Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG)

Post-Traumatic Growth, 2024
Geoffrey W. Sutton & Bing AI

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) is the experience of personal improvement following a traumatic experience that severely affected their ability to function.  (Sutton, 2024).

The concept of Post-traumatic growth (PTG) was developed by psychological scientists Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun in the 1990s. These scientists examined the presence of PTG in five areas (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996):

• Appreciation of life
• Relationships with others
• New possibilities in life
• Personal strength
• Spiritual change

Psychotherapists treating people for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) will need to avoid minimizing patients' struggles with PTSD symptoms, which may happen if they focus on PTG when a patient is not ready.

Guzman and Padros (2018) reported improvement in wellbeing following treatment for PTSD that included PTG. They proposed the following:

1. Some people who go through trauma can benefit and achieve personal growth.

2. If those with trauma receive therapy, it is more likely that they will develop said growth.

3. A short-­term training added to traditional treatment ensures that people could experience more personal growth and psychological well-­being.

PTG and resilience

PTG is not the same as resilience. PTG represents growth following a soul-destroying trauma. Resilience refers to a strong ability to adapt to and persevere through a challenging life experience.     

See Resilience for a definition and research notes.

Cite this post

Sutton, G. W. (2024, January 3). Post-traumatic growth. Psychology concepts and theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2024/01/post-traumatic-growth-ptg.html

References

Guzman, M. & Padros, F. (2018, September 5). Promoting post-traumatic growth after PTSD. Retrieved from Promoting Post-Traumatic Growth After PTSD | Psychology Today

Sutton, G. W. (2024, January 3). Post-traumatic growth. Psychology concepts and theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2024/01/post-traumatic-growth-ptg.html

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. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02103658

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

Resilience in Psychology

 

Resilience is the term for the complex intrapersonal process of successfully coping with difficult experiences or challenges that have required considerable adaptation. (Sutton, 2024)

 

The complex intrapersonal processes place demands on oneself and include cognitive, emotional, and behavioral adaptations, which are moderated by one’s physiological status within a social context. (See the SCOPES model of functioning.)

Successful coping is evident when a person has returned to a level of functioning that is as good as or better than their functioning before the challenges or adverse experiences began.

When a person has overcome a traumatic experience and they function better than before the experience, the new status represents post-traumatic growth, which is different from resilience. See post-traumatic growth.

Community groups, including faith-based groups, can help strengthen resilience.

Resilience research notes

A review and meta-analysis found a moderate positive effect of resilience interventions (Joyce et al., 2018). The study suggests that resilience interventions based on a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness techniques appear to have a positive impact on individual resilience.

Improvements in resilience in humans have been reported as a result of psychological and cognitive therapies, such as child caregiver advocacy resilience (Li et al., 2017), a life skills education-based program (Sarkar et al., 2017), the iNEAR programme (Tunariu et al., 2017), intensive mindfulness meditation training (Hwang et al., 2018) and stress inoculation training (Horn et al., 2016). Although all the above achieved good outcomes, the same method may have different therapeutic effects in different individuals. (Liu et al., 2018)

Factors associated with childhood resilience were summarized in The Science of Resilience (2015).

Research has identified a set of factors that help children achieve positive outcomes in the face of significant adversity. Individuals who demonstrate resilience in response to one form of adversity may not necessarily do so in response to another. Yet when communities and families strengthen these factors, they optimize resilience across multiple contexts. Factors include:

providing supportive adult-child relationships;

scaffolding learning so the child builds a sense of self-efficacy and control;

helping strengthen adaptive skills and self-regulatory capacities; and

using faith and cultural traditions as a foundation for hope and stability.

 Cite this post

Sutton, G. W. (2024, January 3). Resilience in psychology. Psychology Concepts and Theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2024/01/resilience-in-psychology.html

References

Center on the Developing Child (2015). The Science of Resilience (InBrief). Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu.

Joyce, S., Shand, F., Tighe, J., et al. (2018). Road to resilience: a systematic review and meta-analysis of resilience training programmes and interventions. BMJ Open, 8:e017858. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017858

Liu, H., Zhang, C., Ji, Y., & Yang, L. (2018). Biological and Psychological Perspectives of Resilience: Is It Possible to Improve Stress Resistance?. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 12, 326. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00326

Sutton, G. W. (2024, January 3). Resilience in psychology. Psychology Concepts and Theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2024/01/resilience-in-psychology.html

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

Courage in Psychology

Courage is a virtue marked by inner strength, which enables people to confront the challenges of life even when they experience fear and anxiety. Researchers have identified different types of courage such as physical, moral, social, task, vital, and spiritual.

