Properties of the modified self-forgiveness dual-process scale in populations at risk for moral injury

Despite theory suggesting that self-forgiveness facilitates recovery from moral injury, no measure of self-forgiveness has been validated with individuals exposed to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs). Military veterans, healthcare workers, and first responders who reported PMIE exposure (n = 924) completed the Self-Forgiveness Dual-Process Scale, which assesses two dimensions of the self-forgiveness process. The first dimension, value affirmation, refers to appraising personal responsibility and being willing to make amends for one's involvement in a PMIE. The second dimension, esteem restoration, refers to accepting oneself as valuable and capable of growth despite one's failures and imperfections. Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses replicated the original scale's two-factor structure in 10 items modified to apply to the diverse contexts in which PMIEs occur. Next, we found that the factor structure, item loadings, and item intercepts were fully or partially invariant across professions, genders, races, ages, and religious affiliations in a series of Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analyses. Finally, diverging patterns of associations between value affirmation and esteem restoration with moral distress, posttraumatic stress, depression, insomnia, functional impairment, and posttraumatic growth provide evidence of convergent and discriminant validity between the subscales. The modified self-forgiveness dual process scale is the first measure of self-forgiveness to be validated with individuals exposed to a PMIE. Researchers and clinicians can use the scale to examine how self-forgiveness (or difficulties with forgiving oneself) relates to moral injury.

Do Forgiveness Campaign Activities Improve Forgiveness, Mental Health, and Flourishing?

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of a forgiveness public health intervention at promoting forgiveness, mental health, and flourishing. Methods: Colombian students (N = 2,878) at a private, nonreligious university were exposed to a 4-week forgiveness community campaign and were assessed pre- and post-campaign. Results: Forgiveness, mental health, and flourishing outcomes showed improvements after the campaign. On average, participants reported engaging in 7.18 (SD = 3.99) of the 16 types of campaign activities. The number of types of campaign activities that participants engaged in evidenced a positive linear association with forgiveness, although some activities were more popular than others and some activities were more strongly associated with increased forgiveness. For depression, anxiety, and flourishing, engaging in more activities was generally associated with greater improvements, but the patterns were less consistent relative to forgiveness. Conclusion: This forgiveness public health intervention effectively promoted forgiveness, mental health, and flourishing. Effective campaigns in diverse communities involve promoting mental and physical health through forgiveness. However, recent conflict may hinder acceptance, necessitating political capital for leadership advocating forgiveness initiatives.

Direct Effects of Marital Empathy, Body Image, and Perceived Social Support on Quality of Life of Married Women with Breast Cancer and the Mediating Role of Perceived Marital Quality

Objective: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide, and its incidence has increased recently. Diagnosing cancer can create many challenges, especially for married women. The aim of the present study was thus to evaluate the effect of the relationships among marital empathy, body image, and perceived social support on quality of life (QoL) and the mediating role of perceived marital quality. Method : Married women with breast cancer (N = 160) were selected through purposive accessible sampling. Measures included body image scale, Batson empathy adjectives, multidimensional scale of perceived social support, perceived marital quality, and QoL. The research method was descriptive-correlational and using structural equation modeling. Results: The best model obtained showed that all predictors directly predicted QoL: marital empathy, body image, and perceived social support (P < 0.001). Predictors (except for perceived social support by family, friends, and others) also worked indirectly through perceived marital quality to predict QoL (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Several variables predicted QoL for women with breast cancer, including body image and marital empathy. Most of such variables had both a direct effect and an indirect effect, working through perceived marital quality to affect QoL. Social support, however, had only a direct effect on QoL.

