Aftermath Of Adversity Research Articles

Creativity and Resilience: Creativity From, or Through Adversity?

ABSTRACT Past research has shown that creative individuals tend to experience higher rates of adverse events than expected. However, the underlying reasons for this association have yet to be fully understood. My research program has sought to shed light on this question through two distinct approaches. First, I have conducted empirical studies to determine whether creativity can arise from experiences of adversity. Although cross-sectional evidence has confirmed that many adults retrospectively perceive a connection between adverse events and their creativity, longitudinal work examining personality changes over time has not supported these findings. Second, if creativity does not emerge from adversity, it is plausible that the link exists because engaging in creative pursuits aids individuals in coping with the effects of adversity, thereby benefiting their mental health and overall well-being. Drawing upon an extensive body of relevant research, my work has sought to examine potential ways in which creative activities may serve this purpose. Ultimately, my research has revolved around generating scientific insights that could be applicable to enhancing mental health and well-being in the aftermath of adversity. Further research should examine these links in everyday life, as well as to explore the role of culture and context in this association.

When therapists talk to voices: Perspectives from service-users who experience auditory hallucinations.

The purpose of the study was to investigate service-users' experiences of a therapist engaging with their voices (auditory hallucinations) using psychological formulation and direct dialogue. A nested qualitative study was conducted within a randomised controlled trial of a novel intervention for supporting voice hearers with a diagnosis of psychosis (Talking With Voices: TwV). Of 24 participants allocated to therapy, 13 (54%) consented to a semi-structured, in-depth interview which was audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Participants described their experiences of using the intervention to improve the relationship between themselves and their voice(s). The findings are organised within three themes and associated subthemes: (1) A desire for suitable help (Motivation to reduce voice-related distress, Limitation of other treatment options); (2) Engaging with voices (Challenges, Support and safety, Exploration and revelation); and (3) Contemplating the future (The aftermath of adversity, Living well with voices, Resources for moving forward). Despite the emotional challenges of the work, many participants experienced tangible gains in the ways they related to their voices post-intervention. For those who responded well, the development of safety strategies, including a strong therapeutic alliance, could facilitate a basis for developing new insights about the origin/nature of the voices which could then be applied in constructive ways. Further research is needed to understand which client characteristics indicate suitability for TwV as opposed to relational therapies that require less direct engagement with voices and/or the psychosocial conflicts with which they may be associated.

Aging in the Aftermath of Adversity: Later-Life Impact of Institutional Child Abuse and Disclosure

Until the 1990’s in Ireland, many children in institutional care experienced abuse and neglect, with lasting negative effects, including trauma symptoms and psychopathology. While trauma disclosure can be important for recovery, findings are inconsistent and often lack consideration of wider social and interpersonal contexts. As survivors of this historical adversity enter later-life stages, research is needed on the long-term impact and to clarify the role of disclosure. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the later-life impact of institutional child abuse on health and well-being, and the role of trauma disclosure and socio-interpersonal contexts in an older adult sample. Qualitative semi-structured interviews (60-120 minutes) were conducted with 17 Irish older adults, aged 50-77 years (mean age=60.7 years), who experienced childhood institutional abuse. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using Framework Analysis. Themes for ‘childhood and related later-life adversity’ included detrimental perceptions and interactions, re-exposure and reminders, failure of system and society, and cycle of abuse. Disclosure themes included successful, unsuccessful, and non-disclosure, as well as evidence of socio-interpersonal interactions (e.g., non-disclosure influenced by shame or fear, compounded by socio-cultural values, (lack of) social acknowledgment, or the power of the church in society). Results suggest that childhood institutional abuse can have long-term negative impacts into later life, including social, psychological, physical health, and socio-economic aspects. Disclosure results emphasize the need to consider the complex social, cultural, and interpersonal contexts within which an individual is embedded. This may enhance understanding and facilitate targeted health and social care services for this older adult population.

Meaning Well Is Not the Same as Doing Good: The Fraught Circumstances of Allyship With Indigenous Groups

Meaning Well Is Not the Same as Doing Good: The Fraught Circumstances of Allyship With Indigenous Groups

Enhancing Flexibility: A Biosocial Model for Resilience to Adversity in Youth With Autism

Flexibility is often associated with resilience from adversity. Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk of stress and trauma yet have inherent difficulties with flexibility, including rigid behaviors, routines, “insistence on sameness,” and lack of social reciprocity. This review highlights literature of physiological and psychological processes related to inflexibility in ASD and proposes a heuristic model to understand mechanisms of resilience in the aftermath of adversity. This article presents the Biosocial Model for Resilience, which posits that interventions that target changes in central, autonomic, and endocrine dysregulation may in turn enhance processes of psychological flexibility (i.e., executive cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal regulation) that increase the likelihood of resilient adjustment in response to stressful experiences. This model of resilience is optimistic in positing that, in addition to critical programs on the prevention of social adversity, future research on flexibility can inform intervention programs that target this specific mechanism to minimize harmful aftereffects in youngsters with ASD.

