Parallel processes between parents and their emerging adults in context of the post traumatic stress disorder of the emerging adults

Israeli citizens are exposed to a high number of traumatic events, especially events related to national security, with military conscription resulting in even higher exposure. This exposure can lead to negative mental consequences such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which expresses itself in four groups of symptoms – intrusion, avoidance, negative changes in cognition and emotion, and hyper-alertness. These symptoms have various effects on those diagnosed with PTSD, including social narrowing, substance abuse, and violence.  However, in addition to the consequences for the person directly exposed to the traumatic event, there are also implications for the family, with most of the existing research focusing on the implications for the spouses of released soldiers who suffer from PTSD.

The current research focused on parents of adult children whose PTSD resulted from a national security related incident; little has been written about this population in the literature. These young people are at the "emerging adulthood" stage, which takes place between the ages of 18 and 30, and is characterized by a variety of factors including identity-seeking, the establishment of romantic relationships, and the exploration of employment/career interests. The "child's" relationship with the parents at this stage takes on new aspects and is marked by repeated periods of leaving – and then returning – home.  In this way, the parents continue to serve as emotional and financial anchors. Therefore, it is important to look at the experience of parenthood during this complex stage, when in addition to the typical challenges posed by the relationship, parents are tasked with parenting an adult child who has PTSD.

The research was qualitative in style and was conducted via semi-structured in-depth interviews. Participants were fourteen parents of emerging adults up to the age of thirty, who were diagnosed with PTSD as a result of exposure to national security incidents during their army service over the last ten years. A categorical analysis and a content analysis were applied to the data, and three main themes regarding parallel processes between the parents' experiences and the parents' perceptions of their child's experience emerged.

The first theme had to do with parallel posttraumatic symptoms in the categories of intrusion, avoidance, negative changes in cognition and emotion, and hyper-alertness: Parents reported that both they and their sons' experienced similar posttraumatic symptoms. Furthermore, only one interview found positive feelings among the parent. The second theme described impairments in the parents' everyday functioning – that is, in relation to their jobs, families and friendships – paralleling the impairments they described as part of their sons’ experiences. The third theme had to do with parallel dialectic processes including a return to normal functioning as opposed to difficulties in functioning; hiding the trauma as opposed to revealing it to others; and using or not using support frameworks, that is, receiving help and a sense of belonging vs. emotional flooding and detachment.

The novelty of the current research lies in the population at the heart of the study:  Parents, especially parents in Israel, often have to deal with the broad consequences of trauma in general and PTSD specifically, but have received very little research attention worldwide, and none in Israel. The current research is a first in its area, and contributes to building the theory, as it describes a crucial part of these parents’ experiences. Furthermore, this research has important implications for practice, as it provides knowledge that might help in the creation of appropriate therapeutic interventions for parents.  In addition, it brings needed attention to the delicate and painful situation of parents who find themselves in a complex reality of parenting adult children with PTSD.  Posttraumatic stress disorder is a disorder that has wide-ranging effects, making it incumbent upon all of the relevant bodies to assist not only the individuals directly affected by it, but also those in their immediate environs.