Trauma and War: Positive Psychology/Strengths Approach

Historically, the study of psychological trauma has been grounded in the disease model based on the assumption that the normal response to trauma is victimization, distress, and pathology rather than competency and growth. The result has been a focus on the identification and treatment of the pathological and maladaptive modulations of the stress response and a corresponding failure to expand the mainstream model to include positive, growth-oriented responses to trauma. In this paper, we apply a broader conceptual approach to the psychological trauma experienced by children exposed to war and present the case for a strength-oriented approach that highlights the posttraumatic interplay between impairment and adaptation. We contend that both the fields of psychology and social work have contributions to make in this regard. Adding insights from positive psychology and from the strengths approach in social work to the conventional model of trauma offers a much needed framework for moving beyond the limits of the disease model, while adding a unique understanding of our capacity for resilience in the face of trauma. Further, we contend that incorporating the principles of positive psychology and the strengths approach not only provides a broader explanatory framework for conceptualizing trauma and its responses, but also offers great potential to suggest skills necessary for effective clinical practice.