From Punishment to Transformation: A Phenomenological Study on Post-Traumatic Growth in Former Prisoners

Authors

  • Rhein Sasi Kirana Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Amiroh Untsal Asad Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Herdina Indrijati Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15575/psy.v12i2.45454

Abstract

Trauma experienced after incarceration is a heavy burden for former prisoners during their reintegration into society. Apart from social stigma and economic difficulties, prisoners frequently face profound psychological pressure due to traumatic experiences during imprisonment. This study aimed to investigate the experience of PTG among former prisoners in Indonesia after their release. A phenomenological design was used and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 6 male former prisoners. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was also used to analyze participant responses. Participants' perceptions of PTG showed five key themes, namely (1) self-understanding and personal development, (2) relationships with family and social networks, (3) spirituality and relationship with God, (4) coping strategies and mechanisms, and (5) a greater sense of meaning in life. The results corresponded to Tedeschi and Calhoun's theory and introduced an additional theme regarding coping strategies and mechanisms. In conclusion, the development and implementation of psychosocial interventions should be prioritized for former prisoners.

Downloads

Published

2025-12-31

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 2 (2025): PSYMPATHIC

Section

Articles

Citation Check

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Rhein Sasi Kirana, Amiroh Untsal Asad, Herdina Indrijati

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

The author whose published manuscript approved the following provisions:

1. The right of publication of all material published in the journal / published on the E-Journal of Psychology website is held by the editorial board with the knowledge of the author (moral right remains the author of the script).

2. The formal legal provisions for access to digital articles of this electronic journal are subject to the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license (CC BY-SA), which means that the Journal of Psychology reserves the right to save, transmit media / format, manage in database form, , maintain, and publish articles without requesting permission from the Author as long as it continues to include the name of the Author as the owner of Copyright.

3. Printed and published print and electronic manuscripts are open access for any purposes. In addition to these objectives, the editorial board shall not be liable for violations of copyright law.

Â