CLOSED - Research Study about Being Misdiagnosed

[Kizzie]

Please note that the researcher has the participants she needs now so recruitment is closed.  Many thanks to all of you who responded!!  

Kizzie

Lisa Henshaw is a doctoral student at the Adelphi University School of Social Work in Garden City, New York.  She is undertaking a supervised research study about individuals who experienced trauma in the past, but after seeking help from a health professional were misdiagnosed.  Unfortunately, as many of you know or have experienced, this has been the case for a lot of us with Complex PTSD. Please consider participating in Lisa's study as this is an opportunity to let the mental health field know how this type of experience impacted your lives.  Please note her study has been approved by the Ethics Review Board of the university.   

The Recruitment Flyer and Informed Consent Form are attached.  Please go ahead and contact Lisa directly if you have any questions/comments.

[Kizzie]

Delighted to report that the study researcher Lisa Henshaw will be presenting her findings this Nov at the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) 35th Annual Meeting.  Here's the abstract for it:
 
The Complexity of Unrecognized Trauma: A Phenomenological Study to Reveal Survivors' Lived Experiences

This qualitative study explored the lived experience of nine women who self-reported that their reactions to trauma were not professionally recognized during experiences of seeking help. Three semi-structured interviews were conducted with each woman (Seidman, 2013) and data analyzed using thematic content analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) led to four key findings. Firstly, respondents survived persistent, early childhood trauma in the context of interpersonal relationships, and secondly, these experiences manifested in complex reactions. Thirdly, their manifested, complex reactions to trauma were not professionally recognized and the women experienced retraumatization through relationships with the professionals they sought help from, as well as incorrect diagnoses. Lastly, respondents were vulnerable to experience repetitive trauma during adulthood in the context of both professional and interpersonal relationships. Phenomena uncovered how respondents' experiences of professionally unrecognized trauma interlaced with their lifelong trauma narratives, contributing to a developing identity of profound and ambiguous loss, as well as growth through survivors' strength and determination to find meaning. Implications are offered for practice, policy and future research, highlighting the significance of recognizing complex trauma reactions in policy and practice.

No doubt there will be an article within a month or two after she presents. 

Thanks again to those who participated!   

[Fen Starshimmer]

This is a subject of immense importance to the millions of survivors out there, as well as those offering counselling and therapy to chronically traumatised people who acquired CPTSD in their childhood.

I wasn't able to find the full presentation or an article about the study on the ISTSS website, and hope that they - or the researcher Lisa Hen Shaw, will get in touch and keep us updated.

Fen

[Kizzie]

I will contact her and see if we can get a digital copy Fen. She may not want to share her presentation until after the Nov meeting but I'll ask.

[Fen Starshimmer]

Thanks Kizzie.

I forgot about the November meeting. Would be good to let her know we are still interested.

[Kizzie]

    On it