Research: Trauma and Narrative

My research generally focuses on aspects of traumatic stress, defined broadly. Much of the research we carry out within the group has a narrative focus, though we do use the full range of research methods. I am currently working on the Narrative Life Interview (NLI), a new interview technique that draws on Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) and on life story techniques. It focuses not on a person’s whole life, but on key transitions. So far data have been collected on refugees, veterans, university students and others.

I am supervising or have supervised nearly 40 PhD students, along with a number of DForenPsy and DClinPsy students. This is a truly international endeavour, with PhD students from Bosnia, Germany, Italy, Greece, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Ghana, Kenya, India, China, Taiwan and Chile, along with a few from the UK.

We have used NET with Saudi firefighters, Iraqi civilians, Chinese earthquake survivors and abused women in India (several articles were used in developing NICE Guidelines for the treatment of PTSD). We have developed a number of interventions including for Iraqi civilians post-war, dealing with the mothers of children with cancer and for veterans with PTSD. Other narrative studies have focused on Indian widows, exploring the use of master narratives in Communist Czechoslovakia, and trauma in Bosnian War survivors.

Other studies include evaluating the effectiveness of racing for injured veterans, unemployment and emotions in Greece, and stress in the Jamaican Police Force.