Navigating Distress: Exploring How People Make Sense of Negative Emotions in Everyday Workplaces

Emotional distress is a common occurrence in ordinary workplaces. Recent reports suggest that one in four members of the workforce are suffering from psychological distress, and that one in six are suffering from clinical levels of depression or anxiety. Much of the research on workplace distress focuses on the causes and consequences of distress, as well as the stable characteristics of individual employees that impact their ability to cope with distress in the workplace. However, less attention has been paid to both organizational and interpersonal factors that can help mitigate employee suffering, as well as the behaviors that employees engage in to make sense of, and move forward from, their distress. Additionally, while there is a body of research that investigates the experience of change and resilience in the aftermath of adversity in the workplace, these have all been conducted in the context of inherently traumatic occupations, such as the military or emergency services. Unfortunately, little research investigates this process in the context of “ordinary” work. In an effort to gain greater insight into these questions relating to distress at work, we invited scholars studying this phenomenon within organizations. Together, these scholars shed light on distress in the context of ordinary work, including how suffering emerges in organizational contexts, as well as the types of behaviors that employees engage in to recognize, make sense of, and communicate about their own and others’ distress in interpersonal or organizational settings. These processes are vital for both alleviating distress and creating healthy organizational cultures. Navigating Employee vs. Client Needs Within Trauma-Supportive Organizations Presenter: Solomiya Draga; U. of Toronto Presenter: Rachel Lise Ruttan; U. of Toronto A Relational Perspective on Sharing Suffering in Organizations Presenter: Ashley Elizabeth Hardin; Washington U. in St. Louis Presenter: Kristina Marie Workman; Cornell U. Presenter: Liza Yasemin Barnes; U. of Colorado, Boulder Presenter: Jane E. Dutton; U. of Michigan Self-Other Asymmetries in Expressions of Sympathy Presenter: Rachel Lise Ruttan; U. of Toronto Presenter: Sora Jun; U. of Texas at Dallas Presenter: Katherine Ann DeCelles; U. of Toronto Deriving Purpose from Storytelling After Close Brushes with Death Presenter: David Montgomery Long; College of William and Mary Presenter: Jason Colquitt; U. of Notre Dame Presenter: Rachel Burgess; U. of Georgia Presenter: Kevin W. Rockmann; George Mason U. Leading with Depression and Anxiety Presenter: Sally Maitlis; U. of Oxford

Positive Change or Just “Bouncing Back”?: Resilience & Posttraumatic Growth After Military Adversity

Recovery in the face of adversity is a crucial process to understand in the context of high-stress occupations such as the military. While resilience has been a central topic of consideration across disciplines, comparatively less work has been done to examine opportunities for positive change after adversity such as posttraumatic growth (PTG). Moreover, the central mechanisms through which individuals can avoid negative outcomes, recover, and experience growth in the aftermath of adversity are important to understand if leaders and practitioners aim to promote the well-being of workers. In this work we draw from theories of resilience and PTG to work toward the development of an integrative model of recovery. We utilize a sample of military personnel who experienced a highly stressful or traumatic event during their time of service in order to examine recovery experiences in the context of military work-related exposures. The results ultimately highlight the direct importance of social support on the experience of PTG, as well as in strengthening the relation between personal characteristics and self-regulatory processes of resilience. Additionally, affective self-regulatory processes were uncovered as a link between personal characteristics of resilience and PTG. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Kwestionariusz Nowej Perspektywy do pomiaru pozytywnych i negatywnych skutków traumy. Polska adaptacja Short Form of the Changes in Outlook Questionnaire

<p>Celem badania była adaptacja skróconej wersji kwestionariusza Changes in Outlook Questionnaire w wersji skróconej do oceny pozytywnych i negatywnych następstw dla zdarzenia traumatycznego. Właściwości psychometryczne kwestionariusza zbadano na próbie 369 osób (231 kobiet, 138 mężczyzn). Do oceny trafności narzędzia zastosowano Zrewidowaną Skalę Wpływu Zdarzeń i Inwentarz Potraumatycznego Rozwoju. Kwestionariusz prezentuje zadowalającą spójność wewnętrzną oraz trafność zbieżną i różnicową. Współczynnik alfa Cronbacha wynosi 0,85 dla skali zmian pozytywnych oraz 0,83 dla skali zmian negatywnych. Kwestionariusz składa się z 10 itemów ułożonych w 2 skalach.</p>

