The Trauma Recovery Actions Checklist: Applying Mixed Methods to a Holistic Gender-Based Violence Recovery Actions Measure

Laura Sinko,Limor Goldner,Denise Marie Saint Arnault

doi:10.3390/sexes2030029

Laura Sinko, Limor Goldner + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes2030029

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Abstract

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) trauma recovery models have evolved in such a way that survivors are viewed as actively engaging in a multitude of strategies. In addition to seeking help and coping, survivors engage in diverse lifestyle, social, spiritual, and practical strategies to promote their health and wellbeing. This exploratory sequential mixed-methods study develops an instrument to measure the holistic recovery actions used by GBV survivors. The qualitative phase combined recovery action codes from interviews with 50 GBV survivors in three different survivor samples to create an initial six-concept 41-item Trauma Recovery Actions Checklist (TRAC). The quantitative psychometrics phase used data from 289 American GBV survivors. Results revealed a five-factor 35-item final version (sharing/connecting; building positive emotions; reflecting and creating healing spaces; establishing security; and planning the future). There were positive significant correlations between sharing/connecting and depression scores, and between sharing/connecting, reflecting, and building security with PTSD scores. No correlations were found between any recovery action type and the barriers to help-seeking subscales of Problem Management Beliefs, Discrimination, or Unavailability. However, there were significant negative correlations between Shame and Financial barriers and Sharing/Connecting, and between Feeling Frozen, Constraints, and Establishing Security. Implications for research, clinical practice and ways of understanding survivorship recovery are suggested.

Highlights

Gender-based violence (GBV) is public health pandemic that involves the violation of human rights based on gender [1]
If our prevalence estimates are correct, a third of women are recovering from GBV, and understanding their recovery actions is essential for research and intervention
We examined the recovery action codes and quotations from previously analyzed English language qualitative interviews from 50 GBV survivors in different survivor samples to create the Trauma Recovery Actions Checklist (TRAC)

Summary

Introduction

Gender-based violence (GBV) is public health pandemic that involves the violation of human rights based on gender [1]. GBV is violence directed at individuals based on their biological sex or their gender identity and includes physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse, threats, coercion, and economic or educational deprivation, whether in public or private life. According to the United Nations Population Fund, one in three women have experienced physical or sexualized violence in their lifetime [2]. While most research focuses on escaping violence or sexual violence prevention, research on the trauma recovery processes survivors engage in are emerging as a scientific research area. Theories and process models of recovery strategies [3,4] have evolved from viewing women as passive victims to viewing them as actively engaging in a multitude of private and public strategies to prevent, manage, and escape violence, and to recovery from trauma. If our prevalence estimates are correct, a third of women are recovering from GBV, and understanding their recovery actions is essential for research and intervention

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