Resilience, psychosis and childhood trauma

Abstract

This research investigates resilience. It examines the influence of childhood trauma and/or adversity on resilience in adults diagnosed with a psychotic illness. In the research I grounded resilience in the lived experience of psychosis and childhood trauma and/or adversity and framed these topics within a health, psychological and social perspective. This research comprises two studies. I utilise quantitative and qualitative research data sets in a mixed-method research design. I drew the quantitative study data from the Survey of High Impact Psychosis research project conducted in the northern region of Adelaide, South Australia in 2010. I combined this quantitative study with a qualitative study based on data from additional interviews involving a smaller participant group sourced from the SHIP research project. I selected interview participants for the qualitative study because they identified as having experienced childhood trauma and/or adversity. The mixed-method research design provides the capacity to identify the prevalence of childhood trauma and/or adversity within a psychosis cohort. It allows for the examination of the effects of childhood trauma and/or adversity and psychosis on the development and manifestation of resilience. I also consider the influence of a psychotic illness on health, and economic and social functioning. The qualitative phase of the research examined individual interpretations of the experience(s) of childhood trauma and/or adversity, psychosis and resilience. I analysed this qualitative data thematically and identified some of the common understandings of not only the construct of resilience, but also the lived experience of psychosis. This research establishes that resilience has a crucial role in optimising social and health functioning. It identified how childhood trauma and/or adversity is a contributor to the development of resilience in people with psychosis. In addition, the research demonstrates that resilience is fundamental to long-term recovery from psychosis. I also consider the implications of the research findings for enhancing the effectiveness of clinical mental health approaches to psychosis treatment. A more intentional focus on the development of resilience in clinical mental health practice emerged as one of the primary recommendations from the research.