Forgiving Usually Takes Time: A Lesson Learned by Studying Interventions to Promote Forgiveness

Worthington, Everett L.; Kurusu, Taro A.; Collins, Wanda; Berry, Jack W.; Ripley, Jennifer S.; Baier, Sasha N.

doi:10.1177/009164710002800101

Cited by 126 publications

(115 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Qualitatively, many patients experienced a resurgence of anger or sadness when recalling a past slight and found it difficult to move past these feelings in the midst of crisis [58]. In addition, exercises focused on life purpose and optimism had lower efficacy ratings than most other exercises (though with Cohen's d N .4 on optimism and hopelessness in all cases).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Feasibility and utility of positive psychology exercises for suicidal inpatients

Huffman

DuBois

Healy

et al. 2014

General Hospital Psychiatry

155

107

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Objective: The objective was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of nine positive psychology exercises delivered to patients hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or behaviors, and to secondarily explore the relative impact of the exercises. Method: Participants admitted to a psychiatric unit for suicidal ideation or behavior completed daily positive psychology exercises while hospitalized. Likert-scale ratings of efficacy (optimism, hopelessness, perceived utility) and ease of completion were consolidated and compared across exercises using mixed models accounting for age, missing data and exercise order. Overall effects of exercise on efficacy and ease were also examined using mixed models. Results: Fifty-two (85.3%) of 61 participants completed at least one exercise, and 189/213 (88.7%) assigned exercises were completed. There were overall effects of exercise on efficacy (χ 2 =19.39; P=.013) but not ease of completion (χ 2 =11.64; P=.17), accounting for age, order and skipped exercises. Effect (Cohen's d) of exercise on both optimism and hopelessness was moderate for the majority of exercises. Exercises related to gratitude and personal strengths ranked highest. Both gratitude exercises had efficacy scores that were significantly (P=.001) greater than the lowest-ranked exercise (forgiveness). Conclusion: In this exploratory project, positive psychology exercises delivered to suicidal inpatients were feasible and associated with short-term gains in clinically relevant outcomes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Feasibility and utility of positive psychology exercises for suicidal inpatients

Huffman

DuBois

Healy

et al. 2014

General Hospital Psychiatry

155

107

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…According to Worthington, et al [21], "Anything done to promote forgiveness has little impact unless substantial time is spent at helping participants think through and emotionally experience their forgiveness".…”

Section: The Process Model Of Forgivenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of Forgiveness Therapy with Female Survivors of Abuse

Freedman¹,

Enright²

2017

J Women's Health Care

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Three intervention studies focusing on the psychology of forgiveness for women who have been abused are reviewed. All three incorporated the process model of forgiveness, used randomized assignment to experimental and control groups, and examined effectiveness through pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments. All three were conducted by different interveners. Results show that forgiveness is an effective way of restoring psychological health following abuse as well as increasing forgiveness toward the offender. For example, in Freedman and Enright's study with incest survivors, the experimental group showed a significantly greater reduction in anxiety, state anxiety, trait anxiety, and depression, and a greater increase in forgiving the perpetrator, and in hope. Similar results were found in Reed and Enright's study with women who experienced spousal emotional abuse. Participants who received Forgiveness Therapy, compared to an alternative therapy, demonstrated a statistically significantly greater increase in forgiving the former abusive partner, in self-esteem, in environmental mastery (everyday decisions), and in finding meaning in suffering (moral decisions), and a statistically significantly greater reduction in trait anxiety, in depression, and in post-traumatic stress symptoms. Lee and Enright's study with women with fibromyalgia, who experienced parental abuse in childhood, additionally shows that forgiveness, can help alleviate physical symptoms as well as psychological symptoms. Specifically, the forgiveness intervention participants had greater improvements in forgiveness and overall fibromyalgia health from pretest to the post-test, and in forgiveness and state anger from the pretest to the follow-up test than the fibromyalgia health intervention participants.

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“…For example, it may be helpful to share with clients that the experience of infidelity is often a traumatic experience to help them understand why the recovery process may feel so difficult; many clients may not understand how an affair has the ability to completely wreck their core beliefs about their partner (Baucom et al, 2006). Lastly, because forgiveness has been found to be an important component of the healing process from infidelity, clinicians are encouraged to help foster forgiveness in their clients and educating counselors in training about forgiveness models is recommended (for two frequently cited and empirically supported models utilized to help promote forgiveness, see Worthington et al 2000 andMcCullough &Worthington, 1995). Counselors may also want to encourage clients to join group therapy sessions with other clients dealing with infidelity because psychoeducational group interventions have found to be effective in promoting forgiveness (McCullough & Worthington, 1995).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%