The effects of Religiosity, Spirituality, and sense of purpose on posttraumatic stress disorder treatment outcomes among Veterans

• Published in: Journal of psychiatric research 2024-08, Vol.176, p.276-281
• Main Authors: Fry, Katie M., Bennett, Diana C., Roberge, Erika M., McClain, Cara M., Rugo-Cook, Kelsi, Brewczynski, Jacek, Pryor, Cosette
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - methods; Cognitive processing therapy; Female; Humans; Implosive Therapy; Male; Middle Aged; Prolonged exposure; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Religion; Spirituality; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - therapy; Trauma; Treatment Outcome; Veterans
• ISSN: 0022-3956; 1879-1379; 1879-1379
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.05.054

Religion/spirituality (R/S) is an important and commonly used resource for coping with difficult experiences and has been shown to reduce the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following a trauma. However, it is not clear how R/S affects response to treatment of PTSD. The aim of this paper was to understand how Veterans’ R/S and sense of purpose were related to clinical outcomes when engaging in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) or Prolonged Exposure (PE). It was predicted that Veterans identifying as R/S would have a higher sense of purpose, be more likely to complete treatment, and have greater symptom change during treatment. The study included 91 military Veterans from a VA Medical Center outpatient PTSD Clinical Team who initiated CPT or PE and responded to a question about the importance of R/S in their lives at intake. Results: Forty nine percent of the Veterans in this sample reported R/S were important to them and had mixed feelings about whether their life had a clear sense of purpose. Neither R/S nor sense of purpose were associated with treatment completion or response to PTSD treatment. These findings suggest that once PTSD has developed, R/S or sense of purpose may not play a significant role in completion of or response to evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for PTSD. EBPs for PTSD are equally effective for Veterans identifying as R/S and those who do not, which may be reflective of administering EBPs in a culturally responsive manner.