POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH AS AN INDICATOR OF READINESS FOR CHANGE IN THE PROCESS OF SOCIAL READAPTATION

Abstract

Posttraumatic growth is a construct considered in terms of action-focused growth following a critical, traumatizing event. It is known that exposure to stressful and traumatic events can have severe and chronic psychological and physiological consequences. At the same time, while keeping in mind the suffering often caused by trauma, there is also growing evidence of posttraumatic growth – positive changes that can occur in people who have experienced trauma. Opinions on whether incarceration can be a critical event in the lives of offenders who experience it are divided among researchers, due in part to considerations of individual differences in response to potential trauma, but also to legitimate doubts about whether posttraumatic growth reflects real life changes or is merely a retrospective response to pain experienced during the healing process. However, empirical interest in the long-term and cumulative effects of incarceration has not often been the focus of researchers' attention.

The purpose of the study presented here was to possibly identify posttraumatic growth in the life stories of first-time incarcerated individuals. It used interviews conducted with six adult males incarcerated for the first time in correctional units up to six months prior to their anticipated release from prison, so during a time of intensified interaction toward the person's preparation for release.  The data obtained were analyzed thematically in the hermeneutic-phenomenological stream, in the area of which the study of current human life falls. In the narratives of some inmates, it was possible to identify experiences characteristic of posttraumatic growth. This identification may contribute to understanding and facilitating the successful readaptation of individuals subjected to correctional isolation. Based on these preliminary findings, praxeological implications are offered.