Date

12-16-2025

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Stacey Custer Lilley

Keywords

childhood sexual abuse, covid-19 pandemic, religious/spiritual coping, posttraumatic growth, adult female survivor of childhood sexual abuse, impact of event scale, posttraumatic growth inventory, religious coping theory, spirituality in counseling, trauma-informed care

Disciplines

Counseling | Psychology

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique collective trauma that has disproportionately impacted vulnerable populations, including adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). This quantitative, non-experimental, correlational study examined the relationship between spiritual/religious coping and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among this population, while also exploring the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the mediating role of religious/spiritual coping. Grounded in Tedeschi and Calhoun’s Posttraumatic Growth Theory and Pargament’s Religious Coping Theory, this study utilized the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE), and the Impact of Event Scale–Revised (IES-R) adapted for COVID-19 to assess trauma exposure, coping style, and psychological responses. The target sample size was 242 adult females aged 18 and older who self-report a history of CSA and experienced the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were recruited through Qualtrics Panels. Data was collected via an anonymous Qualtrics survey and was analyzed using multiple regression and mediation analysis. The study aimed to fill a gap in trauma literature by examining the intersection of pandemic-related stress, spiritual coping, and growth outcomes in a high-risk population. Findings may inform trauma-informed counseling interventions, spiritual care approaches, and mental health resources tailored to survivors of early abuse affected by large-scale trauma events.

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