Background

Childhood maltreatment is prevalent traumatic experience, and its adverse consequences are well-documented. Notwithstanding these outcomes, many individuals who suffered from traumatic experiences report posttraumatic growth, i.e., transformative positive changes resulting from their struggle to cope. Posttraumatic growth has been explored among adult survivors of childhood maltreatment, with findings indicating both the traditional as well as abuse-specific domains of growth. However, little attention has been given to vocational aspects of posttraumatic growth among survivors, despite the central role and importance of work in adulthood. Exploration of posttraumatic growth at work has focused on certain vocational traumatic experiences, such as those which occur in the military, or through secondary trauma.

Aims

This exploratory qualitative study focuses on the question: How is posttraumatic growth manifested in work related lives of childhood maltreatment adult survivors? 

Method

Twenty in-depth interviews were held with working adults who were maltreated as children. Phenomenological analysis was applied to the retrospective data reported in these interviews. Rich descriptions of work-related positive psychological changes were provided by all participants.

Results

Analysis revealed that survivors' posttraumatic growth corresponded with all five "traditional" domains of growth: changes in self, relating to others, new possibilities, existential journey-finding meaning to the abuse, and appreciation of life. It also revealed that work is perceived as a form of resistance (a subtheme of changes in self), and that the existential journey entails three emerging subthemes: being a survivor and a role model, giving others what was needed and never received, and making a better world. 

Conclusion

While the vocational lives of survivors of childhood maltreatment have rarely been examined through the lens of posttraumatic growth, our results show this lens to be highly valuable. Work related posttraumatic growth has relevance not only regarding vocational traumas occurring in adulthood as has been previously studied, but also in the context of childhood traumas. Moreover, our research broadens the understanding of the possible domains of work-related growth.