THE TRADITIONAL REVIEW ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FAMILY SYSTEM AND POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH (PTG) PROCESS

Abstract

Adversities and pain, an integral part of life, can also lead to psychological maturation and growth. This process of personal transformation is announced as Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004). However, the PTG process requires the appropriate conditions. At the top of those factors is the social context, which is a supportive and trustworthy environment that facilitates the expression of emotions. Undoubtedly, the family provides the most secure and unconditional environment for its members. In this respect, a functional family has a high potential to lead individuals to PTG. However, if the family exhibits a dysfunctional structure and functioning and uses maladaptive coping strategies, the emergence of various trauma psychopathologies, rather than PTG, becomes inevitable. Therefore, PTG is not an individual process; it is closely related to family structure and functioning in more collective cultures like ours. However, the literature has not adequately addressed the relationship between family and PTG. Therefore, our aim in this article is to reveal the relationship between the family as a system and PTG, concerning the existing literature findings, and to examine the probable positive impact of the family.

Keywords

• Psychological trauma
• Posttraumatic Growth (PTG)
• family system
• coping strategies

AİLE SİSTEMİ VE TRAVMA SONRASI BÜYÜME (TSB) SÜRECİ İLİŞKİSİ ÜZERİNE GELENEKSEL BİR DERLEME

Abstract

Yaşamın ayrılmaz bir parçası olan zorluklar ve acılar, kişilerin aynı zamanda psikolojik açıdan olgunlaşmasını ve güçlenmesini de sağlayabilmektedir. Bu kişisel dönüşüm süreci, Travma Sonrası Büyüme (TSB) olarak adlandırılmaktadır (Tedeschi ve Calhoun, 2004). Ancak TSB süreci için, doğru ve uygun koşulların bir arada bulunması gerekmektedir. Bunların en başında da, destekleyici ve duyguların ifade edilmesini kolaylaştıran, güvenilir bir sosyal bağlam gerekmektedir. Kuşkusuz, aile, üyeleri için en güvenilir ve koşulsuz kabul edildiği bir ortam sağlar. Bu bakımdan, işlevsel bir ailenin, bireyleri TSB’e sevk etme gücü çok yüksektir. Ancak, aile, işlevsiz bir yapı ve işleyiş gösteriyor ve uygun olmayan başa çıkma stratejileri kullanıyorsa, TSB yerine, çeşitli travma psikopatolojilerinin de ortaya çıkması kaçınılmaz olacaktır. Bu nedenle, aslında TSB bireysel bir süreçten öte, ülkemiz gibi daha kolektif kültürlerde, aile yapısı ve işleyişi ile çok yakından ilgilidir. Ancak, literatürde, aile ve TSB ilişkisine yeterince yer verilmemiştir. Bu nedenle bu yazıda amacımız, bir sistem olarak ailenin ve TSB ilişkisini varolan literatür bulgularıyla ilişkisini ortaya koymak ve ailenin olası olumlu etkisini incelemektir.

Keywords

• Ruhsal travma
• Travma Sonrası Büyüme (TSB)
• aile sistemi
• başa çıkma stratejileri

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