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The Unique Role of Spirituality in the Process of Growth Following Stress and Trauma

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Abstract

This study investigated the unique contributions and moderating effects of positive and negative experiences of spirituality in predicting variance in stress-related growth and positive affect over and above the variance explained by the domains of the Five-Factor Model of Personality, social support, perceived stress, and gender in a sample of 109 male and 320 female volunteers. Responses were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression. Results indicated that faith maturity predicted unique variance in stress-related growth after controlling for the influence of personality and gender; faith maturity and spiritual struggle predicted significant unique additional variance in positive affect over and above the variance predicted by personality, social support, and stress-related growth; and spiritual struggle moderated the relationship between stress-related growth and positive affect. The implications of these results are discussed in light of Park’s (Journal of Social Issues 61:707–729, 2005) model of religion as a meaning-making framework.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA

    Mary Beth Werdel

  2. School of Psychology and Counseling, Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA, USA

    Gabriel S. Dy-Liacco

  3. Pastoral Counseling Department, Loyola University Maryland, Columbia, MD, USA

    Joseph W. Ciarrocchi & Robert J. Wicks

  4. University of Pennsylvania Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA, USA

    Gina M. Breslford

Authors
  1. Mary Beth Werdel
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  2. Gabriel S. Dy-Liacco
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  3. Joseph W. Ciarrocchi
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  4. Robert J. Wicks
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  5. Gina M. Breslford
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Correspondence to Mary Beth Werdel.

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Werdel, M.B., Dy-Liacco, G.S., Ciarrocchi, J.W. et al. The Unique Role of Spirituality in the Process of Growth Following Stress and Trauma. Pastoral Psychol 63, 57–71 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-013-0538-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-013-0538-4

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