Post-traumatic growth in prospective and current foster parents

Context and relevance. Most prospective substitute parents decide to foster or adopt an orphaned child following their own psychologically traumatic experiences — such as infertility, unsuccessful IVF attempts, or the loss of a biological child. Subsequently, additional trauma-related challenges emerge, associated with integrating a psychologically traumatized child into the family. The theoretical foundation of this study draws on M.Sh. Magomed-Eminov’s theories of post-traumatic growth, which emphasize the paradoxical intertwining of recognizing one’s vulnerability (weakness) and simultaneously becoming aware of one’s personal strength. Objective. To identify the characteristics of post-traumatic growth among prospective and current substitute parents, and to examine its associations with psychological resources (emotional intelligence, resilience, and coping strategies) in the context of differences in how traumatic experiences are interpreted. Hypothesis. Prospective substitute parents will rate their traumatic experiences as more significant and painful compared to current substitute parents. Current substitute parents will demonstrate a higher level of post-traumatic growth. Methods and materials. The study involved 82 participants: 40 prospective substitute parents (mean age = 42,9 ± 5,72) enrolled in preparatory training programs, and 42 current substitute parents (mean age = 49,7 ± 9,37). Comparative and correlational analyses were employed, including Student’s t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results. Prospective parents rated their traumatic experiences as more significant and painful, which was reflected in their tendency to avoid stress. Current substitute parents exhibited higher levels of post-traumatic growth despite reporting lower levels of psychological resources and greater use of maladaptive coping strategies. Prospective parents demonstrated a higher overall level of emotional intelligence but were more focused on intrapersonal emotions, whereas current substitute parents showed minimal differences between interpersonal and intrapersonal emotional intelligence. Resilience was higher among prospective parents, suggesting greater variability in their life circumstances. They also showed weaker associations between post-traumatic growth and psychological resources, while current substitute parents utilized a broader range of both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies. Conclusions. Prospective substitute parents perceive their traumatic experiences as more significant, which influences their post-traumatic growth processes, with emotional intelligence acting as a key trigger for such growth. Current substitute parents display a more stable response to trauma; however, their inclination toward maladaptive coping strategies may indicate early signs of burnout.