Chapters authored
Recovery, Rehabilitation and Positive Psychology for Chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Theoretical and Practical Aspects among French Veterans
Recovery, in terms of psychological health, is a complex concept that has to be distinguished from the notions of healing and remission. The latter refers to the evolutionary terms of the disease, while recovering from mental illness means to emerge from a psychiatric patient identity and regain an active and satisfying social life. It is clear from the literature that recovery is a complex and elusive concept in a global perspective. Two complementary visions coexist in literature and direct the rehabilitation interventions: a vision focused on mental illness (pathogenic approach) and a vision focused on the concept of sense of subjective well-being and positive mental health (salutogenic approach). Positive psychology studies the conditions, the processes and the actions that contribute to the flourishing or optimal functioning of individuals, groups and institutions. We present results evaluating the psychological resources which remain sustainable for these trauma-exposed soldiers according to their post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and the dynamics of resource reappropriation after the military rehabilitation program, which focuses on values in action (VIA) as character strengths. They suggest that this approach might bring concepts to better conceptualize the dynamics of recovery and offer levers of action to enrich rehabilitation.
Part of the book: Psychological Trauma