Posttraumatic Growth and the Role of the Therapeutic Relationship v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Experiences of Posttraumatic Growth during Therapy: The Role of the Therapeutic Relationship in Facilitating Growth
IRAS ID
128157
Contact name
David Pennington
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Wolverhampton
Research summary
Psychological research into the effects of traumatic life experiences has led to clearer understanding regarding the negative outcomes that can follow adversity. Recently research has also begun to consider the positive outcomes that can follow from experiencing traumatic life circumstances such as how people view themselves as having a greater sense of resilience or personal strengths, improved social relationships, or have a greater appreciation of their lives. These positive adaptations have become defined as posttraumatic growth (PTG) with this concept representing changes in the person’s life philosophy often leading to improved psychological wellbeing.
Consideration of how the therapeutic process can assist in facilitating growth has become a recent area of investigation. However, there is a clear paucity of research into the extent that individuals experience PTG following therapeutic intervention and also the factors inherent in the therapeutic relationship which may facilitate growth.
The present study sets out to examine whether individuals of 18 years of age or over who have experienced traumatic life events experience significantly increased PTG following trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy, or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy, within a primary care psychological therapy service. The participant’s personal experience of the therapeutic relationship in facilitating any reported changes in growth will then be considered.
The study will involve two phases of research with an initial quantitative analysis using psychometric questionnaires to examine the levels of PTG pre-and-post therapy in relation to a waiting list control group. This will be followed by a qualitative interview phase considering four participant’s individual experiences of how the therapeutic relationship may have facilitated their personal growth.
It is hoped that these research findings will widen understanding of the processes involved in PTG but more importantly inform the future development and enhancement of clinical protocols around post-trauma therapeutic treatments.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/WM/0423
Date of REC Opinion
26 Nov 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion