Finding Meaning in the Aftermath of Trauma: Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth in Female

275 Pages·2017·1.39 MB·English

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Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, &
Graduate School
Professional Papers
2007
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Melissa Dawn Young
The University of Montana
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Young, Melissa Dawn, "Finding Meaning in the Aftermath of Trauma: Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth
in Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence" (2007). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, &
Professional Papers. 449.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/449
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FINDING MEANING IN THE AFTERMATH OF TRAUMA:
RESILIENCE AND POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH IN FEMALE SURVIVORS OF
INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
By

Melissa Dawn Young, M.A.

M.A., Clinical Psychology, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 2005
B.A., Psychology, Gender, and American Culture, Boston University, Boston, MA, 1999

Dissertation

presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

Ph.D.
in Clinical Psychology

The University of Montana
Missoula, MT

Spring 2007

Approved by:

Dr. David A. Strobel, Dean
Graduate School

Christine Fiore, Ph.D., Chair
Department of Psychology

Jennifer Waltz, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology

David Schuldberg, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology

Kimberly Wallace, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology

Rita Somers-Flanagan, Ph.D.
Department of Counselor Education
COPYRIGHT

by

Melissa Dawn Young, M.A.

2007

All Rights Reserved
iii

Young, Melissa, M.A., Spring 2007 Clinical Psychology

Finding Meaning in the Aftermath of Trauma: Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth in
Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
Chairperson: Christine Fiore, Ph.D.

