This thesis explores the ways in which a number of individuals survived their experiences of severe and perpetrated trauma. I theorise the participant’s survival adaptations in terms of hope which I positioned as being an active relational process. A case study method was used to collect data from intersubjective-psychoanalytically informed therapy sessions, from three participants who each received 12, 60 minute therapy sessions. I utilised a hermeneutic ontology from the work of Gadamer, who contended that the development of understanding and meanings results from an active intersubjective process. This ontology and design enabled the research to capture and interpret aspects of the dynamic development of personal meanings about the experiences of surviving traumas. Central to my notions of hope is the concept of intersubjectivity which is based upon the work of Winnicott, Fairbairn, Ferenczi, Meares, Stern and Bromberg. Using their ideas about relatedness and identification I argue that survivors expressed hopeful intentions and actions through their conscious and unconscious adaptive strategies. I explore the peritraumatic hopeful adaptations the survivors made such as identifying with the aggressor, the splitting of self, and the overt valuing of relatedness. I further argue that hopeful intentions can be seen in such actions as the survivor remembering their trauma rather than re-enacting it, in their efforts in narrating their trauma histories despite their fears, shame and difficulties in finding a listener. The thesis concludes by exploring some of the ramifications for society of hope, trauma and witnessing: foremost being the need to recognise the vulnerable in our communities and the difficulties we face in meeting the challenges of knowing their stories. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Environmental factors such as stress and hormones acting during embryogenesis, as well as early life experiences such as parental care have been clearly demonstrated in animal models to shape the individual's phenotypic gene expression, brain development, and behavioural repertoires ( Meaney, 2005 ). However, human studies have not assessed both prenatal mental health and the quality of postnatal parental care with the same sample of mothers. The current study sought to fill this gap by investigating the impact of women's experiences of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) before pregnancy on the mother's ante - and postnatal mental health problems, parenting, and children developmental outcomes. The study reported here is the second phase of a longitudinal study that commenced in 2002. In phase one community based middle class women in their third trimester of pregnancy were recruited and followed during the early postnatal period ( Linke, 2002 ; Lowe 2003 ). The current study assessed forty four mother - infant dyads at three time points during the second postnatal year. The dyads were divided into one of three groups ( control, trauma control and PTSD ) depending on the mother's trauma experience and whether she met the lifetime diagnosis for PTSD. The assessments included the measure of the mother and infant's basal cortisol, the mother's lifetime and ongoing mental health problems, the quality of the mother - infant relationship, and the development of the infant's general cognitive abilities, emerging language skills and emotional and behavioural self regulation. The current study found infant morning cortisol levels measured at 13 months of age were significantly predicted by maternal trauma experience and the subsequent PTSD symptoms of hyperarousal supporting the research of Yehuda and colleagues ( 2005 ) and implicating an epigenetic transmission of environmental experience from the mother to her offspring possibly via in utero programming of the HPA axis. Overall, maternal trauma was found to impact on both child language and self regulation development. Unexpectedly, the trauma control or resilient mothers were found to be least engaged with their infants, and their infants had the lowest language development. However, poorer language development was not mediated through dyadic emotional availability or maternal sensitivity. Maternal PTSD was found to be related to poorer child emotional and behavioural outcomes which were mediated through maternal mental health problems. Overall, the findings of the current study suggest that maternal trauma experience is associated with a biologically based mechanism occurring in both the mother and the infant which is protective for both the mother and the child's emotional health, but comes at a cost of slower infant language development. Furthermore, this mechanism appears to have broken down in the presence of maternal PTSD for both the mother and the infant with subsequent associations with greater maternal mental health problems, more problematic infant emotional and behavioural problems, and disorganised attachment. These findings have clinical implications, particularly for early intervention programs. The results need to be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size. However, the findings have broad implications in relation to resilience to trauma and the development of psychopathology and warrant repetition. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Medicine, 2007.

