Children's Experience of Posttraumatic Growth: Distinguishing General from Domain-Specific Correlates

Psychosocial Treatment of an Adolescent in a Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program

Interpersonal violence is the leading cause of death in adolescents. Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) address the emotional and behavioral sequelae of assault and homicide. Few studies have been published on pediatric HVIPs, and no study offers a conceptualization model for treatment approaches. This paper demonstrates the use of empirically supported practices by outlining the services provided and subsequent treatment trajectory of an adolescent receiving care from an HVIP at a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center. This case study follows the Case Study Report (CARE) guidelines and is the first to demonstrate the use of intensive case management, Psychological First Aid (PFA), and Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) in the treatment of an adolescent presenting to the emergency department (ED) due to assault associated with bullying. Through the use of these treatment approaches to address symptoms of posttraumatic stress, the patient moved from physical recovery to posttraumatic growth. Assessment and trauma-informed treatment suggestions are provided to support evidence-based practices within HVIPs.

Implementation and Outcomes of the Trauma Ambassadors Program: A Case Study of Trauma-Informed Youth Leadership Development

Community-based programs serve a critical need for vulnerable youth and families. In recent years, researchers and practitioners have urged programs to adopt a trauma-informed care (TIC) approach to address adversity in young people's lives. The purpose of this article is to describe the implementation and outcomes of the Trauma Ambassador (TA) Program, a pilot youth leadership program guided by a community-university partnership that utilized a TIC approach in an underserved East North Philadelphia neighborhood. Fourteen youth engaged in interactive trainings to build their understanding of trauma and develop practical tools to support encounters with individuals with trauma histories. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted to better understand program implementation and outcomes. Rich data emerged that identifies a myriad of ways that youth and their community might benefit from a program like the one described. The program successfully impacted participants, as TAs recognized their own trauma and were motivated to help others who may have trauma histories. This program provided quality youth development experiences, particularly with respect to trauma-informed care, and results support taking a holistic, healing-centered approach to foster well-being for youth and adult mentors.

Unpacking the psychological and physical well-being of Ghanaian patients with breast cancer

This study explored the psychological and physical well-being of 12 Ghanaian women diagnosed with breast cancer, aged between 22 and 69 years. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with participants to understand their lived experiences following their diagnosis and treatment. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcripts. Findings revealed that patients' psychological and physical well-being relative to breast cancer diagnosis and treatment are marked by (a) persistent pain, (b) concerns with physical appearance, (c) a willingness to lose a breast for survival, (d) positive religious coping, and (e) posttraumatic growth (i.e., positive psychological changes in the aftermath of diagnosis or treatment). The findings suggest that recognising patients' concerns with pain, physical changes, and the will to lose a breast to survive in the care continuum may yield public health dividends. Moreover, the findings highlight the need for individualised psychotherapeutic interventions to assist the patients to deal with the disease in the aftermath of their diagnosis and treatment.

A longitudinal study of dispositional compassion in Syrian origin young adults resettling in the Netherlands

Background

Dispositional compassion is regarded as a facet of Agreeableness, an emotional driver of prosociality, and a primary marker of adjustment. We examined changes in dispositional compassion in Syrian young adults resettling in the Netherlands, as well as the role of migration-related and demographic variables in this change.

Methods

We analyzed data from a 4-wave (T1-T4), 13-month longitudinal study ( N = 168; T1 Mage = 28.1 years, 70% male) using Latent Growth Curve Modelling (LGCM) in Mplus.

Results

Bivariate correlations indicated moderate test-retest correlations across the four waves of dispositional compassion and several correlations with the migration-related and demographic variables. A LGCM indicated a high initial level and small linear decrease in compassion over the four waves. Except for a link between pre-migration adversity and the intercept, the migration-related and demographic variables were not related to either the intercept of the slope of dispositional compassion.

Conclusion

Results suggest that high levels of dispositional compassion may be common for Syrian young adults with refugee backgrounds, but on average, slowly decreases over time. The cross-sectional associations between migration-related and demographic variables and dispositional compassion in the absence of a prospective one emphasize the importance of longitudinal research for understanding trajectories of adjustment.

Self-compassion and posttraumatic growth mediate the relations between social support, prosocial behavior, and antisocial behavior among adolescents after the Ya'an earthquake

Background: Previous studies indicate that social support, self-compassion, and posttraumatic growth (PTG) can affect prosocial behaviour and antisocial behaviour, but few studies have examined their combined role in prosocial and antisocial behaviour among adolescents who have experienced traumatic events. Objective: This study examined the mediating roles of self-compassion and PTG in the relationship between social support and prosocial and antisocial behaviour among Chinese adolescents after the Ya'an earthquake. Method: Four and a half years after the Ya'an earthquake, 492 students aged 13 to 18 in Lushan County (98.6% of the 499 students surveyed) were assessed using the following system: Measures of Trauma Exposure Questionnaire, Social Support Questionnaire, Self-Compassion Scale, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, and Child Behaviour Problems Questionnaire. Results: When we controlled for gender, age, and traumatic exposure, social support had a positive effect on prosocial behaviour. Moreover, social support had an indirect and positive effect on prosocial behaviour via positive self-compassion and PTG, as well as via an indirect path from positive self-compassion to PTG, but social support had a negative effect on antisocial behaviour via PTG, as well as via an indirect path from positive self-compassion to PTG on antisocial behaviour. Social support also had a positive effect on antisocial behaviour via negative self-compassion. Conclusion: Findings suggest that increased support may be beneficial for prosocial behaviour and reduce antisocial behaviour. Self-compassion and PTG play a significant mediating role between social support, prosocial behaviour, and antisocial behaviour.

Posttraumatic Growth, Personality Factors, and Social Support Among War-Experienced Young Georgians

Despite much research on adult posttraumatic growth in recent decades, few studies have focused on posttraumatic growth in the young and especially after experiencing war. This study examined personality factors and different types and sources of social support as key correlates of posttraumatic growth in war-experienced children and adolescents. Participants were 242 individuals from settlements for internally displaced people in Georgia with a mean age of 13.22 years (SD = 2.73). Relations between variables were examined with correlations, standard multiple regressions, and mediation analyses. Results showed that the main predictors of posttraumatic growth were extraversion, conscientiousness, and social support. In addition, informational type of support from peers related significantly to posttraumatic growth. Moreover, general social support mediated the link between personality factors and posttraumatic growth. Conclusions are drawn on the mechanisms underlying posttraumatic growth in young persons.