The Effect of Trauma on Religious Beliefs: A Structured Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darius Leo ◽  
Zahra Izadikhah ◽  
Erich C. Fein ◽  
Sayedhabibollah Ahmadi Forooshani

Introduction: Empirical research has shown that religious beliefs support people recovering from traumatic experiences. However, there is relatively little research on the inversion of this dynamic, the way that trauma changes a person’s religious beliefs. The authors of this article conducted a structured literature review and meta-analysis of published quantitative and qualitative literature related to the effects of interpersonal trauma on religious beliefs in adults. Their aims were to determine whether religious beliefs act as cognitive schemas, to support or reject the “shattered assumptions” hypothesis, and to assess whether post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms have an additive effect on changing beliefs. Method: Five academic databases were searched using permutations of the key words: Religion, Trauma, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The resulting references were compared to predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria, and the reference lists of these papers were also searched for additional matches. Included papers were then subjected to a meta-analysis. Results: Five quantitative, two qualitative, and two mixed-methodologies papers were matched. Aggravated analyzes confirmed the hypothesized effect ( r = .19, p < .05). Conclusions: The reviewed literature suggests that most people do not change their religious beliefs after a trauma but significant changes occur for a smaller proportion of people—either increasing or decreasing their religious beliefs. These effects are greatest for people who develop PTSD. This review supports the shattered assumptions hypothesis of Janoff-Bulman, explains the cognitive mechanisms of change, and proposes a model for the additive effects of PTSD.

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 17-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morten Birkeland Nielsen ◽  
Tone Tangen ◽  
Thormod Idsoe ◽  
Stig Berge Matthiesen ◽  
Nils Magerøy

2015 ◽  
Vol 206 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew Hoskins ◽  
Jennifer Pearce ◽  
Andrew Bethell ◽  
Liliya Dankova ◽  
Corrado Barbui ◽  
...  

BackgroundPharmacological treatment is widely used for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) despite questions over its efficacy.AimsTo determine the efficacy of all types of pharmacotherapy, as monotherapy, in reducing symptoms of PTSD, and to assess acceptability.MethodA systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials was undertaken; 51 studies were included.ResultsSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were found to be statistically superior to placebo in reduction of PTSD symptoms but the effect size was small (standardised mean difference −0.23, 95% CI −0.33 to −0.12). For individual pharmacological agents compared with placebo in two or more trials, we found small statistically significant evidence of efficacy for fluoxetine, paroxetine and venlafaxine.ConclusionsSome drugs have a small positive impact on PTSD symptoms and are acceptable. Fluoxetine, paroxetine and venlafaxine may be considered as potential treatments for the disorder. For most drugs there is inadequate evidence regarding efficacy for PTSD, pointing to the need for more research in this area.


Author(s):  
Juan Manuel Millan-Alanis ◽  
Farid Carranza-Navarro ◽  
Humberto de León-Gutiérrez ◽  
Paloma C. Leyva-Camacho ◽  
Andrea Fernanda Guerrero-Medrano ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483802110484
Author(s):  
Aino Suomi ◽  
Annalese Bolton ◽  
Dave Pasalich

Background Birth parents of children in the statutory child protection system have disproportionally high rates of trauma exposure and mental health problems, however, little is known about the extent to which this population display symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Complex PTSD. This study provides a systematic review and meta-analysis of the PTSD rates in parent samples involved in the child protection services. Method Articles were identified by searching PSYCINFO, Medline, CINAHL, and PILOTS. The search included terminology pertaining to parents, trauma, and child protective services and we included all peer-reviewed articles that reported a valid measure of PTSD and child protection service involvement. Results Fifteen studies were included in the review with a combined prevalence estimate for PTSD based on 11 studies ( n = 4871) was 26.0% (95% CI 20.0–32.0%) for mothers, and estimate based on three studies ( n = 2606) was 13.0% (95% CI 7.0%–18.0%) for fathers and 23.0% (95% CI 17.0–29.0) for all parents based on 7848 responses. Four studies that did not report prevalence rates, reported sample mean scores for PTSD that were consistently higher than in general population. Factors associated with parents’ PTSD symptoms included mental health co-morbidities, victimization of physical and sexual violence, and perpetration of child abuse. Conclusion There are high rates of PTSD in parents involved in the protective system, thus more targeted efforts are needed to identify and adequately address trauma symptoms of parents as part of child protection interventions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Esra Teke ◽  
Selahattin Avşaroğlu

The purpose of the present study is to examine the efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for children and adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For this purpose, a framework was determined by using findings of the research and explanations at the conceptual level. PTSD is a mental disorder that is experienced after traumatic events, affects individuals cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally and threatens the integrity of an individual's life. EMDR therapy is a therapy that imaginatively reveals the past or traumatic experiences of the client through eye movements and other bilateral stimuli (two-way sound or tactile stimulus), facilitates information processing processes. Whereas EMDR was initially an approach developed for adults, it was later used for children and adolescents. The fact that it gives positive results in a short time and these positive results continue in follow-up studies has increased the interest in using EMDR for children and adolescents with PTSD. The use of EMDR for children and adolescents has allowed their problems to be resolved in a timely manner and reduced PTSD symptoms. This situation has drawn attention to the importance of using EMDR in the practice of psychological counselors working in school environments, leading places where they work with children and adolescents, and where the first preventive and interventional studies are carried out. Therefore, it is considered that the use of EMDR will be functional in overcoming these negative life experiences of many students who have been directly or indirectly exposed to traumatic experiences during the COVID-19 epidemic period.


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