Courage involves the interaction of several dimensions of psychological functioning represented in the COPES initialism of Cognition, Observable Behavior, Physiology, and Emotion within a Social context (See the SCOPES model).

PHYSICAL COURAGE

Physical courage is evident when we learn about soldiers who risked their lives to defend their compatriots on the world’s battlefields. Closer to home we learn of first responders rescuing people from a blazing fire or a bystander diving into a freezing cold river to save a struggling child.

Uri Nili and his colleagues (2010) documented biological changes in the brain when people attempt to overcome fear. They brought a live snake into a lab where volunteers, who were afraid of snakes, agreed to have their brain responses examined (fMRI). When presented with snakes, the known fear circuits in the brain registered fear. Brain differences (changes in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex) were evident between their efforts to overcome fear compared to times when they succumbed to fear.

MORAL COURAGE

Moral courage involves taking a stand for that which is right and just when such a stand involves some element of risk. Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are examples of people displaying moral, social, and physical courage when they violated the norms, policies, or laws that denied them access to the same privileges their government provided to other citizens.

VITAL COURAGE

Some thinkers have commented on the special courage (sometimes called vital courage) required to cope with severe illness. While some may be tempted to give up, others courageously struggle to cope with such difficulties as loss of mobility, hearing, and sight, or difficulty managing chronic pain. Even treatment for some illnesses can be painful and cause disabling side-effects. Faustine Williams and Stephen Jeanetta (2016)  interviewed breast cancer survivors to understand their challenges. They discovered several fears that arose during the process from diagnosis to treatment and aftercare. Examples of fears to overcome included potential losses of appearance, impaired sexuality, reduced quality of life, and a return of a cancer.

SOCIAL COURAGE

Social courage is the kind of courage people need when taking a public stand against social injustice or unethical behavior that puts them at risk for harmful social consequences. Social courage overlaps with moral courage when the issue is framed in terms of a moral principle. But not every problem with governments, businesses, or social organizations is a moral concern. Workers who seek better wages or benefits can be at risk for reprisal in companies that do not welcome criticism. People who march in a parade to draw attention to social injustice for a social group can be the targets of vulgar and hateful name-calling and may be ostracized at, or terminated from, employment.

TASK COURAGE

Task courage is the personal strength to persevere with a daunting task that involves apprehension. Andrew Martin (2011) of the University of Sydney studied courage to face challenging academic tasks in a sample of 7,637 high school students. Such tasks can produce measurable fear and anxiety. Martin found that courage and confidence were similar in some ways but the presence of courage was very important to facing the challenge compared to students whose fears led to avoidance or helplessness.

SPIRITUAL COURAGE

Spiritual courage is the act of persevering against challenging situations that make life seem meaningless or purposeless. Spiritual courage involves finding a meaningful answer to the question, Why go on living? Spiritually courageous people create meaning, reframe life events, and exercise the will to live. For some, spiritual courage comes from a stalwart religious faith often illustrated in scriptural stories like David and Goliath (Sutton, 2019).




__________

Measure Courage

See the 23-item Woodard Pury Courage Scale


__________

References

Martin, A. J. (2011). Courage in the classroom: Exploring a new framework predicting academic performance and engagement. School Psychology Quarterly, 26(2), 145–160. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023020

Nili, U., Goldberg, H., Weizman, A., & Dudai, Y. (2010). Fear Thou Not: Activity of Frontal and Temporal Circuits in Moments of Real-Life Courage. Neuron, 66 (6), 949-962 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2010.06.009

Sutton, G.W. (2019). Living well: 10 big ideas of faith and a meaningful life. Springfield, MO: Sunflower. (On AMAZON). ISBN-10 1796320161  ISBN-13 978-1796320169

Williams, F. & Jeanetta, S.C. (2016). Lived experiences of breast cancer survivors after diagnosis, treatment and beyond: qualitative study. Health Expectations, 19 (3), 631-42. doi: 10.1111/hex.12372. 

See chapter 2, Discovering Courage, in Living Well to find ideas to develop courage.

__________

Stories illustrating courage

Miep Geis in A Small Light. Miep helped save Anne Frank and her family for years.

Odette Samson in Code Name: Lise. Odette was a spy for the allies in World War II.

Louis Zamperini in the book and film, Unbroken. Olympian Louis Zamperini survived being shot down in the Pacific Ocean followed by severe abuse in a Japanese prison camp.

__________

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   X  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation. 

Suppression in Psychology

 

Suppression in the service of oneself 2023
Geoffrey W. Sutton & Bing AI

Suppression is an active process of avoiding distressful memories, thoughts, and feelings.

Suppression is a generally adaptive strategy of regulating one’s thoughts and feelings.