Dimensions of posttraumatic growth in a German-speaking sample using mixed methods

ABSTRACT Background: Highly adverse events can shatter fundamental assumptions about one’s self and the expected course of life actuating a process of adjustment regarding new appraisals. This struggle in the aftermath of adversity might yield posttraumatic growth (PTG), which refers to positive transformation within the person. PTG is a concept that has been established within a Western cultural framework and has both universal and culture-specific characteristics. Although across cultures individuals perceive benefits from their struggles with life crises, the nature of PTG might be coloured by cultural factors. Objective: This study aimed to identify aspects of PTG in a German-speaking sample (Austria and Germany) that are unique to this individualistic culture and not yet covered by the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Method: We used a convergent parallel mixed methods design. In sum, 188 German-speaking adults were recruited via snowball sampling. They reported on their worst experience ever and completed the PTGI, and 54 participants detailed in open-ended questions possible positive changes additionally to the questionnaire. Results: The existing growth dimensions of the German PTGI were confirmed by participants’ qualitative statements. Additionally, qualitative data analysis revealed the elaboration of two PTGI dimensions, and the emergence of two new domains: (1) ‘lessons learned’, which involves newfound knowledge about oneself and one’s life, and (2) ‘processing of adversity with potential growth experiences’, which illustrates the tightrope walk of growth. Conclusions: The results support Tedeschi and Calhoun’s model of the process and outcomes of PTG. By including qualitative methodology this study contributed to (1) revealing culture-specific growth experiences (i.e. different sub-forms of individualism were identified), and (2) underscoring the importance of ‘potential growth’ so that further promotion of growth is possible at an early stage of processing adversities.

The protective function of personal growth initiative among a genocide-affected population in Rwanda.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the extent to which individual differences in personal growth initiative (PGI) were associated with lower reports of functional impairment of daily activities among a genocide-affected population in Rwanda. PGI measures an individual's motivation to develop as a person and the extent to which he or she is active in setting goals that work toward achieving self-improvement. We found that PGI was negatively associated with functional impairment when controlling for depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and other demographic factors. Our results suggest that PGI may constitute an important mindset for facilitating adaptive functioning in the aftermath of adversity and in the midst of psychological distress, and as such they might have practical applications for the development of intervention programs.

Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: interdisciplinary perspectives

In this paper, inspired by the plenary panel at the 2013 meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Dr. Steven Southwick (chair) and multidisciplinary panelists Drs. George Bonanno, Ann Masten, Catherine Panter-Brick, and Rachel Yehuda tackle some of the most pressing current questions in the field of resilience research including: (1) how do we define resilience, (2) what are the most important determinants of resilience, (3) how are new technologies informing the science of resilience, and (4) what are the most effective ways to enhance resilience? These multidisciplinary experts provide insight into these difficult questions, and although each of the panelists had a slightly different definition of resilience, most of the proposed definitions included a concept of healthy, adaptive, or integrated positive functioning over the passage of time in the aftermath of adversity. The panelists agreed that resilience is a complex construct and it may be defined differently in the context of individuals, families, organizations, societies, and cultures. With regard to the determinants of resilience, there was a consensus that the empirical study of this construct needs to be approached from a multiple level of analysis perspective that includes genetic, epigenetic, developmental, demographic, cultural, economic, and social variables. The empirical study of determinates of resilience will inform efforts made at fostering resilience, with the recognition that resilience may be enhanced on numerous levels (e.g., individual, family, community, culture).

Doors opening: A mechanism for growth after adversity

People commonly experience positive psychological changes after adversity, but little is known about how this growth happens. We propose that engagement with new possibilities – seeing ‘doors opening’ in the wake of loss – is key in this process. We hypothesized that people would report greater growth if they saw new possibilities in the aftermath of adversity. We also predicted that unless people had engaged with new possibilities, they would report greater deterioration when adversity disrupted their core beliefs. A diverse group of adults (N = 276) from the US and India participated in a cross-sectional online study. Individuals experienced more growth if they had experienced more core belief disruption and more engagement with new possibilities. Engagement partially mediated the relationship between core belief disruption and growth. Engagement may also buffer against deterioration when core beliefs are disrupted. We conclude that pursuing new opportunities may be a crucial step in growth.