Despite recent interest in resiliency and growth in victims of trauma (Ryff, Singer,
Love, & Essex, 1998; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996), very few studies exist that document
resilient responses to intimate partner violence, and none exist that explore posttraumatic
growth in the aftermath of violent relationships. The purpose of this study was to explore
resiliency and growth factors in women who were interviewed for the Domestic Violence
Project at The University of Montana, which comprises an archival dataset. Participants
were 127 women who had been out of a violent relationship for a year or more. As
interview questions did not specifically target growth or resilience, relevant resiliency
and growth themes were sought using Strauss and Corbin’s (1990) grounded theory of
qualitative analysis.
Four categories of resilience and growth emerged: 1) resilience during the process of
stay-leave decision-making, 2) resilience in the aftermath of a violent relationship,
3) growth that occurred during the process of stay-leave decision-making which may
have served as the seeds of posttraumatic growth, and 4) posttraumatic growth. No single
pattern emerged to explain women’s experiences. Rather, participants reported several
different pathways that led to varying degrees of resilience and growth.
Resilience during the process of stay-leave decision-making manifested as returns to
baseline levels of confidence, renewed faith in personal strength, and/or motivation to
renew “lost” aspects of one’s identity. Other forms of growth that influenced stay-leave
decision-making consisted of positive changes in relations to others, self-perception,
cognitive appraisal of the violent relationship, coping, and intolerance to subsequent
abusive behaviors. Participants reported that one or more of these resiliency or growth
factors influenced their decisions to leave a violent partner. Resilience in the aftermath of
a violent relationship consisted of renewed self-perceptions, return to baseline
functioning in relationships, or renewed faith, spirituality, or religious beliefs.
Posttraumatic growth occurred in the form of changes in relationships, self-perception,
cognitive appraisal of the violent relationship, life goals, coping or behavior, or
spiritual/religious beliefs. Findings were incorporated with existing research on resilience
and posttraumatic growth and discussed in context of the study’s limitations.
iv
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank everyone who made contributions to this project. Most
importantly, I would like to thank Christine Fiore, Ph.D., my dissertation chair and
program advisor, for her hard work, dedication, insight, and the use of her data for this
project. Dr. Fiore has served as a wonderful mentor throughout my graduate school
experience, both as a teacher, research advisor and clinical supervisor. Dr. Fiore’s
dedication to her students and to helping women through the Domestic Violence Project
has been extremely inspiring to me, and I will always appreciate her support.
I would like to thank the other members of my committee, which includes David
Schuldberg, Ph.D., Jennifer Waltz, Ph.D., Kimberly Wallace, Ph.D., and Rita Somers-
Flanagan, Ph.D. for their hard work, insightful comments, and thoughtful consideration
of this dissertation. I have had the additional pleasure of improving my research, clinical,
and teaching skills under the guidance of these fine academicians and clinicians, for
which I am extremely grateful. Additionally, I would like to thank Joanna Legerski,
M.A., and the countless undergraduates under her guidance, who assisted with the
organization of the data from the Domestic Violence Project. I would also like to thank
Lauren Kelso, a dedicated and hardworking undergraduate student who assisted with data
analysis on this dissertation. Moreover, I would like to thank my husband Dan for the
unwavering love and support he has provided me during the past four years.
Finally, I would like to thank the women who contributed to the Domestic
Violence Project for coming forward courageously to tell their stories. The bravery these
women displayed by sharing their intensely difficult and painful experiences has inspired
me both as a researcher and as a clinician to work towards learning how to help survivors
of intimate partner violence to heal. Despite the fact that their stories were often painful
to tell, these women nonetheless participated in the project in order to help other women
and our larger society to understand the dangerous impact of intimate partner violence. I
sincerely hope that the dissemination of the lessons these women learned will in some
way contribute to their goal of helping other survivors to heal and eventually learn how to
flourish again.
v
Table of Contents
Abstract……………………………………………………………………..iii
Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………iv
List of Tables……………………………………………………………….x
List of Figures………………………………………………………………xi
Chapter I: Introduction……………………………………………………...1
The Process of Stay-Leave Decision-Making in Violent
Relationships……………………………………………......4
Why Women Stay in Violent Relationships………………………..5
The Process of Leaving Violent Relationships……………………..8
Outcomes of Violent Relationships: Distress, Trauma, and
Coping……………………………………………………...13
IPV, Trauma, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder…………………..14
Complex PTSD……………………………………………………..17
Trauma, Biology, and Cognition…………………………………...20
The Role of Social Support in the Processing of Trauma………….23
Trauma, Resilience, and Posttraumatic Growth……………………25
Resilience…………………………………………………………...27
Posttraumatic Growth………………………………………………30
The Process of Posttraumatic Growth……………………………...33
Rumination and Distress……………………………………………36
Rumination and Posttraumatic Growth…………………………….39
The Development of the Trauma Narrative………………………...42
vi
Outcomes of Posttraumatic Growth………………………………..43
The Present Study………………………………………………….45
Chapter II: Methods………………………………………………………..47
Participants…………………………………………………………47
Materials……………………………………………………………48
Procedure for the Domestic Violence Project……………………...49
Procedure for the Present Study……………………………………51
Coding Methods……………………………………………………52
Chapter III: Results………………………………………………………...55
Resilience…………………………………………………………..59
Resilience in Decision to Leave Partner…..……………………….59
Return to Baseline Levels of Confidence…………………………..60
Renewed Faith in Personal Strength………………………………..61
Identity Renewal…………………………………………………....62
Resilience in the Aftermath of the Relationship…..….…………….64
Resiliency in Self-Concept…………………………………………64
Renewed Self-Esteem………………………………………………65
Renewed Power…………………………………………………….66
Identity Renewal……………………………………………………67
Resiliency in Subsequent Relationships……………………………69
Resiliency in Spirituality/Faith……………………………………..71
Summary of Resilient Experiences…………………………………72
Growth Experiences During the Violent Relationship……………..75
vii
Changes in Relations to Others……………………………………..76
Seeking Social Support Despite Difficult Circumstances………….76
Acceptance of Social Support Despite Resistance…………………79
Positive Social Experiences Outside the Romantic
Relationship………………………………………………...82
Emergent Perceptions of Family Members/Children as Victims......83
Changes in Self-Perception…………………………………………86
Changes in Cognitive Appraisal of the Violent Relationship….…...90
Awareness of the Relationship as Abusive…………………………90
Changes in Perception of Violent Partner…………………………..93
Intolerance of Abuse………………………………………………...97
Improved Coping Skills……………………………………………..102
Summary of Growth Experiences During a Violent Relationship…..103
Posttraumatic Growth……………………………………………….111
Changes in Relationships……………………………………………113
Changes in Reactions to Ex-Partner…………………………………114
Less Charged Emotional Responses…………………………………115
Feelings of Compassion for Ex-Partner……………………………..118
Boundary-Setting and Assertiveness with Ex-Partner………………122
Changes in Subsequent Romantic Relationships……...…………….125
Changes in Relationship Ideals……………………………………...125
Changed Behavior with Subsequent Romantic Partners……………129
Changes in Relationships with Family and Friends…………………133
viii
Desire to Help Others………………………………………………..138
Changes in Self-Perception………………………………………….143
Improved Self-Esteem……………………………………………….143
Enhanced Feelings of Strength and Independence…………………..147
Greater Self-Acceptance……………………………………………..150
Changes in Identity…………………………………………………..153
Changes in Cognitive Appraisal of Violent Relationship……………155
Greater Awareness of Abuse Dynamics……………………………..155
Labeling the Relationship as Abusive……………………………….156
Learning about the Specific Dynamics of Abuse……………………158
Awareness of Personal Contributions to Unhealthy Relationship
Dynamics…………………………………………………….161
Deriving Meaning from the Relationship……………………………165
Acceptance and Integration of Trauma Experience…………………168
Changes in Goals……………………………………………………170
Changes in Coping or Behavior…………………………………......172
Changes in Religious Beliefs………………………………………..175
Summary of Posttraumatic Growth Experiences…..………………..177
Chapter IV: Discussion………………………………………………………187
Posttraumatic Growth………………………………………………..187
Resilience……………………………………………………………200
Implications and Suggestions for Clinicians………………………...203
Limitations and Directions for Future Research…………………….213
ix
References…………………………………………………………………...217
Appendix A……………………….…………………………………………252
Appendix B………………………………………………………………….263