A Qualitative Study Of Post-traumatic Growth In Caregivers Of Children With Brachial Plexus Injury And Cerebral Palsy

Children have always been a major concern for society as a whole,and the study of children with disabilities is becoming more and more advanced.Caregivers,as co-participants in the child’s medical care,suffer from the physical and psychological trauma of the child’s health problems,which can have a serious impact on the quality of life.On the other hand,caregivers can also be motivated by this extraordinary experience to develop their own unprecedented sense of life,which can have a positive impact on the child’s development.The aim of this study is to listen to the stories of the carers of children,to sort out how their post-traumatic growth occurs,and to explore the relevant connotations of post-traumatic growth for the carers of children,so that they can face their difficulties with courage and regain hope in life sooner.In 2021,as a medical social work intern,the researcher worked with several caregivers of children with brachial plexus injury and cerebral palsy in the rehabilitation medicine department of a hospital in Shanghai.A phenomenological approach to qualitative research was used in this study.Caregivers of children who met the inclusion criteria were selected through purposive sampling,and face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with them,which were audio-recorded and accompanied by transcripts.The sample size of 13 child carers was determined using saturation of the collected data as the criterion,and content analysis and collation was carried out using the Colaizzi method of data analysis.The information collected from the interviews was coded to cut through the basic post-traumatic growth journey as five different phases: the "distress phase",the "obsession phase",the "depletion phase",the "period of acceptance" and "period of growth".Due to the differences in the caregivers’ own upbringing and environment,their personalities and original family patterns,some caregivers have negative experiences that cannot be ignored,and these negative experiences may continue throughout their development,which the study summarises as "trauma reactions".At the same time,the positive aspects of the caregiver’s growth into adulthood are multifaceted,brought about by different sources of support.On this basis,growth triggers and emerging positive changes were therefore extracted and categorised as’ support systems’ and ’growth outcomes’.Based on the theories and models of post-traumatic growth,and in light of the findings of the study,the researcher attempts to make recommendations for medical social work practice to promote the post-traumatic growth of child carers.Finally,reflections are made on the shortcomings of the study and a vision for future research is offered.