Associations of dispositional forgivingness with facets of well-being among Colombian adults: A longitudinal outcome-wide analysis

Many studies have reported evidence suggesting that dispositional forgivingness has positive implications for different domains of well-being. However, relatively few methodologically rigorous studies have been conducted in the Global South, particularly in post-conflict settings where forgiveness could play an important role in supporting individual well-being. In this three-wave cohort study of predominantly young adult Colombians (n = 1575), we examined the associations of dispositional forgivingness with 20 well-being outcomes across several domains of well-being: psychological distress, psychological well-being, physical health, social well-being, and character strengths/virtues. Using an outcome-wide analytic design that included extensive control for potential confounding and reverse causation by adjusting for a range of covariates assessed in Wave 1 (2017), we found that dispositional forgivingness assessed in Wave 2 (2018) was at least modestly associated with improvements in one or more facet of each well-being domain assessed approximately 1 year later in Wave 3 (2019). Associations tended to be stronger for outcomes in the domains of psychological distress, psychological well-being, social well-being, and character strengths/virtues compared to the physical health domain. These longitudinal findings suggest that dispositional forgivingness might promote individual well-being in societies with a long history of ongoing civil unrest, conflict, and war.

Development and Initial Validation of the Persevering Hope Scale: Measuring Wait-Power in Four Independent Samples

Hope has been conceptualized as agency and pathways to achieve goals. However, this goal-directed conceptualization does not encapsulate all situations in which hope may be beneficial. To address the dispositional motivation to endure when a desired goal seems unattainable, unlikely, or even impossible (i.e., goal-transcendent hope), we provide initial psychometric evidence for the new Persevering Hope Scale (PHS). We developed and refined the PHS with undergraduates at a public college (Study 1) and replicated our findings in a community adult sample (Study 2). We replicated and extended these findings using longitudinal data with undergraduates at a faith-based college (Study 3) and a community sample of chronically ill adults (Study 4), and examined measurement invariance (Study 5). Scores on the PHS demonstrated robust evidence of estimated internal consistency and of criterion-related, convergent/discriminant, and incremental validity. Estimated temporal stability was modest. Partial scalar invariance was evidenced across samples, and full scalar invariance was evidenced across gender, race/ethnicity, and time. These preliminary findings suggest that the PHS is a psychometrically sound measure of persevering hope. Its use can broaden the current body of literature on trait hope to include goal-transcendent hope and advance research on the nature and benefits of this important construct.

The Validation of the Decisional and Emotional Forgiveness Scale among a Chinese Sample: The Mediating Role of Forgiveness between Stress Perception and Resilience

This study aimed to revise and test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Decisional and Emotional Forgiveness Scale. In experiment 1, 1171 college students and postgraduates were invited to complete the questionnaire that provides the data for this scale. The results from this, following exploratory factor analysis, showed that the factor loading values met the standards detailed in the past literature, except in the case of item C2. The results of confirmatory factor analysis (while excluding item C2) showed a good structure validity. Furthermore, it also showed that a four-factor model fit the data well and that the reliability values (including internal consistency and test-retest reliability) met the commonly held standards. Decisional and emotional forgiveness subfactors were significantly correlated with transgression-related interpersonal motivations and self-construal. Experiment 2 was conducted in order to further confirm the validity of the scale: the results of mediated analysis showed that emotional forgiveness and the path from decisional forgiveness to emotional forgiveness could mediate the relationship between stress perception and resilience. Thus, the revised Chinese version of the Decisional and Emotional Forgiveness Scale showed good reliability and validity within a Chinese sample, demonstrating its usability as an effective tool to evaluate college students' level of decisional and emotional forgiveness.

Perceived posttraumatic growth after interpersonal trauma and subsequent well-being among young Colombian adults: A longitudinal analysis

Research has shown that people sometimes report self-perceived growth as a result of dealing with a potentially traumatic event, but relatively few methodologically rigorous studies have examined whether perceived posttraumatic growth is associated with improved subsequent well-being across a wide range of outcomes. In this three-wave longitudinal study of Colombian emerging adults (n = 636), we examined the associations of perceived posttraumatic growth with 17 well-being outcomes across domains of psychological well-being (i.e., self-rated mental health, meaning in life, sense of purpose, happiness, life satisfaction), psychological distress (i.e., anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, subjective suffering), social well-being (i.e., content with relationships, satisfying relationships, loneliness), physical well-being (i.e., self-rated physical health, sleep quality), and character strengths (i.e., state hope, trait forgivingness, orientation to promote good, delayed gratification). Using an outcome-wide analytic design that adjusted for a range of covariates assessed in Wave 1, we found that overall perceived posttraumatic growth assessed in Wave 2 was robustly associated with improvements in one or more facet of each well-being domain (15/17 outcomes in total) assessed approximately six months later in Wave 3. Our findings suggest that perceived posttraumatic growth may contribute to individual well-being over the longer-term.

