Presents empirical data showing the relationship between combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and spiritual distress. Uses spiritual injury scale to measure distress; scale measures guilt, anger or resentment, sadness/grief, lack of meaning, feeling God/life has treated one unfairly, religious doubt, and fear of death. Shows high association between spiritual injuries and both PTSD and depression. Also finds inverse relationship between intrinsic religious faith and these two diagnostic categories. An inverse relationship also exists between religious faith as measured by regular worship with a faith community and both depression and PTSD.glaring omission in the research and publications on combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been the relationship among spirituality, religion, and PTSD in combat veterans. While therapists and professionals with long experience studying and treating PTSD have identified it as a matter of the human spirit and soul as well as a psychological disorder (Shay, 1995;Tick, 2005), little empirical evidence has been gathered to identify the role religious faith and spirituality play in this disorder. In an article published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, Weaver, Koenig, and Ochberg (1996) addresses the need for improved clergy-mental health professional collaboration in the assessment and treatment of PTSD. Articles and books that have been published addressing this disorder from a spiritual reference point are often theoretical, sometimes theological, abstract and anecdotal (Jacobs, 1987;Mahedy, 1996;Siemon-Netto, 1990). Scientific investigations that have studied PTSD, on the other hand, have focused primarily on its psychological, sociological, and medical dimensions and too often neglected the -larger than life‖ issues (Denton, 1988) inherent in military combat and its consequences. As indicated by Denton, these larger than life issues include morality, life's meaning and purpose, hopelessness and despair, rage and grief, betrayal and trust, theodicy, and the empowerment to keep on going on (Hall, p. 103). These existential issues of life and death are all central to spirituality and the cultic practices of religious faith. They are also central to the spiritual injuries and stress combat veterans face, yet they are largely ignored by behavioral science in treating or helping combat veterans cope with this chronic and debilitating condition (Tick, p. 110). Information related to attendance at religious services, the impact of combat on religious faith, and the veteran's religious history before military service comprise the known information about the interrelationship of spirituality and PTSD (Drescher and Foy, 1995). The association between spiritual distress and PTSD, on the other hand, has often been overlooked. The role of religious faith in addressing spiritual distress and injury, in preventing PTSD, in coping with it once it develops, and its role in promoting recovery all merit further discussion and empirical attention.Respo...

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Presents empirical data showing the relationship between religious beliefs and practices and lengths of stay in the hospital for patients suffering from one form of mental illness. Includes a spiritual injury scale which measures guilt, anger or resentment, sadness/grief, lack of meaning, feeling God/life has treated one unfairly, religious doubt, and fear of death. Shows in statistical form the relationship between these spiritual injuries and length of stay in the hospital. Indicates that spiritual injury issues are positively associated with longer lengths of hospital stay and that an inverse relationship exists between religious faith as measured by church attendance and cost for health care.

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This study was designed to explore the effects of moral development on the relationship between combat intensity and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder. The effect of combat intensity on PTSD Interview total scores and several individual stress disorder symptom ratings was substantial in a Low Moral Development sample, but negligible in a High Moral Development group. These data suggest that moral development may blunt the effect of combat severity on PTSD. These effects were strongest on items that describe reexperiencing of the trauma and exaggerated arousal. Possible interpretations of the results and several caveats were discussed.