Effectiveness of a Stress Inoculation Training Program on Post-Traumatic Growth among Mothers of Children with Disabilities

Stress inoculation training (SIT) refers to techniques that enhance the capability to cope with psychological stressors, such as mental exercises, imagination, and developing social skills. Post-traumatic growth (PTG) occurs when an individual develops a deeper understanding of life and his/her capabilities after the traumatic experience, including enhancing relationships, life appreciation, and increasing psychological strength. SIT and PTG are two concepts that can be fostered through psychological support and learning from experiences. Both concepts are correlated to the individual's psychological resilience and ability to cope with stress and difficult experiences. The SIT could help in reducing the negative impact of traumatic experiences, leading to preparing the individual for PTG. Both concepts depend on psychological resilience and developing coping skills, enhancing the individual's ability to overcome crises and build a meaningful life. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a SIT program on PTG among mothers of disabled children. The study sample included (60) mothers of disabled children selected from (7) disability centers in Irbid governorate. The study participants were selected intentionally from those who had achieved low scores on the PTG scale. The participants were divided equally into two groups (n=30 for each group): the experimental and control groups. The experimental group members were exposed to the SIT program over six weeks, with 13 overall counseling sessions for (90) minutes per session and two sessions per week. The control group receive no intervention. The experimental method and design were adopted, and the study tool was the PTG scale, which consists of five dimensions: new possibilities, relationships with others, personal strength, spiritual change, and life appreciation. The results revealed the effectiveness of the SIT program in improving the PTG levels among the experimental group mothers compared to the control group members. The results also revealed that the effectiveness of the SIT program continued among the experimental group even for an estimated period of one month after the end of the program, which proves the SIT program's effectiveness and its long-term impact among the study participants, whereby PTG levels were evaluated among the study participants one month after the end of the therapeutic program.