The development of the Religious Health Interventions in Behavioural Science (RHIBS) Taxonomy: a scientific classification of religious practices in health

The development and delivery of religiously integrated health interventions is increasing, however lack of nomenclature to specify the religious components presents barriers to replication, implementation, and evidence synthesis. We describe the development of the "Religious Health Interventions in Behavioural Sciences (RHIBS)" Taxonomy, the first scientific classification of religious intervention components to be used globally by chaplains, healthcare providers, and researchers interested in the scientific study of religion, spirituality, and health. We developed a taxonomy of empirically used religious intervention components in health, sought international cross-disciplinary consensus for definitions and tested its usability. Study 1: systematic review of intervention studies to identify religious components tested within healthcare; development of taxonomy nomenclature, definitions, and categories. Study 2: Delphi exercise with 19 international, cross-disciplinary experts from a variety of religions. Study 3: "think aloud" study and usability testing with 10 end-users. Study 1: 12,337 papers identified from search, 167 intervention studies included, plus an additional 74 from hand-searching 14 systematic reviews. A taxonomy of 191 religious components, grouped into 27 categories resulted. Study 2: two Delphi rounds resulted in international and cross-disciplinary consensus of a revised taxonomy of 81 religious components grouped into 23 categories. Study 3: usability testing by participants (range of disciplines, geography, and religions) led to a final taxonomy comprising 82 religious components grouped into 22 categories and supported by online training. The "RHIBS Taxonomy," is the first multidisciplinary, global shared language within religion, spirituality, and health, ushering in a new era for religious interventions to be precisely defined, developed, and tested; shaping the evidence-base for future healthcare research/practice.

Spiritually incorporating couple therapy in practice: Christian-accommodated couple therapy as an illustration

Spiritually incorporating couple therapy (SICT)-couple therapy that incorporates spiritual interventions-has a growing research base. Information is limited on how spiritual interventions are used in practice; thus we studied treatment-as-usual (TAU). SICT is treatment that, at a couple's request, sometimes draws upon spiritual resources when addressing relational issues. We tracked 65 couples from 29 couple therapists (who advertised as spiritually incorporating therapists) over 402 sessions of SICT. Couple spirituality predicted use of spiritual interventions more than did therapist spirituality. The most used spiritual interventions included silent prayer for the couple, discussions of hope and forgiveness, and encouragement to consult their heart. In SICT, therapists used evidence-based couple therapy approaches. SICT should (a) treat highly religious couples in high distress as being at risk for early drop out; (b) follow couples' leads in using spiritual methods; and (c) draw on evidence-based couple and spiritual practices. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychological and spiritual outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective longitudinal study of adults with chronic disease

OBJECTIVE

This prospective longitudinal study examined whether coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to changes in psychological and spiritual outcomes among adults with chronic disease.

METHOD

Participants (N = 302) were a stratified, nonrandom sample of adults (Mage = 64.46, SD = 10.86, 45.7% female). The sample was representative of the chronically ill, U.S. adult population in gender, race/ethnicity, region, and religious affiliation but older in age and higher in socioeconomic status. Participants completed online-administered measures 1 month before the March 11 pandemic declaration (T1) and then 1 and 3 months after it (T2 and T3). At T1 through T3, they completed measures of depression, anxiety, personal suffering, psychological well-being, trait resilience, optimism, hope, grit, spiritual struggles, spiritual fortitude, and positive religious coping. At T2 and T3, they also completed measures of social support, physical health, resource loss, perceived stress, and COVID-19 fears and exposure.

