An examination of post-traumatic growth in Canadian and American ParaSport athletes with acquired spinal cord injury

ObjectivesThe study was guided by two research questions: (1) Does participation in ParaSport following acquired spinal cord injury (SCI) influence people's perceptions of post traumatic growth (PTG)? (2) What specific dimensions of PTG, if any, do ParaSport athletes report experiencing?DesignA phenomenological approach was adopted to understand ParaSport athletes' perceptions and experiences of PTG and sport participation following acquired SCI.MethodTwelve participants with acquired SCI who integrated, reintegrated, or attempted to integrate into sport completed a survey and participated in a semi-structured interview to assess their perceptions of acquired SCI, involvement in ParaSport, and PTG.ResultsFive general dimensions of growth emerged from the data including: (a) injury relevant processing; (b) appreciation for life; (c) reactive behavior as a result of attempted integration into ParaSport; (d) relating to others and (e) health and well-being. Participants reported increased physical functioning and independence related to their involvement in sport. Emotional and psychological gains were also associated with ParaSport including re-establishment of self-identity, improved clarity and perception of life, changed priorities, greater confidence, and enhanced social relationships.ConclusionsParticipation in ParaSport following acquired SCI may provide physical, emotional, and psychological health benefits, which should be considered in the development and implementation of sport related interventions to encourage PTG. Clinicians and rehabilitation specialists may use information from the present study to help individuals improve their identity, build relationships, and develop an appreciation for life after incurring a SCI.     

Event centrality and posttraumatic outcomes in the context of pervasive violence: a study of teachers in El Salvador

It is well established that the importance assigned to a trauma can affect one's recovery and psychological health in numerous ways. Event centrality is an increasingly popular construct that captures the tendency among survivors to reevaluate and possibly accommodate their worldviews posttrauma. The centrality given to trauma appears to serve as a “double-edged sword” in that this construct might factor prominently in both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Focusing on 257 violence-exposed teachers from educational departments throughout El Salvador, we examined whether the centrality assigned by the teachers to stressful life events uniquely predicted both PTSD symptomatology and PTG. Results revealed that event centrality was positively related to both PTSD and PTG, even when controlling for demographic factors, violence exposure, and depression. In addition, PTSD symptomatology and PTG were not associated with one another in this sample. In summary, these findings support the role of event centrality as a contributing factor for PTSD and PTG among persons exposed to pervasive trauma.     

New understanding of the role of coincidence site lattice boundaries in abnormal grain growth of aluminium alloy

The sequential microstructure evolution of abnormal grain growth (AGG) in the aluminium alloy (AA5052) was investigated to analyse the migration behaviour of coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundaries, which are known to play an important role in inducing AGG. The sequential evolution showed that CSL boundaries tend to disappear more slowly than general boundaries at the growth front of abnormally growing grains. Especially, the migration rate of Σ9 boundaries was noticeably low, which is contrary to the previous suggestions.     

Effects of cementite morphology on short-fatigue-crack propagation in binary Fe–C steel

The effects of cementite morphology on short-fatigue-crack propagation were investigated by subjecting smooth steel specimens to rotating-bending fatigue tests. Intergranular and transgranular cementite precipitation steels free of other phases were prepared through heat treatments. In the intergranular cementite precipitation steel, short-fatigue-crack propagation was decelerated at the grain boundaries, and accelerated in the grain interiors. In contrast, the transgranular precipitation steel showed the deceleration of the crack propagation in the grain interiors but not in the vicinity of the grain boundaries.     

Relationship of posttraumatic growth to symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression: A pilot study of Iraqi students

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) and psychopathology are common outcomes following exposure to adversity and trauma. We examined the relationship of PTG to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in a group of young Iraqi students with war trauma exposure. These young Iraqis had experienced an average of 13 different war‐related adversities. The prevalence of probable PTSD was 17.2% and probable depression 23.1%. PTSD was associated with higher and depression with lower PTG. In addition, the relationship between PTG and PTSD was stronger among males than females. Although PTSD and depression were relatively common, they were related to PTG in opposite directions.