The relationships between mental health experiences, trauma and posttraumatic growth

This doctoral thesis explores the relationships between distressing mental health experiences and the interventions people may receive for these experiences, and trauma. It then looks at whether this trauma can lead to posttraumatic growth (PTG). It includes a narrative literature review, a research paper, a critical appraisal, and an ethics section. The narrative literature review aimed to explore what elements of mental health inpatient support could be considered to be traumatic. A framework was developed which incorporated current understandings of trauma, and which was then used to interrogate qualitative studies investigating experiences of inpatient care. The review showed that throughout the process of hospitalisation, from being admitted, to being on the ward, to the experiences following discharge, people endure a wide range of experiences that could be considered to be traumatic, and will often undergo multiple experiences, thus compounding the trauma. Recommendations for clinical practice are discussed in relation to the findings. The research paper aimed to learn if the PTG some people experienced soon after experiencing psychosis remained with them over time. Narrative analysis was used to unpack participants’ stories of psychosis that they felt led to positive change There was a clear structure of the stages that individuals moved through; Preface – A Time of Difference; Chapter 1 – The Crisis: Lost Connections; Chapter 2 – Acceptance and Connections; Chapter 3 – Life Now has Transformed; and the Epilogue – Looking Forward. The characters that supported individuals to reach PTG were also apparent. Clinical implications for working with psychosis are discussed, along with recommendations for future research. The critical appraisal presented my personal and professional journey of understanding psychosis, and how this research has introduced me to new and different ways of thinking.