Provides information on the study of researchers at the Washington
University in Saint Louis about survivors of traumatic events. Benefits
from finding something good that came out of traumatic experiences; How
the study was conducted; Results of the study; Implication of the study
results on how one should view and handle traumatic events; Information
on 'perceived benefit' concent.
By
Annie Murphy Paul, published on March 01, 1998
Though it may be difficult for the survivor of a plane crash or
mass shootingto "look on the bright side," it appears that those who do
actually recover best grow the most as a result of the tragedy.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis interviewed the
survivors of three traumatic events--a tornado, a plane crash, and a mass
shooting--a few weeks and then three years after they occurred. Those
survivors who could find something good that came out of the experience
soon after it happened--" I realized how much I loved my family," for
example, or "I decided that life was too short not to follow my
dreams"--had made a better recovery at the time of the follow-up
interview.
People who felt they were going to die during the disaster were
especially likely to report personal growth as a result of the
experience. Surprisingly, so were people who'd had many prior mental
health problems.
"Those whose lives are in the worst shape may have the most to gain
from adverse J. Curtis McMillen, Ph.D., lead author of the study. "They
can use a traumatic event to reorganize their lives." He also notes that
inhabitants of small towns tended to do better than those who lived in
big cities, perhaps because of the social and material support such towns
could offer.
McMillen says the "perceived benefit" concept might be used to
develop interventions for survivors of tragedies, including support
groups, peer counselling, writing exercises, and individual therapy. But
those who would help survivors see the positive side of their ordeal must
be sensitive in their efforts, he warns: pushing people to see benefit in
tragedy may hamper their recovery if it's done too soon.
A.M.P.
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material support,
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mental health problems,
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personal growth,
plane crash,
recovery,
support groups,
Survivor,
survivors,
tornado,
tragedies,
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trauma,
traumatic event,
traumatic events,
washington university in st louis,
writing exercises
