Religiosity and mental health: Changes in religious beliefs, complicated grief, posttraumatic stress disorder, and major depression following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Abstract

This cross-sectional retrospective study examined self-perceived changes in importance of religious beliefs (RBs) following the attacks of September 11, 2001, and assessed their associations with complicated grief (CG), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). Data were collected from 608 participants 2.5 to 3.5 years after the attacks. Whereas the majority of the participants reported no change in importance of RBs, 11% reported increased importance and 10% reported decreased importance of RBs after 9/11. Decreased, but no increased, importance of RBs was found to be associated with severity of loss and trauma (i.e., loss of a child, direct exposure to the attacks, watching the attacks unfold live on TV). In addition, decreased RBs after 9/11, as compared with no change, was significantly associated with all mental health outcomes, namely CG, PTSD, and MDD. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Spirituality Factors in the Prediction of Outcomes of PTSD Treatment for U.S. Military Veterans

“…Consistent with findings from nonmilitary samples (Falsetti, Resick, & Davis, 2003;Seirmarco et al, 2012), research also suggests that military traumas might disrupt spirituality and that negative changes in this domain contribute to veterans' decisions to seek treatment in many cases. When compared to demographically-matched counterparts from the community, found that Vietnam and Iraq/Afghanistan veterans presenting for PTSD treatment had lower scores on adaptive aspects of spirituality while simultaneously endorsing greater forgiveness problems and negative religious coping.…”

Faith after an Earthquake: A Longitudinal Study of Religion and Perceived Health before and after the 2011 Christchurch New Zealand Earthquake

“…Other research paints a more complex picture, suggesting that religious coping offers no special advantages over non-religious coping [57], and that recollected declines in the importance of religious belief are associated with poorer psychological well-being [69]. Longitudinal NZAVS survey data taken before and after the Christchurch earthquakes enabled us to examine change in faith and subjective well-being in the wake of a natural disaster.…”

“…Recall that Seirmarco and colleauges observed declines in the reported importance of religious beliefs several years after September 11 attacks were associated with reported severity of personal loss from the tragedy [69]. In the aftermath of a horrific and deadly earthquake, it is plausible that those religious people who experienced the greatest losses to subjective well-being were overwhelmingly challenged in their faith, from excessive existential concerns and incongruities.…”

“…Preliminary evidence for selective buffering comes from a recent study by Seirmarco and colleagues, who drew on retrospective reports about the importance of religion three years after the September 11 attacks [69]. The investigators found that decreases in the recollected importance of religious belief after the attacks (ten percent of the sample) were strongly correlated with poorer mental health outcomes.…”

Spiritually Oriented Psychotherapy for Trauma and Meaning Making Among Ethnically Diverse Individuals in the United States

“…For those that suffer a decrease in their religious affiliation due to the shattering effects of trauma, an increased susceptibility to psychological distress is often found. In a survey of 608 individuals who had lost a friend or loved one in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the twin towers, Seirmarco et al (2012) found that the 11% of respondents that self-reported a decrease in their religious beliefs were almost three times more likely to screen positive for complex grief, two and a half times more likely to have major depressive disorder, and two times more likely to have posttraumatic stress disorder.…”