Alexandria Digital Research Library

Trauma-related distress and growth : a study of pregnant and post-partum women in residential mental health and substance use treatment

Author:
Sanford, Ashley E.
Degree Grantor:
University of California, Santa Barbara. Counseling, Clinical & School Psychology
Degree Supervisor:
Merith Cosden
Place of Publication:
[Santa Barbara, Calif.]
Publisher:
University of California, Santa Barbara
Creation Date:
2016
Issued Date:
2016
Topics:
Clinical psychology, Mental health, and Obstetrics
Keywords:
Substance Use
Post-Partum Women
Pregnant Women
Posttraumatic Growth
Trauma
Genres:
Online resources and Dissertations, Academic
Dissertation:
Ph.D.--University of California, Santa Barbara, 2016
Description:

Positive outcomes associated with traumatic stress have been gaining attention over the past 20 years. Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is one such outcome, characterized by changes resulting from struggling with trauma that leave an individual or community with improved wisdom, strengths, or skills in certain areas that they would not have gained without struggling with trauma. The current study looked at PTG among women in residential treatment for substance use and mental health concerns. All women were also pregnant or had a child under one year of age. Pregnant and new mothers are a particularly high-risk group for negative outcomes related to substance use. This was the first study to assess PTG among women who use substances. Participants were 104 women in a six-month residential treatment in central California from 2012-2015. Services included substance use recovery interventions, trauma interventions, parenting education, and individual and group counseling. Ninety-eight percent reported at least minimal PTG; the mean growth score was the equivalent of between a moderate and great degree of growth. Results demonstrated no relationship between trauma symptoms or change in substance use severity and PTG scores. However, consumer satisfaction was related to PTG, with greater satisfaction being related to higher levels of PTG.

Physical Description:
1 online resource (89 pages)
Format:
Text
Collection(s):
UCSB electronic theses and dissertations
ARK:
ark:/48907/f3mg7pnn
ISBN:
9781369340396
Catalog System Number:
990047189910203776
Rights:
Inc.icon only.dark In Copyright
Copyright Holder:
Ashley Sanford
File Description
Access: Public access
Sanford_ucsb_0035D_13140.pdf pdf (Portable Document Format)