Keywords

Religious trauma; Identity; Identity development; Trauma; Religion

Abstract

Religious trauma is most often the result of prolonged emotional and mental trauma, rather than a one-time occurring physical experience, which can thereby lead to complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). This prolonged form of trauma can have negative impacts on one’s psychological well-being and possibly one’s sense of identity. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how religious trauma may be related to identity development. College students (N = 223) completed an anonymous online survey battery for course credit. Scores on a measure of religious and spiritual struggles was positively correlated with identity distress and identity exploration, but not with identity commitment. Religious and spiritual struggles predicted C-PTSD scores, but also post-traumatic growth (PTG) scores. Deliberate rumination predicted PTG while intrusive rumination predicted C-PTSD. The complex role of rumination as a byproduct of identity exploration in the development of C-PTSD and PTG is further explored and discussed.

Thesis Completion Year

2024

Thesis Completion Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair

Steven L. Berman

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Thesis Discipline

Psychology

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

UCF Sanford/Lake Mary

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Rights Statement

In Copyright