Spirituality and Coping With Life Stress Among Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

• NCJ Number: 215709
• Journal: Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 30 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2006 Pages: 829-844
• Author(s): Terry Lynn Gall
• Date Published: July 2006
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the role of spirituality in helping adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse cope with current life stressors.

Abstract

The findings indicate that self-direction without seeking help from God, active handing over of control to God, and passive waiting for God to control the situation contributed significantly to the prediction of an adult survivor's anxious mood. Only anger and dissatisfaction with God predicted depressive mood. Active handing over of control to God and seeking God's help in releasing negative emotions were associated with lower levels of depressive mood. Overall, adult survivors who relied on coping with stress through the adoption of a positive attitude toward God as a source of comfort, support, and guidance experienced lower levels of anger and depression than adult survivors with negative attitudes toward God. Survivors who had experienced more severe forms of childhood abuse adopted more negative forms of spiritual coping, such as anger toward God or pleading for divine intervention to relieve them from current life stress. Also, children who were abused at a younger age were less likely to turn to God and others for spiritual support, perhaps because they never had a sense of receiving support or trusting in the benevolence of other people. These findings suggest that treatment providers should focus on negative attitudes toward God as an attachment issue and build upon survivors' positive attitudes toward God in helping them release negative emotions and gain a positive attitude toward the resolution of stressful situations. The study involved 101 adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse who were recruited through advertisements. They completed questionnaires on abuse descriptors, the coping resources of social support and general cognitive analysis, spiritual coping, and current distress. Spiritual coping was assessed in relation to a current negative life event. 4 tables and 56 references