Post-traumatic Growth from the Perspectives of Adolescents with Chronic Diseases: A Phenomenological Study
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: This study aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of the phenomenon of post-traumatic growth based on the perceptions of adolescents with chronic diseases.It was conducted through an interpretive phenomenological design.Five volunteer adolescents, who are high school students and have a chronic disease, participated in the study.The data were collected by using a semi-structured interview form and subjected to content analysis.The results yielded five sub-themes: "appreciation of life", "personal strength", "spiritual and existential change", "relations with others" and "life opportunities".The sub-theme of "relations with others" is composed of "awareness of family support, awareness of social support, awareness of compassion, gaining empathic understanding, unconditional acceptance and self-disclosure to individuals with shared life, treatment of individuals with shared life selflessly, and closeness in relationships".The "appreciation of life" subtheme emerged as "understanding the value of the family, understanding the value of life, understanding the value of health, taking life easy, and awareness of the realities of life".The sub-theme of "personal strength" emerged as "psychological maturity, awareness of coping skills, gaining an optimistic perspective, giving positive energy, gaining self-confidence, and psychological resilience".The subtheme of "spiritual and existential change" was reported as "relying on God, giving thanks, and believing in the power of prayer".The subtheme of "life opportunities" was expressed by the participants as "gaining entrepreneurial skills, strengthening communication skills, developing artistic and social skills, gaining career decision competence, and gaining self-awareness and responsibility."The findings of the study were discussed in the light of the related literature.
Source: DergiPark (Istanbul University)
Author: Fatma Altınsoy
Language: English
Topic: Resilience and Mental Health
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3185557363