TRAUMA, DEVELOPMENT, AND SPIRITUALITY 2
Abstract
Trauma negatively impacts individuals, but resiliency is a process that helps them overcome the
effects of trauma. Resilience interventions include mindfulness, meditation, and cognitive
behavioral therapy (CBT) programs to help the client build resiliency. Children who experience
trauma have negative effects on their development. After experiencing trauma, the body activates
its biological stress response systems, which increases cortisol levels, causing overactivity of the
stress system and brain issues. Because of this, issues such as low IQ and memory issues can
occur. Many individuals look to religion for hope and comfort. Studies show religion and
spirituality positively improve individuals' well-being and affect their perceptions of the
traumatic event.
Keywords: trauma, resiliency, religion
TRAUMA, DEVELOPMENT, AND SPIRITUALITY 3
Trauma, Development, and Spirituality
Trauma is a popular topic that is serious and has heavy effects on its victims for long
durations of time. Trauma is an emotionally painful, shocking, or stressful experience that causes
harmful long-term effects on the individual's mental, neurological, and physical health
(Straussner & Calnan, 2014). Resiliency is essential for individuals to move forward after a
traumatic event. This paper will explore trauma and resiliency, the effects of trauma on
development and its determining factors, and how spiritual growth can affect the negative
impacts of trauma.
Trauma and Resilience
The effects of trauma are subjective and dependent on age, gender, experiences, social
circle, and beliefs; what may seem traumatizing and critical may seem small to another. Because
trauma is prevalent today, there is a need in the mental health field to discover methods to deal
with the effects of trauma to increase the client's well-being. One of the most popular methods is
resiliency. Resilience is a process that aids in overcoming past stressful situations (Snijders et al.,
2018). Based on the belief that the brain can adapt to diverse environments, researchers push
individuals to include interventions for the mind and body to help increase resilience and move
forward after experiencing a traumatic event. Research shows that mindfulness and meditation
affect the gray and white matter in the brain and improve the immune system. Another resilience
intervention is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) programs. The primary premise of CBT is to
modify the thinking patterns of individuals that affect their perception of the world around them
and their experiences. Researchers Padesky and Mooney developed a CBT program for
resiliency which invites the client and counselor to work together to produce a resiliency model
on the client's positive qualities and turn the client's strengths into practical approaches to deal
TRAUMA, DEVELOPMENT, AND SPIRITUALITY 4
with the effects of trauma (Padesky & Mooney, 2012, as cited in, Snijders et al., 2018). In
addition, research shows exercise aids in synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, and learning
improvements. Lastly, having a secure support system and a purpose in life has been shown to
decrease suicidality and symptoms of depression.
Trauma’s Effect on Development
Childhood trauma has consequences on the development of the child. It can be direct
exposure to trauma, witnessing trauma, or hearing about a traumatic event happening to a
relative; examples include bullying, child neglect, abuse, car accidents, terrorism, or war
exposure. When a child experiences a traumatic event, the child's body activates the biological
stress response systems and causes hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction of the
neuroendocrine stress system (De Bellis & Zisk, 2014). During this process, the child’s cortisol
levels will be higher, and there will be an increase in heart rate, metabolic rate, blood pressure,
and alertness, which, in turn, activates other biological stress systems. With the combination of
trauma during development and overactivity of the stress systems, the child’s brain can have
developmental issues because of fewer connections between parts of the brain. The effects of
trauma can start with the prenatal impact of trauma experienced by the mothers (Straussner &
Calnan, 2014). Research shows that being exposed to stress in the womb by their mothers had
smaller head circumference at birth. Trauma continues after birth, and studies on the
neuropsychological effects of trauma discovered a correlation between child abuse and lower IQ,
memory, and attention, leading to developmental delays (Straussner & Calnan, 2014). In
addition, research shows changes in children’s stress hormonal regulatory systems and lower
resiliency. With trauma and an overworking orbital frontal cortex response system, there will be
delays in the development of the hippocampus and fewer nerve connections to the hippocampus
TRAUMA, DEVELOPMENT, AND SPIRITUALITY 5
(Barr, 2018). Research shows that preschool children who experience trauma have passive
reactions and regressive symptoms similar to an anxious attachment disorder. School-age
children often have more aggression, sleep issues, and learning difficulties because of poor
concentration and memory problems. Adolescents react to trauma by acting out and performing
self-destructive behavior. In addition, survivor guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
are common in individuals exposed to the death of close family or friends (Straussner & Calnan,
2014).
Trauma, Resilience, and Spirituality
Because of the effects of trauma and the struggle to move past a traumatic event and
develop resiliency, many individuals look to religion for comfort. Many community support
groups are faith-based, and individuals attend meetings to help process their experiences and
build resiliency. Studies show that because faith-based groups promote forgiving others, prayer,
and having a social support system, individuals develop positive emotional experiences, alleviate
anxiety and depression, and improve their cognitive and emotional function (Brewer-Smyth &
Koenig, 2014). Research shows that individuals with higher religious scores, forgiveness
capability, and prayer frequency had lower cortisol levels. Because of the support system that
comes with religion and faith-based groups, there is a promotion of resiliency. Religion or
spirituality can offer hope in the eyes of victims of trauma. Coping methods such as looking for
the meaning of life, seeking comfort, and spiritual support can come from religious beliefs.
Religion and spirituality impact well-being by enhancing coping efforts and providing access to
support systems. Individuals who believe in God experience a smaller impact of the trauma and a
difference in their perception of traumatic events, which improves and stabilizes their schema
(Slater et al., 2016).
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Conclusion
Trauma causes long-term effects, and resiliency helps individuals move forward after
their trauma. There are negative developmental effects from trauma that affect an individual's
cognition, emotions, neurobiology, relational issues, and behavioral problems. Strengthening
resiliency lessens the results of trauma, and many individuals look to spirituality for comfort. By
being involved in faith-based groups, trauma victims can improve their cognitive and emotional
function and lower their cortisol levels, further promoting resiliency in the individual.
TRAUMA, DEVELOPMENT, AND SPIRITUALITY 7
References
Barr, D. A. (2018). When trauma hinders learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 99(6), 39–44.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721718762421
Brewer-Smyth, K., & Koenig, H. G. (2014). Could spirituality and religion promote stress
resilience in survivors of childhood trauma? Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 35(4),
251–256. https://doi.org/10.3109/01612840.2013.873101
De Bellis, M. D., & Zisk, A. (2014). The biological effects of childhood trauma. Child and
Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 23(2), 185–222.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2014.01.002
Slater, C. L., Bordenave, J., & Boyer, B. A. (2016). Impact of spiritual and religious coping on
PTSD. Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders, 147–162.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08359-9_49
Snijders, C., Pries, L.-K., Sgammeglia, N., Al Jowf, G., Youssef, N. A., de Nijs, L., Guloksuz,
S., & Rutten, B. P. (2018). Resilience against traumatic stress: Current developments and
future directions. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00676
Straussner, S. L., & Calnan, A. J. (2014). Trauma through the life cycle: A review of current
literature. Clinical Social Work Journal, 42(4), 323–335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-
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