After the Black Saturday bushfires, psychosocial support was provided to people in geographically affected communities. Localised services focused on supporting those experiencing post-traumatic stress and other adjustment difficulties, reflecting current theories of adaption post trauma.
This project addresses two major inequities in psychosocial support for disaster-impacted people arising from this current theorisation. These inequities arise as a result of (1) pathogenic definitions of recovery, which neglect post-traumatic growth experiences; and (2) geographic discrimination, which creates subsequent marginalisation from both services and research. From interviews, personal and professional experiences of the barriers and enablers of post-traumatic growth will be documented.
More information about post-traumatic growth can be found on the research team's website, https://posttraumagrowth.net/.
More information about post-traumatic growth can be found on the research team's website, https://posttraumagrowth.net/.
Researchers
Louise Harms [Social Work, Faculty of Medicine, Dental and Health Sciences, UoM]
David Rose [Social Work, Faculty of Medicine, Dental and Health Sciences, UoM]
Robyn Woodward-Kron [Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dental and Health Sciences, UoM]
Jenny Waycott [Department of Communication and Information Systems, Melbourne School of Engineering, UoM]
Barb Bolt [School of Art, Faculty of the VCA and MCM, UoM]
Rhonda Abotomey [Social Work, Faculty of Medicine, Dental and Health Sciences, UoM]