Research Aims
Traumatic experiences are one of the most frequent facilitators of mental health issues that can significantly disrupt the everyday lives of numerous individuals. Scholarly evidence suggests that encountering negative or hostile events can tremendously increase the likelihood of developing a psychological condition, namely anxiety, depression, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004). However, it has also been demonstrated that the process of Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) can occur after the traumatic experience, promoting rehabilitation and ensuring the restructuring of the world’s beliefs (Tedeschi et al., 2018). Specific populations have been proposed to demonstrate particular traits associated with a higher likelihood of PTG achievement, for example, military veterans and individuals with PTSD (Schubert et al., 2016; Mark et al., 2018). In addition, an association between PTG facilitation and higher education status has also been suggested (Reyes et al., 2019). Nevertheless, it is still unclear whether higher education students could benefit from interventions promoting PTG.
The current research aims to enhance the understanding of PTG and its occurrence in veteran learners from higher education institutions, shedding light on the intricacies of PTG facilitation in this community. While it has already been proposed that many students can suffer from the lack of mental health initiatives, students with a military background can be especially vulnerable due to the emergence of trauma-inflicted consequences (Reyes et al., 2019). However, the experiences of veteran students remain tremendously unexplored, with the majority of PTG and rehabilitation studies focusing on more broad populations. This project intends to address the identified research gap to highlight the factors that promote PTG in veterans involved in higher education studies and suggest pathways for mitigating the impact of trauma on academic excellence.
A significant benefit of the current study is the possibility of improving the contemporary approaches to mental rehabilitation used in the social work field. Social workers must address the psychological conditions of the community, identifying potential risks; however, the lack of research on student veterans’ experiences suggests that the methods currently utilized are not fit for this population (Reyes et al., 2019). Thus, by identifying the veteran students’ needs and factors that promote PTG achievement and further mental rehabilitation, this research can contribute to the advancement of social work strategies. In the long term, the obtained findings might increase the effectiveness of community counseling, ensuring the psychological well-being of veterans in higher education.
Dissertation Proposal Draft
Statement of the Problem
The process of Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) has been shown to occur after the traumatic experience, promoting mental health rehabilitation. Research that regarded specific populations, such as military personnel or people with PTSD, demonstrated that each population has particular traits associated with a higher likelihood of PTG achievement (Schubert et al., 2016; Mark et al., 2018). These factors can facilitate PTG and result in a better rehabilitation process. However, although an association between PTG promotion and specific aspects of higher education students has been suggested, additional evidence is needed to understand this connection (Reyes et al., 2019). In addition, only a small amount of research has been conducted to address the needs of veterans in higher education, a population vulnerable to PTSD and psychological issues due to past trauma and educational pressure. Currently, it is still not clear whether higher education student veterans could benefit from interventions aimed at promoting PTG.
Purpose of the Study
The current research aims to enhance the understanding of PTG and its occurrence in veteran learners from higher education institutions, shedding light on the intricacies of PTG facilitation in this community. The experiences of veteran students remain tremendously unexplored, with the majority of PTG and rehabilitation studies focusing on more broad populations. This project intends to address the identified research gap to highlight the factors that promote PTG in veterans involved in higher education studies and suggest pathways for mitigating the impact of trauma on academic excellence. In addition, the study aims to evaluate the experiences of student veterans, outlining the aspects of PTG that they consider the most valuable for their future well-being and complete rehabilitation.
Background and Significance
Scholarly evidence suggests that encountering negative or hostile events can tremendously increase the likelihood of developing a psychological condition. Anxiety, depression, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are common outcomes of trauma that impede the normal flow of life and require therapeutic interventions to be conducted (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004). PTG has been of particular concern for scholars for several decades, with research linking this concept to resilience, PTSD, and specific types of trauma. More recently, distinct factors that promote the achievement of PTG have been outlined, suggesting that PTG might be facilitated during therapy if relevant traits of the patients are addressed (Schubert et al., 2016). However, it appears that each population possesses a particular set of elements to be considered, meaning that a unique approach is needed when counseling a representative of a given population.
The process of obtaining higher education has been connected to several stressful factors. Consistent pressure, lack of support, and personal characteristics of the students often decrease their resilience, leading to negative consequences and a decrease in productivity (Reyes et al., 2019). It has also been noted that veteran students are more frequently returning to education; however, the traumatic experiences obtained during military service might diminish these individuals’ capabilities (Reyes et al., 2019). As PTG interventions have been shown to influence trauma survivors and military personnel positively, it is possible that such activities could also prove beneficial for veterans in higher education. Nonetheless, further research is required to establish specific aspects to be addressed.
Theoretical Framework
The theoretical framework for this study is based on the PTG concept suggested by Tedeschi and Calhoun in 1996. The authors identified PTG as âpositive psychological change experienced as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances” (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996, p. 6). In the process of PTG, the individual is suggested to reflect on the traumatic experience, restructure the world beliefs shattered after trauma, and create a new worldview to adapt to the current circumstances (Tedeschi et al., 2018). Based on this theory, Tedeschi and Calhoun developed the PTGI measure, a questionnaire to assess the achievement of PTG.
Methodology
The study will utilize the workshop research design to ensure the facilitation of PTG and control over the intervention. This framework is highly beneficial for obtaining data on a specific domain as it allows the researcher to create a specific environment and observe the participantsâ behavior in the process (Ărngreen & Levinsen, 2017). In addition, PTG interventions are designed to promote learning in the participants, as the retained knowledge can advance the achievement of PTG and further improvement of psychological well-being (Tedeschi et al., 2018). Thus, the workshop research design is advantageous for the current study, as it allows creation an environment for promoting PTG while simultaneously isolating the influence of intervening variables.
Implications for Social Work
A significant benefit of the current study is the possibility of improving the contemporary approaches to mental rehabilitation used in the social work field. Social workers must address the psychological conditions of the community, identifying potential risks; however, the lack of research on student veterans’ experiences suggests that the methods currently utilized are not fitted for this population (Reyes et al., 2019). Thus, by identifying the veteran students’ needs and factors that promote PTG achievement, as well as further mental rehabilitation, this research can contribute to the advancement of social work strategies. In the long term, the obtained findings might increase the effectiveness of community counseling, ensuring the psychological well-being of veterans in higher education.
References
Mark, K. M., Stevelink, S. A., Choi, J., & Fear, N. T. (2018). Post-traumatic growth in the military: a systematic review. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 75(12), 904-915.
Ărngreen, R., & Levinsen, K. (2017). Workshops as a research methodology. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 15(1).
Reyes, A. T., Kearney, C. A., Bombard, J. N., Boni, R. L., Senette, C. L., & Acupan, A. R. (2019). Student veteransâ coping with posttraumatic stress symptoms: A Glaserian grounded theory study. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 40(8), 655â664. Web.
Schubert, C. F., Schmidt, U., & Rosner, R. (2016). Posttraumatic growth in populations with posttraumatic stress disorderâA systematic review on growthârelated psychological constructs and biological variables. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 23(6), 469-486.
Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (1996). The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory: Measuring the positive legacy of trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9(3), 455-471.
Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2004). Posttraumatic growth: Conceptual foundations and empirical evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15(1).
Tedeschi, R. G., Shakespeare-Finch, J., Taku, K., & Calhoun, L. G. (2018). Posttraumatic growth: Theory, research, and applications. Routledge.