title: The Role of Religious Involvement in the Relationship Between Early Trauma and Health Outcomes Among Adult Survivors.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the role of religious involvement and related indicators - religious coping, intrinsic religiosity, forgiveness and gratitude - in reducing the negative impact of early traumatic stress on the mental and physical health of adult survivors. Multiple linear regressions were used to analyze self-reported data of 10,283 Seventh-day Adventist men and women across North America. The study also included an original analysis on a subsample (n= 496) of the larger group, examining diabetes risk factors in conjunction with Adverse Childhood Events (ACE) data. Higher early trauma scores were associated with decreased mental health (B= -1.93p< .0001) and physical health (B= -1.53,p< .0001). The negative effect of early trauma on mental health was reduced by intrinsic religiosity (B= .52,p= .011), positive religious coping (B= .61,p= .025), forgiveness (B= .32p= .025), and gratitude (B= .87p= .001). Adult survivors of early trauma experienced worse mental and physical health; however, forgiveness, gratitude, positive religious coping, and intrinsic religiosity were protective against poor mental health. The findings support a holistic perspective in the care of childhood trauma survivors.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD USA.
authors.forename: Katia G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Reinert
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD USA.
authors.forename: Jacquelyn C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD USA.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bandeen-Roche
authors.affiliation: Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Loma Linda, CA USA.
authors.forename: Jerry W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Szanton
keywords: Abuse; Child abuse; Family violence; Forgiveness; Gratitude; Religious coping