Examining the relationship between traumatic growth and psychological resilience in young adult children of parents with and without a mental disorder

Aim and objectives To investigate the relationship between traumatic growth and psychological resilience in young adult children of parents with a mental disorder and to compare them with young adult children of parents without mental disorders. Background Negative life experiences that lead to trauma can affect young adults' psychological resilience, either positively or negatively. This study investigates levels of traumatic growth, the characteristics of psychological resilience and the relationship between the former and latter in young adults between the ages of 18–23 who have parents with a mental disorder and who have parents without a mental disorder. Design This study was designed as a cross‐sectional, descriptive study and was conducted between June 1 and October 31, 2017. Methods The sample of the study consisted of young adult children of outpatients with mental disorders who applied to the Psychiatric Polyclinics of Burdur State Hospital (334) and young adult children of parents without mental disorders who applied to different polyclinics (332). A total of 666 individuals participated in the study. Results Comparative analyses showed a significant difference between the participants who had parents with a mental disorder and participants who had parents without mental disorders in terms of the mean scale scores and all subscale scores on the Post‐Traumatic Growth Inventory and Resilience Scale for Adults. Conclusion It was found that individuals who had parents without a mental disorder were negatively affected after traumatic events and that their psychological resilience was high. Relevance to clinical practice This study provides data on the characteristics of traumatic growth and psychological resilience levels of not only young adults whose parents have mental disorders but also young adults whose parents do not have mental disorders. In the light of this study's findings, psychiatric nurses may benefit from conducting early screening and intervention programmes to help increase the psychological resilience of young adults whose parents have mental disorders.