and adolescent traumas. It is the approach’s focus on building understanding and resilience that can particularly aid foster children to overcome the complications encountered when remaining in foster care. As such, previous studies propose a link between the foster children’s views on their traumatic experience and the possibility of positive change, a state that is essential for recovering from trauma (Steenbakkers et al., 2019). It was also suggested that PTG and resilience are connected to better psychological outcomes for children (Clary, 2016). Keeping this evidence in mind, it could be worth exploring whether the foster youth’s perceptions of their past traumas correlate with the emergence of PTG signs.

Although the studies on this topic are scarce, the literature on PTG in children who experienced trauma provides support that the named connection might exist. Evidence of occurred PTG can indeed be sighted in youth who were more open to reflecting on the trauma and were able to successfully internalize the event through various means (Kilmer, 2006). From this perspective, a review of available studies could help establish a clearer perspective, while an analysis of accessible statistics might shed light on the links between childhood trauma, foster care engagement, and positive change.

Families of foster children are often presented with the necessity to battle the consequences of trauma incurred during the individuals’ earlier years. Lacking the knowledge to properly address this topic, foster parents and guardians might be overwhelmed when attempting to aid the children under their care (Heller et al., 2002). The PTG framework studies suggest that social support and appropriate coping strategies can alleviate the negative effects of trauma (Heller et al., 2002). However, how can foster parents offer the necessary support for creating a PTG-appropriate environment? Studying this topic might be possible by conducting a meta-analysis of the current evidence, summarizing the findings, and assessing their credibility.

References

Berger, R., & Weiss, T. (2003). Immigration and Posttraumatic Growth-a missing link.Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Services, 1(2), 21–39. Web.

Berger, R., & Weiss, T. (2009). The Posttraumatic Growth model: An expansion to the family system.Traumatology, 15(1), 63–74. Web.

Clary, J. M. (2016). Posttraumatic growth for youth in care: A critique of the literature. [Master’s Thesis, Azusa Pacific University]. Web.

Felix, E., Afifi, T., Kia-Keating, M., Brown, L., Afifi, W., & Reyes, G. (2015). Family functioning and posttraumatic growth among parents and youth following wildfire disasters.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 85(2), 191–200. Web.

Ford, J. D., Russo, E. M., & Mallon, S. D. (2007). Integrating treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorder.Journal of Counseling & Development, 85(4), 475–490. Web.

Harmon, J., & Venta, A. (2021). Adolescent Posttraumatic Growth: A review.Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 52(4), 596–608. Web.

Harmon, J. M. (2021). The Role of Parental Attachment in the Relation between Trauma Exposure and Posttraumatic Growth among Justice-Involved Youth. [Master’s Thesis, Sam Houston State University]. Web.

Heller, S. S., Smyke, A. T., & Boris, N. W. (2002). Very young foster children and foster families: Clinical challenges and interventions.Infant Mental Health Journal, 23(5), 555–575. Web.

Kilmer, R. P. (2006). Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth in children. In Handbook of Posttraumatic Growth. Routledge.

Malda, M., & Mesman, J. (2017). Parental sensitivity and attachment in ethnic minority families. In N. J. Cabrera & B. Leyendecker (Eds.), Handbook on Positive Development of Minority Children and Youth (pp. 71–88). Springer International Publishing.

Manis, H. C. (2021). Role of Positive Cognitions on Posttraumatic Growth for Childhood Maltreatment Survivors [Master’s Thesis, University of Dayton]. Web.

Mohr, D., & Rosén, L. A. (2017). The impact of protective factors on Posttraumatic Growth for college student survivors of childhood maltreatment.Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 26(7), 756–771. Web.

Steenbakkers, A., van der Steen, S., & Grietens, H. (2019). How do youth in foster care view the impact of traumatic experiences?Children and Youth Services Review, 103, 42–50. Web.

Tedeschi, R. G., & Moore, B. A. (2021). Posttraumatic growth as an integrative therapeutic philosophy. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 31(2). Web.

Weiss, T., & Berger, R. (2008). Posttraumatic growth and immigration: Theory, research, and practice implications. In Trauma, recovery, and growth: Positive psychological perspectives on posttraumatic stress (pp. 93–104). John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Whaley, A. L., & Mesidor, J. K. (2021). Implications of posttraumatic growth for the treatment of comorbid substance abuse among survivors of traumatic experiences.Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 126. Web.

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The Posttraumatic Growth Framework

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