The protective function of belief in personal change among genocide survivors in Rwanda

The current cross-sectional study investigated the protective function of a measure of belief in personal change—personal growth initiative (PGI; Robitschek, 1998)—on physical and mental health outcomes in a genocide-affected population in Rwanda. Specifically, we examined whether an individual’s belief in their ability to change and develop had an adaptive role in managing symptoms of distress. Prior research has demonstrated that high levels of PGI are associated with psychological well-being (Robitschek & Keyes, 2009), and lower levels of depression and anxiety (Robitschek & Kashubeck, 1999). We found that genocide survivors who reported high levels of depression and low levels of PGI experienced greater physical impairment in their day-to-day life, and identified fewer positive personality changes as a result of their experience (i.e., posttraumatic growth; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996). The results suggest that PGI might be an important psychological factor in enhancing recovery and well-being in the aftermath of adversity.

Post-traumatic Growth and Subjective Well-being among Breast Cancer Patients

Post-traumatic Growth and Subjective Well-being among Breast Cancer Patients

Perceiving benefits after adversity: The relationship between self-reported posttraumatic growth and creativity.

Anecdotal and scientific evidence has documented the existence of a relationship between the experience of adversity and creativity. Accounts of the challenges endured by creative individuals suggest that they may have been able to channel their negative experiences as sources of inspiration and motivation for their work. Increased creativity may therefore constitute a manifestation of posttraumatic growth, defined as retrospective perceptions of positive psychological changes that take place following experiences of highly challenging life circumstances. To investigate this hypothesis, the present study tested whether scores on a measure of posttraumatic growth and depreciation related to scores on self-reported measures of creativity in the aftermath of adversity. Results of a path analysis showed that adversity-induced distress predicted self-reported creative growth and breadth in a sample of online participants. Cognitive processing (intrusive/deliberative rumination) as well as domains of posttraumatic growth/ depreciation—in particular, self-reported changes in interpersonal relationships and in the perception of new possibilities for one’s life—mediated the link between self-reported distress and creativity outcomes. This study is the first focused investigation showing that self-reported posttraumatic growth may be manifested through perceptions of increased creativity.

Short form of the Changes in Outlook Questionnaire: Translation and validation of the Chinese version

BackgroundThe Changes in Outlook Questionnaire (CiOQ) is a self-report instrument designed to measure both positive and negative changes following the experience of severely stressful events. Previous research has focused on the Western context. The aim of this study is to translate the short form of the measure (CiOQ-S) into simplified Chinese and examine its validity and reliability in a sample of Chinese earthquake survivors.MethodThe English language version of the 10-item CiOQ was translated into simplified Chinese and completed along with other measures in a sample of earthquake survivors (n = 120). Statistical analyses were performed to explore the structure of the simplified Chinese version of CiOQ-S (CiOQ-SCS), its reliability and validity.ResultsPrincipal components analysis (PCA) was conducted to test the structure of the CiOQ-SCS. The reliability and convergent validity were also assessed. The CiOQ-SCS demonstrated a similar factor structure to the English version, high internal consistency and convergent validity with measures of posttraumatic stress symptoms, anxiety and depression, coping and social support.ConclusionThe data are comparable to those reported for the original version of the instrument indicating that the CiOQ-SCS is a reliable and valid measure assessing positive and negative changes in the aftermath of adversity. However, the sampling method cannot permit us to know how representative our samples were of the earthquake survivor population.

Assessing Positive and Negative Changes in the Aftermath of Adversity: A Short Form of the Changes in Outlook Questionnaire

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was the preliminary development of a short 10-item version of the CiOQ. First, 10 items were selected on the basis of their high factor loadings in previously published work. Two studies are then reported. In Study 1, the 10 items were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis using data from a sample of college students (n = 336) who had experienced adverse events. Study 2 involved a clinical sample (n = 40) of people with posttraumatic stress disorder and examined associations of reported changes with posttraumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth. Evidence is provided for a two-factor structure of the CiOQ Short Form, consisting of positive changes and negatives changes, and for the subscales' internal consistency reliability, convergent validity, and differential associations with clinically meaningful outcomes.

Assessing Positive and Negative Changes in the Aftermath of Adversity: Psychometric Evaluation of the Changes in Outlook Questionnaire.

The Changes in Outlook Questionnaire (CiOQ; S. Joseph, R. Williams, & W. Yule, 1993) is a 26-item self-report measure that was designed to assess positive and negative changes in the aftermath of adversity. This article had 3 aims: 1st, to investigate the factor structure of the CiOQ; 2nd, to test for internal consistency reliability and convergent and discriminant validity; and, 3rd, to investigate the association between positive and negative changes in outlook, posttraumatic stress, and psychological distress. Three studies are reported. Study 1 provides evidence that positive and negative changes are statistically separable and that the 2-factor model is a better fit than the 1-factor model. Studies 2 and 3 provide evidence for internal consistency reliability, convergent and discriminant validity of the CiOQ, and its associations with posttraumatic stress and psychological distress. In conclusion, the CiOQ has much promise for research on responses to stressful and traumatic events.