Spirituality/Religiosity as a Resource for Coping in Soldiers: A Summary Report

Abstract

Background: Individuals often reflect on their future perspectives and vulnerable concepts of life, and ask for meaning and purpose in life, especially when confronted with stressful experiences and subsequent physical impairments and/or mental afflictions. Spirituality/religiosity (SpR) is a relevant resource used by individuals to cope with such events. Objective: This summary report focuses on SpR as a resource that Soldiers can use to deal with stressful situations and combat-associated health afflictions. Method: This summary presents information on specific studies indicating that spirituality can be a relevant resource for traumatized Soldiers. After a combat experience, for a Soldier, an assessment of his or her unmet psychosocial and spiritual needs might be particularly appropriate because this (low threshold) assessment avoids stigmatization of the Soldier as a ''weak'' person who would require psychologic/psychotherapeutic help. In the Military context, it is essential to recognize that SpR may be a beneficial resource to aid coping and adaptation. Conclusions: Both chronic illness and post-traumatic stress have significant impacts on life concerns and affect physical, functional, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. Research has shown that SpR may have multiple beneficial effects on health and performance. Moreover, the ability to reflect priorities and change attitudes and behavior in response to illnesses/traumas could be an important factor for long-term adjustment, even if symptoms may persist.

Spiritual and Non-spiritual Needs Among German Soldiers and Their Relation to Stress Perception, PTDS Symptoms, and Life Satisfaction: Results from a Structural Equation Modeling Approach

“…So far, veterans at risk will seek help for emotional problems from spiritual counselors (Bonner et al 2013;Kopacz 2013). Particularly for those after combat experience, an assessment of their unmet psychosocial and spiritual needs might be appropriate because this (low thresh-hold) assessment avoids a stigmatization as a ''weak'' person which would require psychological/psychotherapeutic help (Büssing 2015). An appropriate support of specific spiritual needs could be provided by a multiprofessional team (i.e., psychologists, physicians, nurses, pastors) which may also include military supervisors and team comrades because they share the same responsibility to care for each other.…”

Transcultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of Portuguese Version of the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ) Among HIV Positive Patients in Brazil

“…A further, rather broad definition assumes "spirituality as all attempts to find meaning, purpose, and hope in relation to the sacred or significant (which may have a secular, religious, philosophical, humanist, or personal dimension)", and the related "spiritual practices have commitment to values, beliefs, practices, or philosophies which may have an impact on patients' cognition, emotion, and behavior" (Büssing et al 2014). Although spirituality is often used as an opposite dimension to religiosity, "spirituality can be found through religious engagement", but also independent from specific religion "through an individual experience of the Divine, and/or through a connection to other people, the environment and the Sacred" (Büssing 2015).…”

German Soldiers' Needs to Clarify Open Aspects in Their Life, to Talk About Fears and Worries, and to Forgive and to Be Forgiven as a Matter of Life Reflection

“…It was thus recently suggested that soldiers' psychosocial, existential and spiritual needs should be addressed, instead of assessing and treating only their mental health conditions (i.e., depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms) ( 8 ). Research with the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ) in a sample of German soldiers has shown high levels of psychosocial, existential and spiritual needs and found that particularly the needs to be connected with partner and family and to find “inner peace” were of relevance and less so religious or existential needs ( 9 ).…”