Current theories of PTSD propose that impaired retrieval of trauma memories may impede processing of these memories and subsequent trauma recovery. This thesis investigated memory retrieval processes in trauma survivors with and without symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and in non-traumatised individuals exposed to a highly arousing event. Study 1 examined deliberate avoidance of unwanted memories in recent trauma survivors. The results indicated that attempts to forget were associated with poorer recall of forgotten information, but the size of this effect did not depend on the presence or absence of Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). Study 2 investigated automatic retrieval inhibition in trauma survivors with or without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The results suggested that repeated retrieval of trauma-related information by individuals with PTSD can cause inhibition of related, but unpractised information. Studies 3 and 4 examined the relationship between the vantage point of trauma memories, avoidance and posttraumatic stress symptomatology. The findings indicated that recalling a traumatic event from an observer perspective is associated with post trauma avoidance. They also showed that an observer vantage point in the initial few weeks after trauma is associated with poorer long-term post trauma adjustment. Studies 5, 6 and 7 were analogue studies which analysed the impact of heightened arousal on memory retrieval in novice skydivers. The results suggested that elevated arousal can interfere with retrieval of information related to the arousal-inducing event. Study 7 also indicated that autobiographical memory for the event may be impaired. Finally, Study 8 examined the qualities of trauma memories that were accessed via different modes of retrieval. The results provided evidence that intrusive memories were experienced as more realistic and with more intense affect than memories for the same event that were deliberately retrieved. Together, the findings of this program of research extend current theories of PTSD by highlighting the mechanisms through which retrieval of trauma memories may be impaired. The results suggest that the quality of trauma memories is affected by avoidance processes, elevated arousal and level of conscious control the individual exerts over retrieval.

Current theories of PTSD propose that impaired retrieval of trauma memories may impede processing of these memories and subsequent trauma recovery. This thesis investigated memory retrieval processes in trauma survivors with and without symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and in non-traumatised individuals exposed to a highly arousing event. Study 1 examined deliberate avoidance of unwanted memories in recent trauma survivors. The results indicated that attempts to forget were associated with poorer recall of forgotten information, but the size of this effect did not depend on the presence or absence of Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). Study 2 investigated automatic retrieval inhibition in trauma survivors with or without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The results suggested that repeated retrieval of trauma-related information by individuals with PTSD can cause inhibition of related, but unpractised information. Studies 3 and 4 examined the relationship between the vantage point of trauma memories, avoidance and posttraumatic stress symptomatology. The findings indicated that recalling a traumatic event from an observer perspective is associated with post trauma avoidance. They also showed that an observer vantage point in the initial few weeks after trauma is associated with poorer long-term post trauma adjustment. Studies 5, 6 and 7 were analogue studies which analysed the impact of heightened arousal on memory retrieval in novice skydivers. The results suggested that elevated arousal can interfere with retrieval of information related to the arousal-inducing event. Study 7 also indicated that autobiographical memory for the event may be impaired. Finally, Study 8 examined the qualities of trauma memories that were accessed via different modes of retrieval. The results provided evidence that intrusive memories were experienced as more realistic and with more intense affect than memories for the same event that were deliberately retrieved. Together, the findings of this program of research extend current theories of PTSD by highlighting the mechanisms through which retrieval of trauma memories may be impaired. The results suggest that the quality of trauma memories is affected by avoidance processes, elevated arousal and level of conscious control the individual exerts over retrieval.

Current theories of PTSD propose that impaired retrieval of trauma memories may impede processing of these memories and subsequent trauma recovery. This thesis investigated memory retrieval processes in trauma survivors with and without symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and in non-traumatised individuals exposed to a highly arousing event. Study 1 examined deliberate avoidance of unwanted memories in recent trauma survivors. The results indicated that attempts to forget were associated with poorer recall of forgotten information, but the size of this effect did not depend on the presence or absence of Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). Study 2 investigated automatic retrieval inhibition in trauma survivors with or without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The results suggested that repeated retrieval of trauma-related information by individuals with PTSD can cause inhibition of related, but unpractised information. Studies 3 and 4 examined the relationship between the vantage point of trauma memories, avoidance and posttraumatic stress symptomatology. The findings indicated that recalling a traumatic event from an observer perspective is associated with post trauma avoidance. They also showed that an observer vantage point in the initial few weeks after trauma is associated with poorer long-term post trauma adjustment. Studies 5, 6 and 7 were analogue studies which analysed the impact of heightened arousal on memory retrieval in novice skydivers. The results suggested that elevated arousal can interfere with retrieval of information related to the arousal-inducing event. Study 7 also indicated that autobiographical memory for the event may be impaired. Finally, Study 8 examined the qualities of trauma memories that were accessed via different modes of retrieval. The results provided evidence that intrusive memories were experienced as more realistic and with more intense affect than memories for the same event that were deliberately retrieved. Together, the findings of this program of research extend current theories of PTSD by highlighting the mechanisms through which retrieval of trauma memories may be impaired. The results suggest that the quality of trauma memories is affected by avoidance processes, elevated arousal and level of conscious control the individual exerts over retrieval.

