Community and family support for women facing trauma

Abstract

Recovery from traumatic experiences becomes more possible when there are supportive networks operating in communities. This qualitative study explores Maltese women’s experiences of family and community support (CS), as they faced trauma. The inquiry sought to find out the mechanisms of this kind of support, and the significance these held for such women. Data was collected through semi-structured individual interviews with 7 Maltese women living in Malta, aged between 27-55 years, who self- identified as having faced traumatic events. They were asked about the types of support they sought, when they faced adversity. The study brings together the person-al, familial, and communitarian aspects of support strategies for women facing tragic events, and the interplay between them. Data were organised and analysed through reflexive thematic analysis, in order to find out how the different forms of CS acted as a safety net for vulnerable women facing traumatic loss and adversity in their lives. The results show that in general the participants welcomed the CS received, and valued the specialised services offered to them, which varied ac- cording to the type of crisis they passed through. The informants distinguished between community efforts that were supportive to them and others which were not. The study indicates that women facing trauma might rely more heavily on seeking professional help, rather than talking to their neighbours about their afflictions. This points towards more reliance on institutionalisation, and professionalisation of care, and indicates a corresponding decline in reliance on informal, communal, and kin-based support networks for addressing personal and family trauma.