Post-traumatic stress symptoms and post-traumatic growth in university student women exposed to dating violence

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between post-traumatic stress symptoms and post-traumatic growth status of university student women who were exposed to dating violence. The sample of the study consisted of 317 women between the ages of 18-30, university students, never married and had a dating relationship/relationship before. Personal Information Form, Exposure to Violence Information Form, Romantic Relationship Evaluation Scale, Impact of Events Revised Form and Post Traumatic Growth Scale were used to collect data. It was observed that 48.3% of the participants were exposed to dating violence. Of these participants who were exposed to dating violence, 10.5% were exposed to only physical violence, 23% to only sexual violence, 15.8% to only psychological violence, 1.3% to only economic violence and 49.3% to more than one type of dating violence. According to the analysis results; A statistically significant and high correlation was found between exposure to dating violence and post-traumatic stress symptoms variables (r=0.63; p<0.01). A weak and positive statistically significant relationship was found between exposure to dating violence and post-traumatic growth variables (r=0.27; p<0.01). A weak and positive statistically significant relationship was found between post-traumatic stress symptoms and post-traumatic growth variables (r=0.24; p<0.01). It was determined that the mean scores of the scale showed a statistically significant difference according to the participants' exposure to dating violence (p<0.05). In addition, it was determined that the mean of exposure to dating violence showed a statistically significant difference according to the type of violence exposed (p<0.01). It was determined that the mean of post-traumatic stress symptoms showed a significant difference according to the type of violence exposed (p<0.01). It was determined that there was a statistically significant difference in the post-traumatic growth averages according to the type of violence exposed (p<0.05). As a result, dating violence caused difficulties in young women's lives in the form of post-traumatic stress symptoms, as well as positive changes such as post-traumatic growth. It was thought that focusing on the positive changes after the trauma while providing the treatment of post-traumatic stress symptoms would strengthen the women who were exposed to violence, and it was seen that there was a need for comprehensive studies that addressed this issue with its different dimensions.