“Knitting Together the Lines Broken Apart”: Recovery Process to Integration among Japanese Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Sachiko Kita (), Kiyoko Kamibeppu and Denise Saint Arnault
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Sachiko Kita: Department of Family Nursing, Division of Health Sciences & Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 1130003, Japan
Kiyoko Kamibeppu: Department of Family Nursing, Division of Health Sciences & Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 1130003, Japan
Denise Saint Arnault: Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan School of Nursing, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-13

Abstract: Objective: This study used narrative interviewing and grounded theory analysis to discover the phases of trauma integration for Japanese women who had experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Method: We interviewed 23 Japanese women who had experienced IPV using the Clinical Ethnographic Narrative Interviews (CENI) from November 2017 to September 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. The data from 11 participants who had achieved trauma integration using the Trauma Recovery Rubric were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Results: Six phases of the trauma integration journey after IPV were discovered: (1) Chaos, (2) Burning out, (3) Focusing, (4) Challenging, (5) Deepening insights, and (6) Re-building. The survivors described the processes of exploration of themselves and their reactions to their concurrent challenges. They focused on finding ways to protect, re-discover, and re-embrace themselves by healing from physical, psychological, and spiritual distresses. They also rebuilt relationships with others and acquired knowledge and skills to achieve a new life. Notably, the primary components of their recovery processes were changes in self-perception and self-interpretation of the trauma itself and its impacts on one’s life and within oneself from multiple angles. In addition, traditional Japanese norms and gender roles, such as beliefs concerning the “ideal life of a woman” and fear of not behaving differently from others, profoundly influenced their recovery process. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of incorporating individuals’ cultures and their phase, needs, and personal self-development timeframes when developing trauma integration interventions.

Keywords: gender-based violence; intimate partner violence; trauma recovery; trauma integration; positive psychology; psychological health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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