Journal article
Perceived and actual posttraumatic growth in religiousness and spirituality following disasters
Journal of personality, Vol.89(1), pp.68-83
02/01/2021
DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12537
PMID: 31863719
Abstract
Objective Religious/spiritual (R/S) growth is a core domain of posttraumatic growth (PTG). However, research on R/S growth following disasters has over-relied on retrospective self-reports of growth. We therefore examined longitudinal change in religiousness/spirituality following two disasters. Method Religious survivors of Hurricanes Harvey (Study 1) and Irma (Study 2) completed measures of perceived R/S PTG, general religiousness/spirituality ("current standing"-R/S PTG), and subfacets of religiousness/spirituality (spiritual fortitude, religious motivations, and benevolent theodicies). In Study 1, 451 participants responded at 1-month and 2-month postdisaster. In Study 2, participants responded within 5-days predisaster and at 1-month (N = 1,144) and 6-months postdisaster (N = 684). Results In both studies, perceived R/S PTG was weakly related to longitudinal increases in general religiousness/spirituality and in most of its subfacets, but reliable growth in any R/S outcome was rare. Additionally, Study 2 revealed evidence that actual change in psychological well-being is associated with actual (but not perceived) R/S PTG, but disaster survivors tend to exhibit declines in their religiousness/spirituality, spiritual fortitude, and religious motivations. Conclusions Results suggest disaster survivors are only modestly accurate in perceiving how much positive R/S change they experience following a disaster. We discuss implications for clinical practice, scientific research, and empirical and conceptual work on PTG more broadly.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Perceived and actual posttraumatic growth in religiousness and spirituality following disasters
- Creators
- Edward B. Davis - Wheaton Coll, Sch Psychol Counseling & Family Therapy, 501 E Coll Ave,BGC M242, Wheaton, IL 60187 USADaryl R. Van Tongeren - Hope CollegeStacey E. McElroy-Heltzel - Georgia State UniversityDon E. Davis - Georgia State UniversityKenneth G. Rice - Georgia State UniversityJoshua N. Hook - University of North TexasJamie D. Aten - Wheaton College - IllinoisCrystal L. Park - University of ConnecticutLaura Shannonhouse - Georgia State UniversityAustin W. Lemke - Wheaton College - Illinois
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of personality, Vol.89(1), pp.68-83
- DOI
- 10.1111/jopy.12537
- PMID
- 31863719
- NLM abbreviation
- J Pers
- ISSN
- 0022-3506
- eISSN
- 1467-6494
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Number of pages
- 16
- Grant note
- 44040 / John Templeton Foundation
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 02/01/2021
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Quantitative Foundations
- Record Identifier
- 9984371075002771
Metrics
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