Date of Conferral

10-26-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Counselor Education and Supervision

Advisor

Jade Letourneau

Abstract

Prolonged undiagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been examined from various perspectives and represents a significant medical concern across diverse populations. Research on PTSD often targets specific groups, such as postpartum women or military veterans. This narrow focus in much of the literature tends to obscure the broader impact of prolonged undiagnosed PTSD on the general population, thereby overlooking the critical need to highlight systemic shortcomings that hinder effective interventions and reform. Furthermore, personal narratives detailing the challenges individuals face when seeking help or treatment – factors that contribute to delays in care – and the subsequent effects on their well-being are seldom documented. Consequently, this constructivist grounded theory study investigated how women who have had prolonged undiagnosed PTSD experience the treatment process and how finally receiving treatment influenced their lives. Intensive semistructured interviews were employed to collect in-depth, narrative-rich data from women trauma survivors aged 40-60. Analysis through open, focused, and axial coding indicated that the process of PTSD diagnosis and treatment can be more traumatizing than the initial event. Insightful categories emerged, such as lack of language, stolen voices, isolating changing for their children, finding the words, healing happens in layers, transforming, and support is crucial for healing. These survivors described their journey from survival to thriving, highlighting self-perception’s key role and supporting symbolic interactionism as this study’s framework. Mental health counselors and healthcare practitioners could facilitate social change by implementing mandatory comprehensive PTSD screening protocols for all patients.

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