Themes of Healing and Posttraumatic Growth in Women Survivors’ Narratives of Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Research on the effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) on women demonstrates the significant physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual consequences of this form of interpersonal trauma. It is well documented that experiencing IPV can have devastating consequences to women's physical and mental health, overall well-being, and quality of life, as well as that of their children's. However, a small, predominantly qualitative body of research exists on women's experience of and capacity for healing from the effects of IPV, but more research is needed to advance theory and practice in this important area. This study applied secondary analysis to an existing data set to answer the question, "What are the themes of healing and posttraumatic growth in ten diverse women's narratives of IPV?" Lengthy, detailed interview transcripts were rigorously subjected to inductive and deductive thematic analysis, which revealed three overarching themes, and six subthemes, of healing and posttraumatic growth in women's narratives: Awareness and Insight (subthemes: Discerning the Self and Understanding Relationships), Renewal and Reconstruction (subthemes: [Re]building the Self and Redefining Relationships), and Transformation and Meaning (subthemes: New Perspectives and Finding Purpose Through Helping Others). Findings further revealed that women's healing from the effects of IPV involves a multidimensional, personalized, nonlinear, and often transformative process that operates within themselves and through relationships. Practitioners working with women who have experienced IPV should consider survivors' potential for healing and target appropriate intervention strategies. Additional qualitative and longitudinal research with diverse populations would deepen understanding of the dynamics, variables, and circumstances that impact healing and posttraumatic growth for women exposed to IPV.

“It’s Brought Me a Lot Closer to Who I Am”: A Mixed Methods Study of Posttraumatic Growth and Positive Change Following a First Episode of Psychosis

“…Participants reported changed lifestyles and new goals and expectations following FEP, which is consistent with our review of positive change following FEP (4) and in studies of positive change following other adversities (57, 58). These findings may reflect participants’ realizations that the way they lived their lives earlier was not commensurate with their values or that some aspects of their lifestyles or society precipitated their psychosis.…”

Meaning in Life Following Intimate Partner Psychological Aggression: The Roles of Self-Kindness, Positive Reframing, and Growth

“…Another important finding is that psychological aggression was associated with greater growth, which in turn related to greater meaning in life. This finding supports previous research that found that growth is possible in the aftermath of intimate partner violence (e.g., D’Amore et al, 2018; Ulloa et al, 2015). Furthermore, this finding supports meaning-making theory because greater distress is related to greater growth (Park, 2010).…”

“…These positive changes or ways people have grown from a highly stressful or traumatic experience are often conceptualized as “posttraumatic growth” (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996) or “stress-related growth” (Park et al, 1996). Qualitative research has identified themes of posttraumatic growth in narratives of women survivors of intimate partner violence (D’Amore et al, 2018), and a review of quantitative research shows that women survivors of intimate partner violence do experience posttraumatic growth (see Ulloa et al, 2015, for a review). Women who experienced intimate partner violence had higher average scores on the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996) when compared with other samples (Cobb et al, 2006), including a sample of breast cancer patients (Weiss, 2002).…”

Panorama científico de la relación entre la violencia intrafamiliar y de género y la resiliencia familiar: posibilidades, retos y límites

“…También se han reportado estrategias cognitivas de afrontamiento como olvidar y orar o recuperar identidades culturales (Chanmugam, 2015). Así mismo, se han experimentado cambios cognitivos, emocionales como el autoconcepto, el conocimiento de la Panorama científico de la relación entre la violencia intrafamiliar y de género y la resiliencia familiar: posibilidades, retos y límites vif, el autocontrol y el optimismo (Crann & Barata, 2016, 2019, la conciencia y comprensión, el entendimiento de las relaciones, la renovación y reconstrucción y resignificación de los eventos adversos (D'Amore, Martin, Wood, & Brooks, 2018). También se reporta la recuperación y reconstrucción de la propia identidad, la sensación de libertad y salud, la aceptación y el perdón de sí mismo y el abusador, el reconocimiento del proceso a largo plazo y la posibilidad para superar el abuso (Flasch, Murray, & Crowe, 2017).…”