IMMIGRATION AND POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH

Immigration and Post-Traumatic Growth

Table of Contents

BACKGROUNDiii

STUDY OBJECTIVESvii

RESEARCH QUESTIONSvii

METHODSviii

Interviewsviii

Generalizabilityix

Ethical Considerationsx

Search of published literaturexi

REFERENCESxiii

BACKGROUND

The human capacity to cope with traumatic experiences and even extract a profit from them has been generally ignored by traditional psychology, which has devoted all its efforts to study the devastating effects of trauma.. While living a traumatic event is without doubt one of the hardest trances to face some people, is an opportunity to raise awareness and to restructure the way of understanding the world, resulting in an ideal moment to build new value systems, as demonstrated by many scientific studies in recent years.. Some people tend to resist the onslaught of unexpected strength of life, and even in extreme events is a high percentage of people who show great resistance and psychologically out unscathed or with only minimal damage.

The conventional approach to the psychology of trauma has focused exclusively on the negative effects of the event in the person experiencing it, specifically in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and associated symptoms However, the reality is that while some people who experience trauma go on to develop disorders, in most cases this is not true, and some are even able to learn and benefit from such experiences.

The concept of post-traumatic growth, as Erhu (1999) proposes implies positive changes, from the experience of a traumatic event and a personal experience. Villa Poseck, Carbelo and neighbors (2006),

Maintain that trauma doesn't always necessarily resylt in adverse circumstances but also enables many people to cope up with the demands of the new life and learn new things."(Calhoun and Tedeschi, 2001 .) From the French point of view, however, growth could be defined in terms of post-traumatic resistance.

Positive psychological changes, beyond the previous level of functioning, personal growth characteristics, and describe the phenomena known as post-traumatic growth. Tedeschi, Park and Calhoun (1998) found 5 results, ie post-traumatic growth Increase in assessing the value of life that brings new life possibilities, increased personal confidence, and Positive spiritual changes are some of the effects.

Calhoun and Tedeschi (2001) have suggested that posttraumatic growth may experience meet people after an adverse event can be divided into three categories namely: changes in self, changes in interpersonal relationships and changes in spirituality and philosophy of life.

The authors point out that, after experiencing an adverse event, many people report experiencing a significant increase in confidence in their own capabilities to deal with any adversity that may occur in the future. Poseck Vera et al (2006) in this regard that "... this kind of change can be found in those who by circumstance, have been subject to very strict or oppressive roles in the past and that as a result of the struggle they have taken against the traumatic experience have made unique opportunities to redirect their lives. "

In what has to do with changes in interpersonal relationships, Calhoun and Tedeschi (cited in Steel, 2008) report, based on his research, which many people have found a marked strengthening their social ...