A Study Exploring Post Traumatic Growth (PTG) In Individuals Who Have Undergone Traumatic Life Events

Every individual at some juncture in their lives experience a crisis, which disrupts their functioning and causes acute psychological damage. However, there is substantial evidence indicating that individuals in difficult situations also experience positive significant changes in their life in the aftermath of the event. As a result of their trauma, they create new, comprehensive schemas and beliefs and find themselves better equipped to deal with challenges of life along with higher resilience. This study used a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of 15 adults who underwent traumatic life experiences to find traces of post traumatic growth (PTG). It also assessed if a correlation existed between the social support system of the trauma survivors, their age and the growth following the crisis. Participants aged between 20-60 were recruited for the study. The study followed a mixed methods design to capture the essence of PTG using interviews and deploying 2 questionnaires- the PTGI inventory and ISEL. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used for the analysis of qualitative data while the quantitative data was computed. Nine key themes emerged through IPA, while the two hypothesis were rejected: A weak significant correlation was found between ages of the participants and their social support systems with PTG. Results, limitation and future directions of the study are discussed in depth.