PTSD, public stigma, spirituality, chronic illness, lucid dreaming

Today, we look at three very different studies of PTSD, each addressing progress after a diagnosis. First, Weinberg, Soffer & Gilbar (2023) published “PTSD and Public Stigma: Examining the relationship between public stigmas attached to PTSD and self-esteem, spirituality, and well-being” in Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Here are the edited abstract and impact statements:

The main goal of the present study was to examine the association between personal characteristics and public stigma toward posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) survivors. Two hundred and ninety (N = 290) Israeli participants completed a survey that included demographic, self-esteem, spirituality, well-being, and stigma questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, correlations, linear regressions, and structural-equation modeling were conducted in order to examine the study model and hypotheses. The study findings demonstrate that self-esteem is associated with higher levels of belief that mental-health professionals can provide effective treatment for PTSD survivors, that survivors can recover and maintain normal relationships, and that survivors are not inclined to neglect their appearance and feel comfortable and calm with PTSD survivors. Spirituality is associated with a belief in professionals’ ability to effectively treat PTSD and lower levels of belief that survivors are easily noticeable. Well-being is associated with a belief that survivors are careless with their hygiene and feel anxious around PTSD survivors. Muslim participants were more likely than Jewish participants to believe that survivors can fully recover, are careless with their hygiene, and that it is relatively easy to spot survivors. They were also more likely to feel anxious around survivors. Acquaintance with a PTSD survivor was associated with lower levels of belief that it would be difficult to maintain a relationship with a survivor and a stronger belief that survivors are relatively easy to spot. These findings make an important contribution to our understanding of the relationship between personal characteristics and the public stigmas attached to PTSD survivors. 

The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between personal characteristics and public stigma attached to nonmilitary posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Self-esteem is associated with beliefs about professional efficacy, recovery, higher levels of hygiene as well as less anxiety with survivors. Spirituality is associated with beliefs regarding professional efficacy, and that survivors can be easily recognized. Well-being is associated with a belief that those who suffer from PTSD tend to be careless about their hygiene and anxiety with survivors. Acquaintance with someone who has experienced PTSD is associated with less anxiety regarding survivors and survivors can be easily recognized. In addition, awareness of possible cloture differences attached to stigma is suggested. In sum, hygiene, anxiety, and visibility are the most significant types of stigma related to these personal characteristics. 

I thought this was an intriguing study of a large sample of PTSD survivors. I like the fact that they look at self-esteem, spirituality, and stigma. I find it intriguing that carelessness with hygiene, anxiety, and easy recognition are most significant regarding stigma. The difference between Muslim and Jewish Israelis is also interesting. The next study looks at spirituality and chronic illness. Zeligman & Fakhro (2023) published “Posttraumatic Growth and Spirituality among Adults with chronic illness” in Traumatology.  Here’s the edited abstract:

The present study examined relationships between religious and spiritual factors (i.e., attitudes toward God, religious commitment, and spiritual bypass) and posttraumatic growth, in a sample of individuals living with chronic illness (N = 139). Findings from hierarchical regression analyses suggest that anger with God, comfort with God, and psychological avoidance each contribute to the experience of PTG within the sample. Based on these results, mental health professionals have a crucial role in assessing clients’ religion and spirituality and its impact on their ability to grow as a result of living with chronic illness. Implications for clinical practice are provided. 

This is a short abstract, but I thought that, like the Israeli study, this one offers good advice to professionals in issues to raise and questions to ask when dealing with clients who have a trauma history of any kind. Finally, Yount, Stumbrys, Koos, Hamilton & Wahbeh (2023) published “Decreased Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Following a Lucid Dream Healing Workshop” in Traumatology.  The edited abstract follows:

Recent investigations of lucid dreams—dreams with a veridical awareness of dreaming—suggest that this unique form of dreaming may be useful for promoting healing due to the lucid dreamer’s capacity for goal-directed action in the dream. Following a prospective, within-participant research design, 49 adults experiencing chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were recruited to a 6-day online lucid dreaming healing workshop. The primary outcome was self-reported PTSD symptom severity, measured using the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Secondary outcomes included the degree of distress caused by nightmares, well-being, and positive and negative affect. The salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) biomarker was assessed as an exploratory measure in four participants. We observed that 76% of participants (n = 37) achieved at least one lucid dream during the workshop, and over half of those participants (n = 25) enacted a healing lucid dream plan as intended. Compared to baseline values, significant improvements were observed in self-reported PTSD symptom scores, nightmare distress, and well-being. A decrease in negative affect was also noted. sAA awakening response profiles for two participants enacting healing lucid dreams were consistent with a pattern of stress reduction, compared to two participants not enacting lucid dreams. Future studies are warranted that incorporate experimental conditions designed to distinguish effects unique to dream lucidity and to explore the mechanisms of action underlying health benefits experienced following healing lucid dreams. 

Whenever I see work on sleep, I grab it and I have always liked lucid dreaming (I have only done it a few times in my life). This is a small sample but I loved the findings and hope more research of this kind is conducted to answer the questions Yount et al. pose. Taken together, these studies offer strong ways to enhance growth after trauma.