The Internal Autobiographical Map as a Framework for Trauma Recovery and Resilience

Abstract

This research examines the function of personal narratives as a mechanism of resilience in trauma healing and the development of cross-cultural identity, using the framework of the Internal Autobiographical Map (IAM). Data were gathered from 150 individuals including various age groups, genders, educational backgrounds, countries, and experiences of living abroad, using a mixed-methods approach that included quantitative and qualitative analysis. Component analysis validated the unidimensional integrity of IAM, but separate t-tests indicated that people with trauma experiences had elevated levels of self-reflection and identity reconstruction. Correlational results indicated that autobiographical mapping was favorably correlated with resilience, emotional regulation, and stress management, especially in those undergoing cross-cultural transitions. Chi-square and theme analyses revealed essential techniques for efficient trauma processing, such as journaling, narrative reprocessing, meaning-making, and memory integration. ANOVA and regression analyses indicated that IAM-based therapies significantly improved coping skills, psychological resilience, and perceived control, with certain IAM components acting as significant predictors of resilience results. A conceptual IAM-based framework was established to enhance culturally sensitive and transnational mental health treatments, based on these findings. The results underscore the capacity of autobiographical self-mapping to enhance resilience across many groups, offering a culturally adaptable and holistic method for trauma healing.

Introduction

This study explores how trauma disrupts personal life narratives and identity, particularly in individuals facing cultural transitions such as migration or relocation. Rather than focusing only on symptom reduction, the research emphasizes narrative reconstruction as a key pathway to healing. Central to this approach is the Internal Autobiographical Map (IAM)—a structured mental framework that organizes memories, emotions, and identity across time. Trauma can fragment this map, leading to emotional dysregulation and loss of self-continuity, while autobiographical practices like journaling, reflection, and meaning-making help restore coherence and resilience.

The research views psychological resilience as a dynamic process, especially important for people navigating cross-cultural or border-related challenges. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 150 adults across diverse cultural and trauma backgrounds through validated scales and open-ended narrative responses. Quantitative analyses (factor analysis, correlations, regression, ANOVA) and qualitative thematic analysis were combined to examine identity rebuilding, emotional regulation, and resilience.

Results validated the IAM scale as a reliable, multidimensional construct encompassing narrative integration, meaning-making, and emotional regulation. Strong autobiographical mapping was associated with better identity reconstruction and higher resilience, supporting all proposed hypotheses. Overall, the study presents IAM as a culturally adaptable, narrative-based framework for trauma recovery, highlighting the potential for growth, self-discovery, and psychological transformation after trauma.

Conclusion

The Internal Autobiographical Map (IAM) provides a potent and culturally sensitive framework for comprehending trauma, identity reconstruction, and resilience, according to this research. The results, which include quantitative and qualitative analysis, show that autobiographical mapping greatly improves personal identity coherence, especially for those who have experienced trauma. Journaling, meaning-making, narrative reconstruction, and pattern detection are examples of reflective autobiographical techniques that have been shown to improve emotional control, speed up healing, and increase resilience in the face of hardship. The significance of sharing one\'s own experiences as a means of achieving psychological well-being is highlighted by the close relationships found between IAM, resilience, and stress-coping skills. Its promise as a globally applicable paradigm for resilience is further supported by the sample\'s heterogeneity, which indicates that IAM-based treatments function well in a variety of demographic, cultural, and international situations. The research offers a methodical, comprehensive, and individualized approach to mental health treatment by conceptually bridging narrative psychology and resilience science. IAM essentially helps people to meaningfully recreate their inner narratives by reorienting the emphasis from symptom relief to the empowerment of personal storytelling. This promotes emotional empowerment, progress, and healing in spite of prior hardships.

References

[1] Morton, D., Bird-Naytowhow, K., & Hatala, A. R. (2021). Silent Voices, Absent Bodies, and Quiet Methods: Revisiting the Processes and Outcomes of Personal Knowledge Production Through Body-Mapping Methodologies Among Indigenous Youth. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920987934 [2] Lesley, D., & Truong, B. (2023). Unpacking Racial Trauma and Reclaiming a Sense of Self with The Expressive Therapies Continuum: A Literature Review. [3] Smits, M. L., de Vos, J., Rüfenacht, E., Nijssens, L., Shaverin, L., Nolte, T., Luyten, P., Fonagy, P., & Bateman, A. (2024). Breaking the cycle with trauma-focused mentalization-based treatment: theory and practice of a trauma-focused group intervention. Frontiers in Psychology, 15(September), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1426092 [4] Danese, A. (2020). Annual Research Review: Rethinking childhood trauma-new research directions for measurement, study design and analytical strategies. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 61(3), 236–250. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13160 [5] Draus, P., Haase, D., Napieralski, J., Roddy, J., & Qureshi, S. (2019). Wounds, ghosts and gardens: Historical trauma and green reparations in Berlin and Detroit. Cities, 93(April), 153–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2019.05.002 [6] Yao, Z. F., & Hsieh, S. (2019). Neurocognitive mechanism of human resilience: A conceptual framework and empirical review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(24), 5123. [7] Chang, W. C., Neo, A. H., & Fung, D. (2015). In search of family resilience. Psychology, 6(13), 1594-1607. [8] Masten, A. S., & Cicchetti, D. (2016). Resilience in development: Progress and transformation. Developmental psychopathology: Risk, resilience, and intervention, 4, 271-333. [9] Neimeyer, R. A. (2016). Meaning reconstruction in the wake of loss: Evolution of a research program. Behaviour Change, 33(2), 65-79. [10] Adler, J. M., Lodi-Smith, J., Philippe, F. L., & Houle, I. (2016). The incremental validity of narrative identity in predicting well-being: A review of the field and recommendations for the future. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 20(2), 142-175. [11] Ungar, M. (Ed.). (2017). The social ecology of resilience: A handbook of theory and practice. Springer Science & Business Media. [12] Pennebaker, J. W. (2016). Opening Up by Writing It Down: How Expressive Writing Improves Health and Eases Emotional Pain. Guilford Publications.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Stoyana Natseva. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.