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Wartime faith-based reactions among traumatized Kosovar and Bosnian refugees in the United States
- Authors:
- AI Amy L., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Religion and Culture, 8(4), December 2005, pp.291-308.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
In William James' view, one function of prayer is a faith-based, conscious approach to a higher power when in distress. Accordingly, this study investigates the use of private prayer among Muslim war refugees from Kosovo and Bosnia. Results show that these refugees were highly traumatized and most counted on private prayer for coping with their wartime difficulties. Four major types of prayer familiar to Americans were employed by roughly two-thirds to 86% of this sample. As expected, most types of prayer were associated with both wartime traumatic distress and greater religiousness. Also, 77% used prayer so that their enemies would “pay for what they have done.” However, this type of prayer was predicted only by higher levels of education and not by religiousness or traumatization. The need for examining the general and specific social contexts of prayer, such as war and terror, and prayer itself, perceived as a common human experience, are discussed. A structural equation model indicated that war-related trauma was associated directly only with negative religious coping but indirectly with positive coping, mediated by levels of emotional distress. Religiousness was related directly only to positive coping. These findings are discussed with respect to their theoretical and clinical implications.
Possibilities of the positive following violence and trauma: informing the coming decade of research
- Authors:
- AI Amy L., PARK Crystal L.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20(2), February 2005, pp.242-250.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The effects of trauma and violence may be better understood by taking a broader perspective that includes resilience and recovery as well as damage and symptomatology. Based on this broader view, this article describes 3 interrelated cutting-edge trends in mental health research: the positive psychology movement; recognition of the role of spirituality and religion in health and well-being; and stress-related growth. Integration of these trends into mainstream studies of trauma and violence will provide a counterbalance to the predominant orientation of victimisation and pathology currently evidenced in the literature. All 3 have important implications for survivors of violence and trauma.
Reshaping child welfare’s response to trauma: assessment, evidence-based intervention, and new research perspectives
- Authors:
- AI Amy L., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Research on Social Work Practice, 23(6), 2013, pp.651-668.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Growing evidence has linked early trauma with severe psychiatric consequences. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a potentially debilitating mental health condition found among some youth in foster care and foster care alumni. However, the current child welfare practice response has not met the demands in both assessment and intervention. This critical review aims to use the evidence to reshape the child welfare response to trauma in children and adolescents. The article begins by looking at research on the psychiatric consequences of child maltreatment and issues related to diagnostic assessment for PTSD. Next, it compares major foster care/alumni studies showing considerably higher rates of PTSD among young foster care recipients and alumni than among nationally comparable groups. To inform practice on childhood trauma, the article then summarises current evidence-based interventions showing effectiveness with PTSD. Finally, new dimensions, such as gene–environment research, posttraumatic growth, and implications for reshaping child welfare practice and foster care are explored. (Edited publisher abstract)