Personal Resources and Spiritual Change among Participants’ Hostilities in Ukraine: The Mediating Role of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Turn to Religion

Iwona Niewiadomska,Joanna Chwaszcz,Magdalena Korżyńska-Piętas,Krzysztof Jurek,Patrycja Wośko

doi:10.3390/rel12030182

Iwona Niewiadomska, Joanna Chwaszcz + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12030182

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Abstract

The theory of conservation of resources (COR) can be used for searching mechanisms which explain spiritual changes caused by trauma. The aim of this paper was to analyze the relationship between distribution of personal resources and spiritual change, as well as the mediating role of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and turn to religion (stress coping strategy) in this relationship among participants’ hostilities in Ukraine. A total of 314 adults—74 women and 235 men—participated in the study. The mean age was 72.59. Polish adaptation of Hobfoll’s Conservation of Resources-Evaluation (COR-E), the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist—Civilian Version (PCL-C), the Inventory for Measuring Coping with Stress (MINI-COPE), and The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) were employed in the research. The mediating role of posttraumatic stress disorder and turn to religion in relationship between personal resources loss and spiritual change was confirmed. The turn to religion plays the role of mediator in relationship between personal resources gain/assigning value to personal resources and spiritual change. The results justify the postulate of conducting further research in the field of testing models which take into account the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder, religious coping stress, and posttraumatic spiritual change. The conducted analyses should include the assumptions of the COR theory as well as psychological, social, and situational factors that could generate spiritual change.

Highlights

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is described as a delayed and/or prolonged reaction to highly stressful events which are associated with loss of life, serious bodily harm, and/or danger to the physical integrity of oneself, accompanied by intense anxiety, feeling of helplessness and/or danger
In light of our findings, we can conclude that post-traumatic stress disorder and turn to religion serve as mediators of the relationships be-tween personal resources loss on spiritual change
Higher posttraumatic stress determines lower tendency to turn to religion as stress coping strategy, and turn to religion correlates with spiritual change

Summary

Introduction

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is described as a delayed and/or prolonged reaction to highly stressful events which are associated with loss of life, serious bodily harm, and/or danger to the physical integrity of oneself, accompanied by intense anxiety, feeling of helplessness and/or danger. The detailed PTSD criteria are included in The International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems ICD-11, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V (DSM-V). Hostilities are one of the biggest stressors and often lead to serious mental health problems. Warfare can be broadly understood as any action taken during a war to achieve its goals. In this perspective, these are both military and non-military actions.

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