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Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) posits that survivors of a traumatic event have the ability to influence their own outcomes and do so most aptly when they perceive they can exert control over their outcomes. Posttraumatic growth outcomes are associated with a greater perception of controllability, while posttraumatic stress outcomes can be related to the lack of perceived control. In the context of the Virginia Tech shootings, several social factors were examined three months after the trauma (T1) and one year later (T2) to further explore the dynamic interplay between these factors and psychological outcomes. Social support seeking was conceptualized as both a coping strategy (situational) and as a coping style (dispositional) and was hypothesized to predict greater growth outcomes, while social constraints were hypothesized to predict higher levels of posttraumatic stress outcomes. These variables were also examined as moderators of the relationship between perceived threat and psychological outcomes at both time points. As expected, dispositional social support seeking was negatively related to posttraumatic stress at T1, and positively related to posttraumatic growth at T1 and T2. Social constraints were positively related to posttraumatic stress at T1 and negatively related to posttraumatic growth at T1 and T2. Situational social support seeking served as a moderator for the relationship between perceived threat and posttraumatic stress at T1. Lower levels of situational social support seeking lessened the relationship between perceived threat and posttraumatic stress, while high levels of situational social support seeking exacerbated this relationship. / Master of Science

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Inledning: Behovet av traumabehandling till flyktingar har ökat. Psykoterapeuten blir vittne till berättelser som handlar om lidande, rädsla och smärta. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur psykoterapeuter upplever sitt arbete med behandling av krigs- och tortyrskadade flyktingar. Frågeställningar: 1. Hur upplever psykoterapeuter arbetet med krigs- och tortyrskadade flyktingar? 2. Använder sig psykoterapeuter av bemästringsstrategier för att hantera sina upplevelser i arbetet med krigs- och tortyrskadade flyktingar? Om så är fallet, vilka? Metod: Kvalitativ metod med fenomenologisk, deskriptiv ansats valdes. Fem psykoterapeuter som arbetar med krigs- och tortyrskadade flyktingar intervjuades. Resultat: Studiens resultat har en manifest del och en latent del. ”Att pendla mellan vanmakt och skapande förändring” är ett tema som representerar det underliggande, latenta budskapet, d.v.s. det som sägs ”mellan raderna” och representerar den röda tråd som finns i samtliga intervjuer. Det manifesta resultatet visar att terapeuterna upplever sitt arbete som ett privilegium och som betungande. Terapeuterna använder medvetna bemästringsstrategier för att hantera känslomässig stress. Diskussion: Terapeuternas beskrivning av sitt arbete med krigs- och tortyrskadade stämmer väl överens med tidigare forskning. Terapeuternas upplevelse av sitt arbete kan förstås genom begreppen motöverföring, projektiv identifikation, vikarierande traumatisering, sekundär traumatisk stress och posttraumatic growth. / Introduction: The need for trauma treatment for refugees has increased. The psychotherapist testifies to stories that concern suffering, fear and pain. The purpose of this study is to investigate how psychotherapists experience their work in dealing with war and torture injured refugees. Research questions: How do psychotherapists experience the work of war and torture injured refugees? Are psychotherapists using coping strategies to handle their experiences in the work of war and torture-injured refugees? If so, which? Method: Qualitative method with phenomenological, descriptive approach was chosen. Five psychotherapists working with war and torture injured refugees were interviewed. Results: ”Oscillating between powerlessness and creative change" is a theme that represents the underlying latent message, what is said "between the lines" and represents the red thread found in all the interviews. The manifest results show that the therapists experience their work as a privilege and as burdensome. The therapists use conscious coping strategies to deal with emotional stress. Discussion: The therapists' description of their work on war and torture injured is in line with previous research. Therapists' experience of their work can be understood by the concepts of transference, projective identification, vicarious traumatization, secondary traumatic stress and posttraumatic growth.

Experiencing a physical health condition can have wide ranging physical and psychological outcomes for an individual, impacting on many aspects of daily living. The psychological outcomes can vary widely, from extreme psychological distress to psychological growth, and are complex and dynamic. Traditionally, research has focused on those experiencing psychological distress, despite evidence showing that many individuals are able to achieve positive psychological outcomes. The literature is unclear in defining different positive psychological outcomes, and indeed distinguishing different outcomes and processes from one another. Attention needs to be paid to the definition applied to individuals who are reporting positive psychological outcomes following physical health difficulties and further understanding the process through which individuals achieve these outcomes. This empirical study aimed to address some of the gaps in the literature, by exploring how six individuals reporting positive psychological outcomes following spinal cord injury described and explained these outcomes. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to investigate the experience of these individuals. Three superordinate themes were extracted: "Living a normal life, just doing things differently", "Overcoming challenges: Determination to succeed" and "Using the resources available to me". The research supported the idea that positive psychological outcomes arise through a complex interplay between personality, cognitive and environmental factors. Theoretically, this research has implications for defining positive psychological outcomes following spinal cord injury, in addition to contributing towards future theoretical frameworks that aim to provide a basis for understanding the process through which positive psychological outcomes following spinal cord injury are achieved. Clinically, this research provides a narrative that can be used with people following spinal cord injury and also provides evidence for the use of cognitive screening measures such as appraisal style, to identify individuals who may be showing less adaptive cognitions.

This thesis is focused on the current concept of coping with stressful situations and the concept of posttraumatic growth of healthy siblings of disabled children. The first part of this thesis deals with stressful situations throughout the life of healthy sibling. The work describes the ways of coping with difficult life situations as well as coping strategies oriented to the future (proactive coping). It also focuses on the positive effects of this experience within the concept of posttraumatic growth. The empirical part presents the data obtained from nine respondents. There were used these methods: interview, narrative inspired by life-story, questionnaire PTGI-CZ and PCI questionnaire. The data were elaborated by means of qualitative and quantitative methods. The aim of the thesis was to identify the coping strategies used by siblings and identify potential posttraumatic growth. The most considerable development was reflected in the areas of "appreciation of life" and "personal growth". The most helpful coping strategies were considered to be positive thinking and positive reappraisal of a situation. We believe that these research findings might be helpful in counselling for siblings or in the area of psychotherapy.

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Medical interpreter services will be essential for developing and implementing culturally relevant interventions and treatment for limited English proficiency (LEP) populations. This study sought to identify the possible risks or protective factors that may be associated with vicarious traumatization (VT) or vicarious posttraumatic growth among medical interpreters in behavioral health settings. A 2-step cluster analysis was conducted yielding 2 distinct groupings of medical interpreters (Subtype 1, n = 73; Subtype 2, n = 101). The most important predictor determining the 2 subtypes was whether the participant had a personal history of trauma. In addition, there were significant differences between the 2 subtypes among the following variables: Trauma and Attachment Belief Scale T-scores of VT; years as a medical interpreter; years as a behavioral health medical interpreter; level of education as it relates to interpreting; personal history of trauma; personal or family history similar to any of the trauma survivors served in the past year; specific mental health training; sought personal therapy related to exposure to traumatic material from work environment; current relationship status; race; and whether spoken, sign, or both spoken and sign language interpretation was provided. The results of this quantitative study further support the constructivist self-development theory where VT is the result of the accumulated effects of repeated exposure to trauma material in combination with the person of the provider. Understanding these risk and protective factors will continue to support the provision of effective treatment of LEP individuals in behavioral health settings and the ongoing professional development of behavioral health medical interpreters.