Perceived Spiritual Support Counteracts the Traumatic Impact of Extreme Disasters: Exploration of Moderators

• Published in: Psychological trauma 2023-02, Vol.15 (2), p.199-209
• Main Authors: Ai, Amy L., Raney, Arthur A., Paloutzian, Raymond F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Disasters; Existentialism; Female; Human; Humans; Male; Natural Disasters; Posttraumatic Growth; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Religion; Reproducibility of Results; Social Support; Spirituality; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Test Forms; Test Reliability; Test Validity
• ISSN: 1942-9681; 1942-969X
• DOI: 10.1037/tra0001133

Introduction: Extreme disasters have increased exponentially in recent years and result in threats and traumatic reactions in communities globally. Humans turn to their existential relations for survival following disasters; yet, religion and spirituality (R/S) remains underinvestigated in disaster contexts, with most studies measuring general R/S concepts in Christian samples. To address the resulting gap, this study sought to (a) establish short form, disaster-specific scales of perceived spiritual support (PSS); (b) test the factor's relationships with mental health outcomes; and (c) explore moderators of those relationships. Method: With strong community engagement, a culturally diverse sample (N = 566) completed an online survey after Hurricanes Maria and Michael (H-MM). Multivariate analyses established psychometric properties for 2 PSS short-form scales (PSSS-S1 and -S2) and revealed associations between and moderators of (disaster-related experiences and character strengths) the scales and 2 traumatic outcomes: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Results: PSSS-S1 and -S2 demonstrated adequate reliability and validity. PSS was associated inversely with PTSD symptoms at a marginal level but positively and strongly with PTG. Character strengths moderated the link of PSS to PTSD but not PTG. Most disaster-related factors were associated with both outcomes. Conclusions: The findings highlight the function of PSS in survival. PSSS-S1 and -S2 are adequate measures for rapid and cross-cultural data collection in extreme disasters. The differential associations of PSS and moderators with the 2 outcomes can be interpreted in light of 2 forms of well-being, which may have implications for theory, research, and practice in trauma psychology. Clinical Impact Statement This study found that a sense of existential relatedness (i.e., perceived spiritual support or PSS) may be as potent as close human relations for well-being in times of crisis. Two, now-validated short-form versions of a PSS measure are offered for use with disaster survivors. PSS, along with trait hope and optimism, predicted post-traumatic growth among hurricane victims. Trait optimism, gratitude, need for positive affect, and strength of faith buffered against PTSD. Hurricane-related emotional responses and stressors predicted both outcomes. The study shows that faith-related constructs and positive character strengths are important factors for practitioners to