Abstract
Veterans who have experienced interpersonal trauma (IPT) are at heightened risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (Suris & Lind, 2008). The current study contributed to the limited research on posttraumatic growth (PTG) in this population, and specifically evaluated whether religiosity predicted PTG in 22 veterans receiving treatment at a Veterans Affairs (VA) mental health clinic in Southern California. Veterans completed pre- and posttreatment assessments measuring sociodemographic characteristics, religiosity, and posttraumatic growth. Results indicated that although religiosity and PTG at pretreatment were not significantly related, higher pretreatment levels of religiosity predicted increased pre- to posttreatment PTG. In addition, posttreatment religiosity and PTG were positively correlated. These results suggest that religiosity may facilitate PTG within the therapeutic context, providing an additional avenue to improve treatment outcomes for veterans with IPT-related posttraumatic distress.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 238-248 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Spirituality in Clinical Practice |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2017 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Interpersonal trauma
- PTSD
- Posttraumatic growth
- Religiosity
- Veterans
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Complementary and Manual Therapy
- Clinical Psychology
- Complementary and alternative medicine
- Psychiatry and Mental health