Factors predicting posttraumatic growth among disabled veterans: A mixed method study

The aim of the current thesis study was to examine the factors associated with posttraumatic growth in disabled veterans who were injured as a result of terrorist incidents and continued their lives with physical loss due to terrorist attacks during their military service in early adulthood. Firstly, a qualitative study was conducted to familiarize veterans, learn about their life experiences, whether they had experienced post-traumatic growth. In this direction, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight disabled veterans (Mage = 46.63, SD = 5.68). Informed Consent Form, Demographic Information Form, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (DSM-5 Version), Posttraumatic Growth Inventory and Semi-Structured Interview Form were used as data collection tools. Interviews were analyzed and reported by applying interpretative phenomenological analysis. Secondly, a quantitative study was conducted to test the mediation role of intrusive rumination and deliberate rumination between prolonged grief related to physical disability and post-traumatic growth, and then the moderator role of ways of coping stress between ruminations and coping when mediator role continues. At the same time, the second aim was to test the effects of basic demographic variables environmental variables, event-related factors and physical disability related variables on posttraumatic growth. The sample of quantitative study consists of 217 disabled veterans who were injured in 2015 and before (Mage = 43.33, SD = 6.16). Participants were applied Informed Consent Form, Demographic Information Form, Prolonged Grief Inventory-Patient Form, Event Related Rumination Inventory, Coping Style Scale, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (DSM-5 Version), Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Data were analyzed with doing comparative, mediation and moderated-mediation model analyzes. According to the results of the qualitative study, the life experiences of veterans include (1) treatment processes and physical loss, (2) psychological difficulties and coping, (3) reactions of environment, and (4) healing effect of cognitive evaluation. At the same time, veterans experienced positive transformations in the sub-dimensions of post-traumatic growth as (1) improvements in personality and philosophy of life, (2) positive changes in interpersonal relationships, (3) increase in spiritual orientation, and (4) the emergence of new opportunities other top themes identified in the post-traumatic growth journey of veterans. Other themes identified in post-traumatic growth process of veterans are (1) strong personality traits, (2) sources of perceived social support, (3) perceived social support types, (4) perceived barriers to self-disclosure related to military experiences, and (5) adaptive coping methods. Quantitative study results showed that veterans who are unmarried, who employed in a regular job, who had a high level of social support after the event, who disclosure about both positive and negative aspects of military experiences, who were injured while performing their compulsory military service, and who can perform their daily tasks independently despite their physical disability, had experienced more post-traumatic growth. According to the results of mediation model analysis, both ruminations had mediated the relationship between prolonged grief due to physical disability and post-traumatic growth. Furthermore, the levels of problem-focused/active coping and emotion focused/passive coping styles with stress significantly moderated the relationship between intrusive rumination and growth. When evaluated together, all results were seen to consistent with the theoretical explanations and research results about post-traumatic growth from the literature. This thesis has original value because of draw attention to the relation between prolonged grief related to physical disability and posttraumatic growth. The results will contribute to make significant contributions field applied psychology field. Key Words: Coping Ways, Disabled Veterans, Posttraumatic Growth, Prolonged Grief Related to Physical Disability, Ruminations