The psychological study of religion and spirituality in a disaster context: A systematic review.

Abstract

The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize the existing empirical psychology of religion/spirituality (R/S) and disaster research and offer a prospectus for future research. Method: Searches were conducted in PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Medline databases, and through personal communication with study authors covering a period from 1975 (from the earliest identified study meeting our criteria) to 2015. Studies that took an empirical approach to studying the impact of disasters on R/S phenomena, as well as the relationship between R/S phenomena, cognition, behavior, and well-being in disaster contexts were included. Results: A total of 51 articles met the inclusion criteria. We organized the empirical findings under five main categories, which emerged from sorting studies by their primary R/S focus: (a) general religiousness, (b) God representations, (c) religious appraisals, (d) R/S meaning making, and (e) religious coping. On the whole, R/S appears to generally lead to positive outcomes among disaster survivors. Results suggest positive benefits of R/S comes more from how one engages faith and access to resources via R/S communities. Conclusions: This review revealed several emerging patterns regarding what is known as well as existing gaps in the literature, including the need for more rigorous methodological designs and ongoing systematic programs of study. Clinical Impact StatementOn the whole R/S generally lead to positive outcomes among disaster survivors. R/S appeared to serve as a positive resource for helping disaster survivors make sense of and cope with natural and human-made disasters. However, negative religious coping, as well as certain types of god representations, religious appraisals, and changes in religiosity over time were all associated with more negative mental, physical, and spiritual outcomes. Based on these findings, clinicians should give greater attention to exploring the role of R/S in the lives of disaster survivors as a potential resource for recovery. Clinicians should also be listening for ways that R/S may also hinder disaster resilience.

COVID-19, Mental Health, and Religious Coping Among American Orthodox Jews

“…Decades of research shows that religious individuals use spirituality and religion to cope during times of stress (Ano and Vasconcelles 2005 ; Pargament 2001 ; Koenig 2018 ), and accordingly during the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in religion has soared. This is unsurprising given that religion is a key aspect of identity that people rely upon to cope (Aten et al 2019 ) and that undergoes significant changes during and following mass societal trauma (Henrich et al 2019 ), effects which can have long-lasting and even intergenerational effects (Bentzen 2019 ). However, the degree of the shift is unprecedented.…”

Earthquakes, attributions, and psychopathology: a study in a rural community

“…Similar associations between assigning responsibility to God and increased levels of psychopathology have been found among survivors of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake (Feder et al, 2013) and of floods in the US (Smith, Pargament, Brant, & Oliver, 2000). Importantly the impact of religious attributions on psychopathology following disaster may be different according to the type of religion and the characteristics of the worshipped entity (Aten et al, 2019;Park, 2016).…”

Healing after traumatic events: Aligning interventions with cultural background and religious and spiritual beliefs

“…Of particular interest, R/S beliefs and associated behaviors most commonly counteract (a) blaming and seeking revenge and (b) isolating oneself from others. If not counteracted, these two tendencies become strongly associated with ongoing depression, complicated grief, and posttraumatic stress disorder (Aten et al, 2019; Haine, Ayers, Sandler, & Wolchik, 2008). Additionally, R/S beliefs influence how individuals perceive, define, and respond to traumatic life events (Aten et al, 2019; Aten, O'Grady, Milstein, Boan, & Schruba, 2014; Bryant‐Davis & Wong, 2013).…”

“…In fact, Hill and Pargament note that the majority of individuals perceive the terms religious and spiritual as interchangeable. Both religion and spirituality focus on revering that which is considered sacred—and expressions of both are influenced by social and cultural norms (Aten et al, 2019; Richards & Bergin, 2014). In this article, for simplicity, we most often refer to R/S beliefs together at the same time.…”

“…If not counteracted, these two tendencies become strongly associated with ongoing depression, complicated grief, and posttraumatic stress disorder (Aten et al, 2019;Haine, Ayers, Sandler, & Wolchik, 2008). Additionally, R/S beliefs influence how individuals perceive, define, and respond to traumatic life events (Aten et al, 2019;Aten, O'Grady, Milstein, Boan, & Schruba, 2014;Bryant-Davis & Wong, 2013). For many individuals, R/S beliefs are a core component of their identity, influencing their personal worldview, their values, and their behavior (Jafari, 2016).…”