Abstract
This study, published in the Zeitschrift für Psychodrama und Soziometrie, aimed at exploring the benefits of an empowerment-oriented psychodrama group programme for young people in care, which was introduced to improve their preparation process for their transition into adulthood. The research design of the current study, which is part of broader action research project that began in 2005, is qualitative and uses as its research methodology Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The sample consisted of 6 young women from one residential centre and one psychodramatist. Data were collected using phenomenological interviews with the young people and the psychodramatist and the psychodramatist’s report. The interpretative phenomenological analysis led to a matrix of four themes: “beginnings”, “what helped me most …”, “I found it hardest …”, “Myself before, myself now”. Results showed that, in the perception of young people, the main benefits of participating in the programme were: developing personal strengths (talking about one’s life, accepting one’s personal history, courage, self-esteem, self-expression) and interpersonal strengths (trust, openness, listening, acceptance of others, being less judgmental, collaboration skill). The most helpful techniques were role play, role reversal, encounter, mirror and warm-ups. A key result was the changing of roles within the safety of the psychodrama group context; from playing the superior, being aggressive, or inhibited as protective and coping mechanisms, to acting out the role of empathic listener, being supportive and generous. The results hints that these achievements are part of the prescriptive roles of restoration: personal strengths, as part of one’s identity; and interpersonal strengths for the young people, that have been traumatized as children, helping them recapture a sense of interpersonal trust. The implications for leaving care services and professionals are discussed.
Zusammenfassung
Ziel dieser in der Zeitschrift für Psychodrama und Soziometrie publizierten Studie war es, die Vorteile eines Empowerment-orientierten Psychodrama-Gruppenprogramms für junge Menschen in Pflege zu untersuchen, das eingeführt wurde, um ihren Vorbereitungsprozess für den Übergang ins Erwachsenenalter zu verbessern. Als Teil der umfassenderen Aktionsforschung, die 2005 begonnen hatte, ist das Forschungsdesign der aktuellen Studie qualitativ und verwendet als Forschungsmethode die Interpretative Phänomenologische Analyse. Die Stichprobe bestand aus 6 jungen Frauen aus einem Wohnheim und einer Psychodramatikerin. Die Daten wurden anhand phänomenologischer Interviews mit den Jugendlichen und der Psychodramatikerin erhoben, sowie anhand der Psychodramatikerin Berichts über die Psychodrama Stunden. Die Interpretative Phänomenologische Analyse hat zu einer Matrix von vier Themen geführt: „Anfänge“, „Was mir am meisten geholfen hat …“, „Ich fand es am schwierigsten …“, „Ich selbst vorher, ich selbst jetzt“. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass in der Wahrnehmung junger Menschen die Hauptvorteile der Teilnahme an dem Programm folgende waren: Entwicklung persönlicher Stärken – über das eigene Leben sprechen, die persönliche Geschichte akzeptieren, Mut, Selbstwertgefühl, Selbstausdruck – und zwischenmenschliche Stärken – Vertrauen, Offenheit, Zuhören, Akzeptanz anderer, weniger vorurteilsbehaftet und wertend, Fähigkeiten zur Zusammenarbeit. Die hilfreichsten Techniken waren Rollenspiele, Rollentausch, Begegnung, Spiegelung und Aufwärmen. Ein Schlüsselergebnis ist der Rollenwechsel in einem Sicherheit vermittelnden Psychodrama-Gruppenkontext – vom Spielen eines Überlegenen, über Aggressivität oder Hemmung als Schutz- und Bewältigungsmechanismus Agierenden hin zur Ausübung der Rolle eines Unterstützung und Großzügigkeit zeigenden, empathischen Zuhörers. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass diese Erfolge dem Vorgeben einer regenerativen Rolle geschuldet sind. Persönliche Stärken als Teil der eigenen Identität und zwischenmenschliche Stärken helfen jungen Menschen, die als Kinder traumatisiert wurden, wieder ein Gefühl zwischenmenschlichen Vertrauens zurück zu gewinnen. Die Implikationen für das Verlassen von Pflegeheimen und Professionellen HelferInnen werden erörtert.
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Notes
Gender segregated residential homes are one of the communist heritages.
Special education programs for those who abandoned school and returned for completion.
Names were changed for anonymity reasons.
Meaning ‘from the centre’, a term care leaver used to refer to themselves and other care peers.
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Dima, G., Bucuţă, M.D. Introducing psychodrama into programmes preparing young people transitioning from residential care. Z Psychodrama Soziom 19 (Suppl 1), 47–62 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11620-020-00562-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11620-020-00562-0