Sexual abuse is defined as any act which forces or coerces a child into engaging in non-consensual sexual activities that they may not understand. As child sexual abuse is recognized as a mental health and public health concern, increased research efforts have been directed towards identifying the physical, emotional, and cognitive effects of child sexual abuse. The majority of such research uses adult survivors of child sexual abuse and is quantitative, retrospective, and correlational in design. Qualitative approaches with adults are few; thus far, descriptive research with children is largely limited to forensic applications. Pargament (1997) proposes the existence of religious coping, or the introduction of the sacred in an individual’s search for significance in times of stress. Initial research efforts have begun to delineate the positive and negative religious coping strategies used within various adult populations. The purpose of the present investigation is to gain an experiential understanding of religious coping from the perspective of adolescent girls who have experienced sexual abuse. Open-ended interviews and phenomenological analysis with each of the 6 participants revealed the complexity present in their experience of religious coping. The presence of a highly relationship-based experience of religious coping is discussed and its implications for the assessment and treatment of complex posttraumatic stress disorder are explored. Finally, implications of the present investigation for the adolescent participants and members of spiritual communities are delineated.

The use of mindfulness in healthcare is increasing in Sweden. A so-called secular form of mindfulness is also increasing within mediated contemporary psychology and is used in many areas such as schools, workplaces and when giving birth. The method originates from Buddhism and is much more complex than the form of mindfulness marketed in Sweden today. The religious heritage of mindfulness is interesting to study in such a secular society as Sweden, where the material for this study is found. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate whether mindfulness still is a form of religious coping or if it has become completely secularized, and thus free of its religious origin. This is done in a qualitative manner by examining three experiences of mindfulness described in the following books and blogs: How I overcame my trauma and PTSD (2013) by Philippe Izmailov, Mindfulness – En väg att hantera smärta (2008) by Vidyamala Burch and the blog article Därför tränar jag mindfulness (2013-05-20) by Jonas Ask. The research questions in this study are: What importance does mindfulness have for the individuals mental health based on religious and psychological coping theory? and Can mindfulness be interpreted as a form of coping which includes religiousness? The methods used are narrative analysis and hermeneutic interpretation and the theory is religious and psychological coping theory. The results show that mindfulness has an immense importance in providing psychological health for these individuals. All three have changed their significance and improved relationships, breath and stress reactions amongst others. The results also highlight that religious coping is dependent on definition of terms such as religion and sacred. This suggests that the question whether mindfulness can be considered to be coping that includes religiousness is a matter of interpretation. More studies on the religious and existential dimensions of mindfulness are therefore needed as well as definitions of religion and sacred adapted to a religious understanding that does not entirely rely on traditional terms and a western understanding.

