An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Traumatic Experiences: Clarifying Meaning-making Theory

When coping with a stressful event, some individuals attempt to alter the way in which the situation is understood or appraised to manage their negative emotions and promote adjustment. This is a form of coping known as meaning-making. Meaning-making has been discussed extensively in the coping research literature, however, the variability of terminology, theory, and measurement has hindered researchers’ ability to interpret, understand, and apply the concept. To address this issue, six individuals participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews to discuss their experience of using meaning to cope through a stressful event. Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to examine how meaning was used throughout their coping process and how meaning contributed to the outcomes of their experience. Emergent themes were discovered and compared to two dominant meaning-making theories to identify consistencies, discrepancies, and novel findings. An integrated theory of meaning-making is proposed. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the study are discussed.