Investigating the relationship between religious coping, appraisals, social support, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (ptsd): a correlational study using an islamic community sample

• Main Author: Berzengi, Azi
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2015

Background: Contemporary models of PTSD view posttraumatic appraisals and social support as important factors in the onset and maintenance of this condition (e.g., Ehlers & Clark, 2000). Islam is central to the lives of its adherents (e.g., Hamdan, 2007) and religion influences its followers’ beliefs and coping with adversity (Pargament, 1997). The impact of religious beliefs on coping with psychological distress has received increasing attention in the last two decades (Braam et al., 2010). However, like the literature on PTSD (e.g., Foa et al., 2009), this research has almost exclusively focused on Christian, Western populations (e.g., Abu-Raiya & Pargament, 2014). Therefore, this study aimed to better understand how religious coping, appraisals (religious and non-religious), and perceived social support influence the posttraumatic adjustment of Muslim trauma survivors. Method: A cross-sectional, correlational design was conducted to study the relationships between PTSD symptoms and posttraumatic appraisals, negative religious coping, negative Islamic appraisals, and perceived social support. Eighty-eight Arabic-speaking Muslim trauma survivors, recruited from the community, completed a questionnaire booklet measuring the study variables. Results Contrary to expectations, symptoms of PTSD were not significantly associated with negative religious coping, negative Islamic appraisals, and perceived social support. However, posttraumatic appraisals were associated with, and predictive of, PTSD symptoms. Exploratory mediation analyses revealed that posttraumatic appraisals also mediated the relationships between negative religious coping and PTSD symptoms, and between negative Islamic appraisals and PTSD symptoms. Discussion: The current theoretical and clinical emphasis on posttraumatic cognitive appraisals in PTSD may also be applicable to Muslim trauma survivors. Contrary to previous research, however, negative religious coping and negative Islamic appraisals appear to have an indirect effect on PTSD symptoms. Several methodological limitations, including the heterogeneous sample composition, could account for some of the findings. These limitations, alongside the theoretical and clinical implications of the results, are discussed.