A systematic review of research on religion and spirituality in the Journal of Traumatic Stress: 1990–1999

Abstract

Surveys reveal that religion and spirituality are highly valuable to many people in times of crisis, trauma, and grief. The relationship between coping with trauma and the use of various spiritual beliefs is well established. The importance of clergy in trauma recovery is also well documented. A review of the 469 research and non-research articles published between 1990 and 1999 in the Journal of Traumatic Stress revealed that 8.7% (6/69) of non-research articles, 4.1% (15/366) of quantitative research articles and 2.9% (1/34) of qualitative research articles considered religion or spirituality in their work. Analysis of variance found a significant overall increase in the percentage of articles that mentioned religion/spirituality between the first half (1990–1994) and the second half (1995–1999) of the study period. The results are discussed in the context of the trauma research and in comparison to related disciplines. Recommendations for future research and clinical application are suggested for both traumatologists and religious scholars.

Acknowledgements

This article is dedicated to the renowned human rights activist of Guatemala, Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera who was bludgeoned to death outside his home in April 1998, two days after publishing a report finding that most of the 200,000 deaths during Guatemala's 36-year civil war were the responsibility of the country's armed forces (1 Thess. 4:13–18). We are deeply grateful to The Clark Foundation, The Henry Luce Foundation Inc. and the Fannie E. Rippel Foundation for their generous and long-time support of The HealthCare Chaplaincy. We wish to also express our gratitude to The Rev. Carolyn L. Stapleton, Eileen Gorey, R.N., M.P.H. and Lisa Matsumoto, M.LIS. for their generous help in the development of this project, and Julia E. Oppenheimer, B.A. and Karen G. Costa, B.A. for their assistance preparing and editing the manuscript.