The objectives of this research were to investigate ministers' job demands and job resources, to study the relationship between the different job demands and job resources that ministers experience, to investigate the effects of job demands and job resources on minister's burnout and engagement, to investigate the factors impacting on the health and congregational commitment of ministers, to analyse the effects of job demands and job resources on ministers' psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability, to determine whether engagement can mediate the impact that psychological conditions have on levels of congregational commitment and to investigate the effects of religious coping on ministers' psychological conditions. The research method for each of the three articles consisted of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A non-probability purposive voluntary sample of 115 ministers was used. A qualitative design was used in article one to determine the relevant job demands and job resources of ministers. A cross-sectional design, with a survey as the data collection technique was used. The Job Demands-Resources Questionnaire (JD-RQ), 14 items of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), eight items of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), the Work Engagement Scale (WES), 26 items of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), the Congregational Commitment Questionnaire (CCQ), the Psychological Conditions Questionnaire (PCQ), the Religious Coping Questionnaire (RCQ) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The statistical analyses were carried out with the help of the SPSS program. The statistical methods utilised in the three articles consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, principal factor analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and regression analyses. The results indicated that the job demands experienced by ministers were: pace and amount of work and emotional demands and job resources were: growth opportunities, instrumental support, congregational support, autonomy, social support, and job significance. It was found that pace and amount of work correlated positively with emotional demands while, emotional demands correlated negatively with growth opportunities, autonomy, instrumental support, congregational support and social support. Furthermore, pace and amount of work and a lack of growth opportunities and to a lesser extent emotional demands and a lack of congregational support were indicators of exhaustion. Mental distance was best predicted by emotional demands. Growth opportunities, social support and job significance were predictors of engagement. As for health, somatic symptoms were best predicated by exhaustion while depression was found to be predicted by exhaustion and mental distance. Poor social functioning was found to be predicted by exhaustion, mental distance, and low engagement. Affective commitment was found to be best predicted by engagement and low mental distance. Furthermore, psychological meaningfulness was best predicted by less emotional demands and more growth opportunities whereas psychological availability was best predicted by a lower pace and amount of work and more social support. Engagement was found to mediate the relationship between psychological meaningfulness and affective commitment but not the relationship between psychological availability and affective commitment. It was also found that engagement was best predicted by psychological meaningfulness and psychological availability, but if engagement were not controlled, engagement and psychological meaningfulness predicted affective commitment. Furthermore, religious coping affected perceptions of pace and amount of work, social support and psychological availability. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The objectives of this research were to investigate ministers' job demands and job resources, to study the relationship between the different job demands and job resources that ministers experience, to investigate the effects of job demands and job resources on minister's burnout and engagement, to investigate the factors impacting on the health and congregational commitment of ministers, to analyse the effects of job demands and job resources on ministers' psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability, to determine whether engagement can mediate the impact that psychological conditions have on levels of congregational commitment and to investigate the effects of religious coping on ministers' psychological conditions. The research method for each of the three articles consisted of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A non-probability purposive voluntary sample of 115 ministers was used. A qualitative design was used in article one to determine the relevant job demands and job resources of ministers. A cross-sectional design, with a survey as the data collection technique was used. The Job Demands-Resources Questionnaire (JD-RQ), 14 items of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), eight items of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), the Work Engagement Scale (WES), 26 items of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), the Congregational Commitment Questionnaire (CCQ), the Psychological Conditions Questionnaire (PCQ), the Religious Coping Questionnaire (RCQ) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The statistical analyses were carried out with the help of the SPSS program. The statistical methods utilised in the three articles consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, principal factor analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and regression analyses. The results indicated that the job demands experienced by ministers were: pace and amount of work and emotional demands and job resources were: growth opportunities, instrumental support, congregational support, autonomy, social support, and job significance. It was found that pace and amount of work correlated positively with emotional demands while, emotional demands correlated negatively with growth opportunities, autonomy, instrumental support, congregational support and social support. Furthermore, pace and amount of work and a lack of growth opportunities and to a lesser extent emotional demands and a lack of congregational support were indicators of exhaustion. Mental distance was best predicted by emotional demands. Growth opportunities, social support and job significance were predictors of engagement. As for health, somatic symptoms were best predicated by exhaustion while depression was found to be predicted by exhaustion and mental distance. Poor social functioning was found to be predicted by exhaustion, mental distance, and low engagement. Affective commitment was found to be best predicted by engagement and low mental distance. Furthermore, psychological meaningfulness was best predicted by less emotional demands and more growth opportunities whereas psychological availability was best predicted by a lower pace and amount of work and more social support. Engagement was found to mediate the relationship between psychological meaningfulness and affective commitment but not the relationship between psychological availability and affective commitment. It was also found that engagement was best predicted by psychological meaningfulness and psychological availability, but if engagement were not controlled, engagement and psychological meaningfulness predicted affective commitment. Furthermore, religious coping affected perceptions of pace and amount of work, social support and psychological availability. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Research with refugees tends to be dominated by mainstream medical and trauma models. However, development of resilience theories and research on coping increasingly find that such constructs can open up currently limited understandings of the refugee experience. This research took a culturally relativist approach to explore experiences of coping in young unaccompanied refugees in the UK. Following extensive consultation, five young refugees were recruited, who were living independently or semi-independently having arrived in the UK without their family, at the age of 15 or 16. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to explore experiences and understanding of 'coping', whilst acknowledging the relative contributions of their own and my own cultural frameworks and the limitations of language; three participants made use of having an interpreter present. The accounts are presented idiographically, under three major themes that were apparent on multiple levels of the refugees' lives, from the individual to the cultural: 'Adaptation in the context of hardship and loss', 'Beliefs and worldview in shaping a new life', and 'Building strength and self-reliance'. These findings contribute to research finding resilience in refugee lives, whilst not to the detriment of incredible loss and pain. The research attests to the significance of cultural frameworks in refugee coping, with religion playing a key role. The themes are discussed in relation to existing literature and relevant texts, with implications for further research and clinical practice. The role of professionals as allies of refugees is suggested, in promoting socially inclusive practices that involves work both in the clinic and on community and social levels.

