How do people cope with post traumatic distress after an accident? The role of psychological, social and spiritual coping in Malaysian Muslim patients

Abstract

Introduction: Post traumatic distress, acute stress disorder and even post traumatic stress disorder may occur following traumatic events such as a motor vehicle accident (MVA). Instead of presenting to mental health service, many turn to psychosocial and spiritual strategies to cope with symptoms. The objective of this study is to explore the psychosocial and spiritual coping strategies utilised by MVA victims to deal with the distressing post traumatic symptoms.Methods: An exploratory qualitative study using individual in-depth interview was conducted from May to September 2015. Purposive sampling was done to optimise wide exploration. Only Muslim participants were included. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic approach.Results: All participants interviewed employed psychological, social and spiritual coping strategies to help manage their post traumatic stress symptoms. Positive thinking and rationalisation are examples of psychological coping mechanisms used. Many have supportive families. Common spiritual coping strategies practised include the use of different Quranic verses and prayers.Conclusion: Psychosocial and spiritual coping strategies are popular, highly tolerable and useful for post traumatic distress. Psycho-socio-spiritual therapy may be an effective treatment for post traumatic stress in Muslim Malaysian patients. Further research is needed in this area.