The Impact of Therapeutic Boxing (TB) on Self-efficacy and Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). A Two-armed Mixed Methods Research Study.

MPhil/PhD part-time

Start date: March 2025

Director of Studies: Dr Ashley Bennett

Second supervisor: Dr Louisa Donald

Summary

In contrast to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex post traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is usually not caused by a single experience, but by particularly severe, long-lasting and/or repetitive traumatic experiences. In addition to the familiar symptoms of PTSD (symptom triad of recollection, avoidance, hyperarousal), complex PTSD displays a complex array of cognitive, affective and social interaction aspects. CPTSD severely affects the quality of life for those affected.

Decreased levels of perceived self-efficacy correlate with a higher risk to suffer from post-traumatic complaints (Simmen-Janevska et al., 2012) while increased self-efficacy is associated with an improved ability to cope with traumatic experiences (Brown et al., 2016; Simmen-Janevska et al., 2012).

In therapeutic boxing (TB), participants experience self-empowerment through the strengthening of body and mind by practicing boxing techniques. The setting is fundamentally therapeutic. Ideally, experiences that are considered positive in therapeutic boxing are transferred to the participants' life experience outside of training.

Observations from both clinical practice and previous research show that therapeutic boxing may help people with post-traumatic stress symptomatology (PSS) such as CPTSD or PTSD to cope with the burden related to their traumatic experiences. Clinical observations also suggest that TB may lead to increased perceived self-efficacy in those affected (i.e. to feel more confident about their abilities to manage challenging life situations). Moreover, TB may positively impact participants’ general psychological well-being.

This research project aims to contribute to the body of evidence regarding the benefits of therapeutic boxing (TB) by investigating how TB affects the severity of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) or, respectively, trauma symptomatology in people with CPTSD and those with subthreshold symptoms.

The perception of self-efficacy in CPTSD-affected participants and those who show trauma symptoms but remain under the diagnostic threshold is of particular interest. The mechanisms behind perceptions of increased self-efficacy in people with CPTSD, and the impact of therapeutic boxing on the general psychological well-being of participants will also be examined.

A case study series following a mixed methods research approach (i.e. the combined application of different research approaches, either simultaneously or iteratively; in this thesis project, it is the combination of semi-structured interviews and established, validated questionnaires) is proposed, with a main qualitative focus. In addition, a purely quantitative quasi-experimental survey will be conducted.

Since in several countries across Europe/the world, including the UK and Germany, availability and accessibility of trauma-specific treatment options for people who have experienced trauma are limited (Schwartzkopff et al., 2023; Schaefer et al., 2018), more research is needed to develop new treatment methods and to evaluate how well they work. It is hoped that those affected may benefit from the findings this thesis research project will generate.

Contact details: Nils.May@study.beds.ac.uk