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo geral investigar as relações entre a Terapia Sociocomunitária, estilos de coping religioso/espiritual e qualidade de vida. A Terapia Sociocomunitária é uma intervenção psicossocial criada pela pesquisadora que utiliza a metodologia psicodramática de Moreno, a Técnica de Construção de Imagens (TCI) de Rojas-Bermudez e alguns elementos do enquadre terapêutico da Terapia Comunitária de Barreto. As referências teóricas e conceituais da pesquisa foram o Psicodrama (Moreno), os estudos de Coping Religioso e de Estilos de Coping de Pargament e a proposta de bem-estar psicológico de Ryff e Keyes. O desenho metodológico da pesquisa, ancorado na Metodologia Multidimensional de Morin e desenvolvido no formato de Estudo de Casos, de Yin, foi composto por oito participantes da Terapia Sociocomunitária; todas eram mulheres, com idade variando de 40 a 66 anos, que se declararam predominantemente evangélicas batistas. Como instrumentos metodológicos, foram utilizados questionário geral sobre dados sociodemográficos e vida religiosa dos participantes e entrevista de profundidade. Os resultados, obtidos a partir da Análise dos Sentidos de Aguiar e Ozella e explicitados através dos núcleos de significação, atestaram a relação entre a participação na Terapia Sociocomunitária e o incremento no uso do estilo de coping religioso colaborativo, bem como também evidenciaram-se mudanças no padrão religioso dos participantes, que apontaram para uma maior intimidade e liberdade com Deus e com as práticas religiosas. Verificou-se também uma melhor qualificação de vida dos participantes, expressa através dos seguintes elementos do bem-estar psicológico: a autoaceitação, o crescimento pessoal, o propósito de vida e o relacionamento positivo com outras pessoas. Conclui-se que esta pesquisa colabora para a produção de conhecimento tanto no campo da Psicologia da Religião quanto no campo das psicoterapias e dos estudos de qualidade de vida, mas propõe que, devido à sua restrita circunscrição, outros estudos devam ser realizados, ampliando assim os resultados aqui verificados no que se refere a um número maior de participantes, que sejam de ambos os sexos, com pessoas de outras adesões religiosas, a partir de outras abordagens interventivas e através de outros caminhos metodológicos, incluindo os estudos quantiqualitativos / The overall objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between the Socio-Community Therapy, spiritual/religious coping styles and quality of life. The Socio-Community Therapy is a psychosocial intervention created by the researcher who uses Moreno´s Psychodrama Methodology, the Rojas-Bermudez´s Image Construction Technique (ICT) and some elements of the therapeutic pattern of Barreto´s Community Therapy. The conceptual and theoretical references of the research were Psychodrama (Moreno), Pargaments studies of Religious Coping and Coping Styles, and Ryff´s and Keyes´ psychological well-being proposal. The research methodological design, anchored in Morin´s Multidimensional Methodology, and developed in the Yin case studies format, was composed of eight participants of the socio-community therapy, being all women aged 40-66, who declared themselves predominantly Evangelical Christian Baptists. A general questionnaire on sociodemographic and religious life of the participants and depth interview were used as methodological instruments. The results from the analysis of senses of Aguiar and Ozella, and expressed through the meaning core, testified the relationship between participation in the socio-community therapy and increased use of collaborative religious coping style, as well as demonstrated changes in the religious pattern of the participants that pointed to a greater intimacy and freedom with God and religious practices. There was also a better qualification of life of participants expressed through the following elements of psychological well-being: the self-acceptance, personal growth, life purpose and positive relationships with other people. It is concluded that this research contributes to the production of knowledge both in the field of Psychology of Religion and Psychotherapies, and studies of quality of life, however, due to its limited constituency it suggests that other studies should be conducted, expanding then the results verified here with regard to a greater number of participants that are of both genders, with people of other religious adhesions, from other interventional approaches and through other methodological approaches, including quanti-qualitative studies

Data indicated that although African Americans reported fewer occurrences of traumatic events than that of their racial/ethnic counterparts, however, the degree of traumatic events experienced by African Americans tends to be more serious and violent in nature. More so, lower recovery outcomes associated with PTSD among African Americans have been attributed to varying factors, such as financial restrictions, strained health care access, ineffective coping strategies as well as a mistrust of medical and clinical approaches, thus leading African Americans to seek faith-based approaches. This phenomenological study investigated clergy perspectives on religious coping constructs relative to the management of PTSD symptoms. The theory of religious coping was the theoretical framework: Based on Pargament’s assertion that an individual’s spirituality and religious disposition should be considered within the context of biopsychosocial analysis of mental health assessment in order to treat the whole person. Eight clergy members ordained within the African Methodist Episcopal Church denomination were interviewed in order to gain their perspectives relative to if and/or how religious coping constructs were exhibited during the management of PTSD symptoms. This investigation identified 10 themes associated with 4 constructs of religious coping: relevant training, establishment of a new normal, the relevancy of religion and the Black Church, purpose-centered trauma, divine personal encounters, active divine presence, divine reliance, the use of rituals, safe environment, and forgiveness of self, others and God. The results of this investigation reaffirmed that the inclusion of religious coping is a viable component of a holistic approach to addressing mental health adversities alongside medical and clinical approaches.

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