Loss, grief and growth - interpretative phenomenological analysis of trauma in asylum-seekers and refugees

Taylor, S, Charura, D, Williams, G ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8656-9289, Shaw, M, Allan, J, Cohen, E, Meth, F and O'Dwyer, L, 2020. Loss, grief and growth - interpretative phenomenological analysis of trauma in asylum-seekers and refugees. Traumatology. ISSN 1534-7656

Preview

Text 1305178_Williams.pdf - Post-print Download (338kB) | Preview

Abstract

The experiences of a group of twelve asylum-seekers and refugees based in the United Kingdom (UK) were investigated using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to examine the nature of the trauma experienced by the participants, including the possibility of resilience and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Participants undertook a two-stage interview process - an introductory interview focused around significant artefacts chosen by participants, then a second interview engaging in a more general exploration of their experiences of trauma. Four superordinate themes were extracted from the interview data: (1) loss (2) struggle (3) memory and (4) helping coping strategies. The experience of trauma was characterized by symptoms of suicidal ideation, sleeping problems, flashbacks and high levels of anxiety. A lack of social support and the protracted nature of the asylum-seeking process were particularly problematic. However, characteristics relating to resilience and PTG were also reported, including increased gratitude and a desire to be of service. Religion was reported as a significant source of psychological support.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Traumatology
Creators:	Taylor, S., Charura, D., Williams, G., Shaw, M., Allan, J., Cohen, E., Meth, F. and O'Dwyer, L.
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Date:	19 March 2020
ISSN:	1534-7656
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1037/trm0000250 DOI 1305178 Other
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	24 Mar 2020 16:52
Last Modified:	20 Apr 2020 11:01
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/39468

Actions (login required)

Edit View

Statistics

Views

Downloads