The central role of social identity in oppression, discrimination and social-structural violence: Collective identity stressors and traumas, their dynamics and mental health impact.

Kira, Ibrahim A.; Shuwiekh, Hanaa; Alhuwailah, Amthal; Lewandowski, Linda; Alawneh, Abdul-Wahab Nasser; Abou-Mediene, Sharifa; Ibraheem, Boshra Al; Aljakoub, Jakoub

doi:10.1037/pac0000363

Cited by 29 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…In this study, Christian minority participants in Egypt had higher PTSD, anxiety, and depression scores than participants in the Muslim majority. Increased mental health among a Christian minority in Arabic countries is consistent with social identity and minority stress theories (e.g., Kira et al, 2019c ) and a recent study on Egypt’s Christian minority (Kira & Shuwiekh, in press ), suggesting that this additional stress significantly undermines well-being.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

The differential mental health impact of COVID-19 in Arab countries

et al. 2020

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COVID-19 pandemic’s mental health impact on Arab countries is under-researched. The goal of this investigation was to study the differential impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of Arab countries. A questionnaire including measures of COVID-19 traumatic stress, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and cumulative stressors and trauma was distributed anonymously online in seven Arab countries (Egypt ( N = 255), Kuwait ( N = 442), Jordan ( N = 216), Saudi Arabia ( N = 212, Algeria ( N = 110), Iraq and Palestine ( N = 139)). We used ANOVA and stepwise regression to analyze the data. For each country, regression, PTSD, depression, and anxiety were dependent variables; we entered in the first-step, gender, age, religion, education, and income. In the second step, we entered “cumulative stressors and traumas.” In the third step, we entered COVID-19 traumatic stress. The ANOVA results indicated that the differences in COVID19 traumatic stress, PTSD, depression, and anxiety between the countries were significant. Post-hoc analysis indicated that Egypt is significantly higher than all the other Arab countries in COVID-19 traumatic stress, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The subsample from Palestine and Iraq had a significantly higher cumulative trauma load than the other Arab countries but did not have higher levels of COVID-19 traumatic stress or PTSD. Stepwise regression indicated that COVID-19 traumatic stress accounted for significant variance above and beyond the variance accounted for by previous cumulative stressors and traumas for anxiety in all countries and PTSD and depression in all countries except for Algeria. We discussed the implications for these results for the urgent mental health needs of Arab countries. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s12144-020-01148-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

The differential mental health impact of COVID-19 in Arab countries

et al. 2020

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“…Discrimination is continuous traumatic stress that starts early in adolescence and continues with the person, as long as he/she possesses this identity. The status of self and identity is salient and underlies discriminative acts' dynamics (Kira, 2019;Kira et al, 2019d). Existential anxieties about the person and group statuses that may be the core-specific anxiety in various discrimination types were rarely studied , I. Kira 2020aKira, Templin et al, 2012).…”

Section: Identity (Personal and Collective) Trauma Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Type III traumas have subtypes or variants that fall under the broader umbrella term of type III trauma, varying in III-a) and COVID-19 (type III-e) intersection Kira et al, 2021c;Solomon & Heide, 1999;Terr, 1995). The macro-dynamics of intersection, polyvictimization, accumulation, and proliferation, and the interaction among preidentity, identity, and post-identity stressors and traumas determine their total health, mental health, and cognitive impact from a life-course perspective (e.g., Kira et al, 2012aKira et al, , 2012cKira et al, , 2012dKira et al, , 2014aKira et al, , 2014bKira et al, , 2018aKira et al, , 2019aKira et al, , 2019bKira et al, , 2019dKira et al, , 2020dKira, Barger et al, 2019, 2020.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Development-Based Taxonomy of Stressors and Traumas: An Initial Empirical Validation

Kira¹

2021

PSYCH

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The development-based trauma framework (DBTF) proposed a comprehensive taxonomy of stressors and traumas based on the salience of existence and identity development. The goal of this research is to check the validity of some of the DBTF parameters, specifically the trauma types severity (Types I, II, and III), and the six major trauma types (attachment, personal identity, collective identity, role identity, survival and secondary traumas) differential impact and proliferation. We used a sample from 11 Arab countries (N = 2732), age ranged from 18 -91, mean = 26.9, and SD = 10.01, with 69.3% females. We used measures for cumulative stressors and traumas, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and executive functions. We conducted correlation and path analysis. Correlation explored the differential sizes of association between types I, II, III traumas and mental health and executive function deficits. Path analysis explored the proliferation of and paths between the six major types of trauma and their impact on mental health and cognitive functions. Results indicated that the size of associations of type III trauma and mental health and executive function variable were significantly larger than type II trauma and the same for the difference in the associations between type II and type I, which validate the differential intensity impact of trauma types. Results indicated that attachment traumas have the highest impact on other traumas, followed by early childhood adversities (personal identity trauma) and collective identity traumas, with differential impact on mental health and executive functions. The conceptual, trauma measurement and clinical implications of results were discussed.

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“…Contrary to a previous study focusing on Syrian refugees (Chung, AlQarni, et al., 2018b; Chung et al., 2017); however, this study found an association between trauma centrality and oppression particularly in terms of violation of basic needs such as privacy, confiscation of personal property, no access to medical care, food, and water. Oppression has been argued as a form of trauma aiming to bring changes to different aspects of individual, social, or collective identity (Kira et al., 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Association Between Trauma Centrality and Posttraumatic Stress Among Syrian Refugees: The Impact of Cognitive Distortions and Trauma-Coping Self-Efficacy

Chung

Shakra

2020

J Interpers Violence

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While research suggests that the war in Syria has led to a drastic re-evaluation of oneself and elevated psychiatric symptoms among Syrian refugees, little is known whether these psychological reactions might be influenced by maladaptive beliefs about oneself and the world and their ability to cope with the effect of the trauma. This study aimed to provide further evidence on the association between trauma centrality, posttraumatic stress, and psychiatric comorbidity, and examine whether cognitive distortions and trauma-coping self-efficacy would mediate the impact of trauma centrality on distress among Syrian refugees residing in Sweden. Four-hundred seventy-five Syrian refugees completed a demographic page, the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire-28, Centrality of Event Scale, Cognitive Distortion Scales, and trauma-coping self-efficacy. Results showed that trauma centrality was significantly correlated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychiatric comorbidity after adjusting the effects of trauma exposure characteristics. Cognitive distortions mediated the impact of trauma centrality on the two distress outcomes; trauma-coping self-efficacy did not but was negatively correlated with outcomes. To conclude, the war in Syria changed self-perception, outlook on life, and identity among Syrian refugees. These changes were related to increased psychological symptoms especially for those who had distorted beliefs about themselves and the world. Refugees’ belief in the lack of ability to cope with the effect of the trauma impacted psychological distress independently of changes in self-perception.

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The central role of social identity in oppression, discrimination and social-structural violence: Collective identity stressors and traumas, their dynamics and mental health impact.

Cited by 29 publications

References 22 publications

The differential mental health impact of COVID-19 in Arab countries

The differential mental health impact of COVID-19 in Arab countries

The Development-Based Taxonomy of Stressors and Traumas: An Initial Empirical Validation

The Association Between Trauma Centrality and Posttraumatic Stress Among Syrian Refugees: The Impact of Cognitive Distortions and Trauma-Coping Self-Efficacy

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