The effect of trauma on religious beliefs: a structured literature review and meta-analysis
Article
Article Title | The effect of trauma on religious beliefs: a structured literature review and meta-analysis |
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ERA Journal ID | 36168 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Leo, Darius (Author), Izadikhah, Zahra (Author), Fein, Erich (Author) and Forooshani, Sayedhabib (Author) |
Journal Title | Trauma, Violence and Abuse: a review journal |
Journal Citation | 22 (1), pp. 161-175 |
Number of Pages | 15 |
Year | 2021 |
Place of Publication | United States |
ISSN | 1552-8324 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838019834076 |
Web Address (URL) | https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1524838019834076 |
Abstract | Introduction: Empirical research has shown that religious beliefs support people recovering from traumatic experiences. However, there is relatively little research on the inversion of this dynamic, the way that trauma changes a person’s religious beliefs. The authors of this paper conducted a structured literature review and meta-analysis of published quantitative and qualitative literature related to the effects of interpersonal trauma on religious beliefs in adults. Their aims were to determine whether religious beliefs act as cognitive schemas, to support or reject the “shattered assumptions” hypothesis (Janoff-Bulman, 2010), and to assess whether PTSD symptoms have an additive effect on changing beliefs. Method: Five academic databases were searched using permutations of the keywords: Religion, Trauma, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The resulting references were compared to predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria, and the reference lists of these papers were also searched for additional matches. Included papers were then subjected to a meta-analysis. Results: Five quantitative, two qualitative, and two mixed-methodologies papers were matched. Aggravated analyzes confirmed the hypothesized effect (r = 0.19, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The reviewed literature suggests that most people do not change their religious beliefs after a trauma, but significant changes occur for a smaller proportion of people—either increasing or decreasing their religious beliefs. These effects are greatest for people who develop PTSD. This review supports the shattered assumptions hypothesis of Janoff-Bulman; explains the cognitive mechanisms of change; and proposes a model for the additive effects of PTSD. |
Keywords | religion, trauma, PTSD, schema, shattered assumptions, structured literature review, SLR, meta-analysis |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 520599. Social and personality psychology not elsewhere classified |
520504. Psychology of religion | |
520399. Clinical and health psychology not elsewhere classified | |
Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
Byline Affiliations | School of Psychology and Counselling |
Queensland University of Technology | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q5143/the-effect-of-trauma-on-religious-beliefs-a-structured-literature-review-and-meta-analysis
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