 Suppression is linked to mental health. A person may set aside distressful problems until they can deal with them at another time or place. Alternatively, a person may minimize but not ignore distressing emotions, experiences, or life problems (Vaillant, 2000). People who have a minor yet distressing accident whilst on holiday may choose to deal with the matter after they return home.

Suppression is a Level 7 Defense Mechanism.

Resources

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

 

Psychotic Defense Mechanisms described

 

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

            Form Self-Report 30

            Q-Sort Version

 

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

Sublimation in Psychology

 

Sublimation is a generally adaptive strategy of managing potentially harmful urges into safe and acceptable activities. Feelings of anger and the urge to be aggressive may be deployed when exercising or playing sports. Desire for risky or unacceptable sex may be expressed in artistic projects that are not necessarily sexual.

Sublimation is a Level 7 Defense Mechanism.

Sublimation and the Psychology of Religion

Religion can be seen as a form of sublimation. Religious people often channel their emotions, desires, and fears into their faith. They may pray, meditate, or participate in religious rituals as a way of dealing with difficult emotions. Religion can also provide a sense of community and belonging, which can be helpful for people who are struggling with loneliness or isolation.

Resources

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

 

Psychotic Defense Mechanisms described

 

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

            Form Self-Report 30

            Q-Sort Version

 References

See Cohen and Kim 2020

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

Photo credit: Painting of Two men and two women enjoying a vigorous game of tennis by Geoff Sutton and DALL.E 24 March 2023

Self-observation in Psychology

 

Self-observation is a generally adaptive strategy for managing internal conflicts or coping with external sources of distress by assessing the effectiveness of their behaviour and making modifications to better adapt to a situation. 

When the self-observation is fairly accurate, the person may experience personal growth and lowered levels of distress.

Self-observation is a Level 7 Defense Mechanism.

Quote from research

Results indicate that ss who self-observed study behavior achieved significantly higher grades, during the latter part of the academic term, than the unaccepted volunteers. Ss in the dating group achieved higher grades than the control group and lower grades than the study group but these differences were not significant. Findings suggest that self-observation procedures may often be reactive and that this reactivity may be successfully used as an agent for behavior change. (Johnson & White, 1971)

Cite this post

Sutton, G. W. (2023, January 9). Self-observation in psychology.  Psychology Concepts and Theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2023/01/self-observation-in-psychology.html

Research Reference

Johnson, S. M., & White, G. (1971). Self-observation as an agent of behavioral change. Behavior Therapy, 2(4), 488–497. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(71)80095-3

Related Resources

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

 

Psychotic Defense Mechanisms described

 

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

            Form Self-Report 30

            Q-Sort Version

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation. 

Self-assertion in Psychology

 

Self-assertion is a generally adaptive strategy of expressing emotional conflicts rather than keeping quiet. 

A member of a political party of group may experience conflict related to various policies or procedures that cause internal distress. If they are free to express dissent, they may experience relief. 

A religious person who openly expresses their doubts about their faith may feel a sense of relief instead of keeping their distressing thoughts to themselves. However, this expression may be blocked by authoritarian leaders preventing the distressed person from obtaining a measure of relief.

Self-assertion is a Level 7 Defense Mechanism.

Resources

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

 

Psychotic Defense Mechanisms described

 

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

            Form Self-Report 30

            Q-Sort Version

 

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

Humor in Psychology

 

Humor can be an adaptive defense against distress. The person in distress may identify something amusing or ironic about the distressful experience. Joking about death and disease or other painful experiences can protect one from being overwhelmed with emotional pain and anxiety.

Humor is a Level 7 Defense Mechanism.

Research Quotes

"An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that humor can impact interpersonal relationships in organizations and employee well-being. " "The effect size of the training was medium ... suggesting that interventions to improve adaptive humor at work can be a useful resource to deal with workplace stress and foster employee well-being. " (Perez et al., 2021)

In Men and Their Religion: Honor, Hope, and Humor (2002), I proposed that men have two primary ways of being religious—the religion of honor and the religion of hope. I also proposed that because these two religions do not always have their desired outcomes, men have developed a third way of being religious, the religion of humor. In A Time To Laugh (2005) I have expanded on my claim in Men and Their Religion that if men have three religions—honor, hope, and humor—the greatest of these is humor. (Capps, 2006)

Resources

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

 

Psychotic Defense Mechanisms described

 

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

            Form Self-Report 30

            Q-Sort Version

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

References

Capps, D. The Psychological Benefits of Humor. Pastoral Psychol 54, 393–411 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-005-0007-9

León-Pérez, J. M., Cantero-Sánchez, F. J., Fernández-Canseco, Á., & León-Rubio, J. M. (2021). Effectiveness of a Humor-Based Training for Reducing Employees' Distress. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(21), 11177. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111177