Current theories of PTSD propose that impaired retrieval of trauma memories may impede processing of these memories and subsequent trauma recovery. This thesis investigated memory retrieval processes in trauma survivors with and without symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and in non-traumatised individuals exposed to a highly arousing event. Study 1 examined deliberate avoidance of unwanted memories in recent trauma survivors. The results indicated that attempts to forget were associated with poorer recall of forgotten information, but the size of this effect did not depend on the presence or absence of Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). Study 2 investigated automatic retrieval inhibition in trauma survivors with or without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The results suggested that repeated retrieval of trauma-related information by individuals with PTSD can cause inhibition of related, but unpractised information. Studies 3 and 4 examined the relationship between the vantage point of trauma memories, avoidance and posttraumatic stress symptomatology. The findings indicated that recalling a traumatic event from an observer perspective is associated with post trauma avoidance. They also showed that an observer vantage point in the initial few weeks after trauma is associated with poorer long-term post trauma adjustment. Studies 5, 6 and 7 were analogue studies which analysed the impact of heightened arousal on memory retrieval in novice skydivers. The results suggested that elevated arousal can interfere with retrieval of information related to the arousal-inducing event. Study 7 also indicated that autobiographical memory for the event may be impaired. Finally, Study 8 examined the qualities of trauma memories that were accessed via different modes of retrieval. The results provided evidence that intrusive memories were experienced as more realistic and with more intense affect than memories for the same event that were deliberately retrieved. Together, the findings of this program of research extend current theories of PTSD by highlighting the mechanisms through which retrieval of trauma memories may be impaired. The results suggest that the quality of trauma memories is affected by avoidance processes, elevated arousal and level of conscious control the individual exerts over retrieval.

<p>Posttraumatiskt stressyndrom (PTSD) kännetecknas av tre huvudsymptom: undvikande, förnekande och hyperspändhet. Även koncentrationssvårigheter, ångest, depression, flashbacks och mardrömmar är vanligt förekommande hos individer med PTSD. Flyktingar i Sverige som har varit med om krig kan uppvisa dessa symptom. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka terapeuters upplevelser av arbete med patienter med krigsrelaterat PTSD. Intervjuer med åtta terapeuter utfördes. Gemensamma mönster i deltagarnas svar var att det är fördelaktigt att skapa en bra relation till patienter. Det är viktigt att prata om krigstrauma och de som får behandling mår bättre. Patienter är präglade av sorg och skuld och det är viktigt för dem att känna tillit och trygghet. Kropp och själ hänger ihop och det är olika och beroende på många faktorer hur individer drabbas av krig. Ofta är det andra svåra upplevelser som förvärrar krigstrauma. Terapeuter upplever sitt arbete som roligt samtidigt som tungt och anser att det är viktigt med teamarbete.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Drexel University, 2006. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-96).

Posttraumatiskt stressyndrom (PTSD) kännetecknas av tre huvudsymptom: undvikande, förnekande och hyperspändhet. Även koncentrationssvårigheter, ångest, depression, flashbacks och mardrömmar är vanligt förekommande hos individer med PTSD. Flyktingar i Sverige som har varit med om krig kan uppvisa dessa symptom. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka terapeuters upplevelser av arbete med patienter med krigsrelaterat PTSD. Intervjuer med åtta terapeuter utfördes. Gemensamma mönster i deltagarnas svar var att det är fördelaktigt att skapa en bra relation till patienter. Det är viktigt att prata om krigstrauma och de som får behandling mår bättre. Patienter är präglade av sorg och skuld och det är viktigt för dem att känna tillit och trygghet. Kropp och själ hänger ihop och det är olika och beroende på många faktorer hur individer drabbas av krig. Ofta är det andra svåra upplevelser som förvärrar krigstrauma. Terapeuter upplever sitt arbete som roligt samtidigt som tungt och anser att det är viktigt med teamarbete.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Kent State University, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Sept. 28, 2009). Advisor: Stan Wearden. Keywords: journalism; trauma; broadcasting; reporting; television; posttraumatic stress; compassion fatigue. Includes bibliographical references (p. 164-184).