Coping Styles of Young People Dealing with Traumatic Events Reflected in Fairy Tales

Odintsova M.A.
PhD in Psychology, Head of the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy of Distance Learning, Faculty of Distance Learning, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3106-4616
e-mail: mari505@mail.ru

Radchikova N.P.
PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor of the Department of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Pre-School Pedagogy and Psychology, Moscow Pedagogical State University (MPGU), Moscow, Russia
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5139-8288
e-mail: nataly.radchikova@gmail.com

Kulyatskaya M.G.
Psychologist at the Faculty of Distance Learning, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1456-9014
e-mail: kulyackayamg@mgppu.ru

PDF (RUS)
Quick translation of full-text in Google Translate

The study examines the coping styles of adolescents (young people) (N=43, 37 f/6 m, age range 17-20, median age = 18) in deal with a traumatic life event, as reflected in standardized questionnaires and fairy tales written by themselwes, through the use of projective technique called "А person in the rain". Several types of traumatic life events in youth assessments were distinguished. It was found out that respondents with the victimized coping style use: the strategy of search for social support; strategy of social contact; cautious, aggressive, antisocial and indirect actions; avoidance; getting stuck in the situation and focusing on emotions; and passivity. The respondents with a hardiness coping style use the strategy of search for social support; strategy of social contact; acceptance of the situation; growth; development; renovation; assertive and careful actions. The respondents with an unformed coping style use the strategies of adoption, growth and development; updates; activity; a strategy of experience acquisition; focusing on emotions; loss of self; and escape into fantasy. The study shows that today’s young people are able to withstand the events associated with the trauma, using a fairly extensive arsenal of coping strategies. The fairy tale is an indicator allowing to diagnose styles and coping strategies specific to adolescents (young people) as well as contributing to the gentle and careful reduction of acute negative emotional experiences, encouraging the search for constructive ways to overcome them.

Keywords: victimized coping style, hardiness coping style, traumatic life event, fairy tale

Column: Empirical research

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/cpse.2017060407

For Reference

Odintsova M.A., Radchikova N.P., Kulyatskaya M.G. Coping Styles of Young People Dealing with Traumatic Events Reflected in Fairy Tales [Elektronnyi resurs]. Klinicheskaia i spetsial'naia psikhologiia = Clinical Psychology and Special Education, 2017. Vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 90–104. doi:10.17759/cpse.2017060407. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

Vachkov I.V. Skazka v rabote psihologa: opredelenie i tipologiya [Fairy tale in the practice of psychologist: definition and typology]. Vestnik prakticheskoy psihologii obrazovaniya [Bulletin of Applied Psychology Education], 2010, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 80–86.
Vodopyanova N.E. Psihodiagnostika stressa [Stress psychodiagnostics].
St. Petersburg: Piter, 2009, pp. 251–260. (In Russ.).
Krasilo A.I. Sotsial’no-gumanistichesky analiz psihologicheskoy travmy [The socio-humanistic analysis of psychological trauma]. Kulturno-istoricheskaya psihologiya [Cultural-Historical Psychology], 2009, no. 3, pp. 81–90. (In Russ., abstr.in Engl.).
Kulyatskaya M.G. Osobennosti viktimnogo i zhiznestoykogo koping-stiley preodoleniya lichnosti v ekstremal’nyh situatsiyah [Hardiness and victim coping styles used by a person in extreme situations]. Materialy IV Mezhdunarodnoy nauchnoy konferentsii “Psihologiya stressa i sovladayuschego povedeniya: resursy, zdorov’e, razvitie” [IVth International scientific conference on stress and coping-psychology: resources, health, and development]. In Krewkova T.L., Saporovskaya M.V., Khazova S.A. (eds.). Kostroma: publ. of Kostroma State University, 2016, pp. 329–331.
Leont’ev D.A. Mnogourovnevaya model’ vzaimodeystviya s neblagopriyatnymi obstoyatel’stvami: ot zaschity k izmeneniyu. [Multilevel model of interaction with adverse circumstances: from defense to change]. Psihologiya stressa i sovladayuschego povedeniya. Matirialy III Mezhdunarodnoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii [III International scientific conference on stress and coping-psychology: resources, health, and development]. Kostroma: publ. of Kostroma State University, 2013, vol. 1, pp. 258–260.
Luriya A.R. Ekzamen i psihika. Kn.: Psihologicheskoe nasledie. Izbrannye trudy po obschey psihologii. [Exam and mind. Psychological heritage. Selected works on general psychology]. Moscow: Smysl, 2003, pp. 126–184. (In Russ.).
Magomed-Eminov M.Sh. Deyatel’nostno-smislovoy podhod k psihologicheskoy transformatsii lichnosti. Avtoreferat diss. dokt. psikhol. nauk. [Activity and meaning based approach to psychological transformation of a person. Dr. Sci. (Psychology) diss. abstr.]. Moscow, 2009. 53 p.
Odintsova M.A. Skazkoterapiya dlya vzroslih. Metodicheskoe rukovodstvo po ispol’zovaniyu proektivnih metodik v skazkoterapii [Fairy tale therapy for adults. Methodological guidance on the use of projective techniques in Fairy tale therapy]. Moscow: OOO Grifon, 2014. 144 p. (In Russ.).
Odintsova M.A. Radchikova N.P. Etapy razrabotki oprosnika “Tip rolevoy viktimnosti” [Stages of the development of the questionnaire "Role victimization type"]. Yaroslavskiy pedagogicheskiy vestnik [Yaroslavl Pedagogical Bulletin], 2012, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 309–314. (In Russ., abstr.in Engl.).
Ruppert F. Psikhologicheskaya travma [Psychological trauma]. Voprosy mental’noy meditsiny i ekologii [Issues of mental medicine and ecology], 2012, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 81–92. (In Russ., abstr.in Engl.).
Tarabarina N.V. Praktikum po psihologii posttravmaticheskogo stressa [Workshop on the psychology of post-traumatic stress]. St. Petersburg: Piter, 2001, pp. 225–228. (In Russ.).
Fers G. Tayniy mir risunka [The Secret World of the Drawing]. St. Petersburg: Publ. Demetra, 2003. 35 p. (In Russ.).
Freud Z. Po tu storonu printsipa udovol’stviya [Beyond the pleasure principle]. Moscow: Progress, 1992. 569 p. (In Russ.).
Freud Z., Breyer J. Issledovanie isterii [The study of hysteria]. St. Petersburg: VEIP, 2005. 82 p. (In Russ.).
Shtompka P. Sotsial’noye izmenenie kak travma [Social change as trauma]. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies], 2001, no. 1, p. 16. (In Russ., abstr.in Engl.).
Bonanno G.A., Mancini A.D. The Human Capacity to Thrive in the Face of Potential Trauma. Journal Pediatrics, 2008, vol. 121, no. 2, рр. 369–375.

PlumX