RESULTS

Overall, people did not change substantially in psychological or spiritual outcomes over time. However, trait resilience increased and personal suffering declined. People highest in prepandemic suffering increased in spiritual fortitude. Racial/ethnic minorities increased in religious importance. Roughly half (48.9%) of participants exhibited psychological resilience (no/minimal depression or anxiety symptoms) at both T2 and T3. Perceived stress and psychological resource loss were associated with adverse mental health outcomes, but social support and physical health were not. COVID-19 fears contributed more to mental health than COVID-19 exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Even among vulnerable populations such as adults with chronic disease, during pandemic conditions like COVID-19, many people may exhibit-or even increase slightly in-psychological and spiritual resilience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Religious/spiritual struggles and psychological distress: A test of three models in a longitudinal study of adults with chronic health conditions

OBJECTIVE

This study tested three conceptual explanatory models that have been theorized to account for the linkages between religious/spiritual (R/S) struggles and psychological distress: the primary model (i.e., R/S struggles lead to psychological distress), the secondary model (i.e., psychological distress leads to R/S struggles), and the complex model (i.e., R/S struggles and psychological distress reciprocally exacerbate each other).

METHODS

Using prospective data from a sample of US adults living with chronic health conditions (n = 302), we performed a cross-lagged panel analysis with three timepoints to test for evidence of potential causal relations between R/S struggles and psychological distress.

RESULTS

Consistent with the complex conceptual model of R/S struggles, we found evidence of positive reciprocal associations between R/S struggles and psychological distress.

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight the importance of attending to the dynamic interplay between R/S struggles and psychological distress when working with adults who have chronic health conditions.

The Future of Evidence-Based Temperance Interventions

Positive psychology has accumulated a large and ever-growing body of scientific knowledge about human strengths and virtues. However, research on positive psychology interventions (PPIs) to develop such is still in its infancy. In this brief position paper, we summarize the status of PPIs in one of the positive psychology's most important virtues: temperance. Temperance refers to the capacity to manage habits and protect against excess and is composed of forgiveness, humility, and (we include) patience. Specifically, we examine the current state-of-the-science in the conceptualization of temperance, explore the efficacy of temperance interventions, and reflect upon what the future may hold in this research domain. In this paper, we first highlight the challenges and opportunities for expanding the theoretical conceptualization of temperance and reflect upon the challenges in temperance-related PPIs. For each aspect of temperance, we propose a specific research agenda. Second, we explore what is needed for PPIs to promote temperance and how growth in temperance intervention research can be fostered. Generally, while forgiveness interventions are well established, we recommended that both humility and patience interventions need more viable evidence-based research on existing and new interventions. Third, we advanced several recommendations regarding how to promote more research in new interventions. These recommendations included attracting more funders to the area, developing new interventions, and employing new technology. Because intervention research in temperance is in its infancy, the future looks rosy for PPI researchers as we move into a second generation of positive psychology research.

Suffering, Mental Health, and Psychological Well-being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study of U.S. Adults With Chronic Health Conditions

Suffering has been a topic of considerable discussion in the fields of medicine and palliative care, yet few studies have reported causal evidence linking the experience of suffering to health and well-being. In this three-wave prospective cohort study, we explore the potential psychological implications of suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic by examining relations among suffering, mental health, and psychological well-being in a sample of U.S. adults living with chronic health conditions. We analyzed data from n = 184 participants who completed assessments one month before the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (February 2020) and then two months (April 2020) and four months later (May/June 2020). Analyses controlled for a range of factors, including sociodemographic characteristics, physical health, religious/spiritual factors, psychological characteristics, and prior values of the predictor and each of the outcomes assessed one month before the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of the primary analysis indicated that greater overall suffering assessed one month into the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with lower psychological well-being (β = -.17, 95% CI: -.29, -.05) and higher levels of anxiety (β = .27, 95% CI: .13, .41) and depression (β = .16, 95% CI: .03, .29) two months later. In a secondary analysis that explored anxiety, depression, and psychological well-being as candidate antecedents of suffering, depression assessed one month into the COVID-19 pandemic was most strongly associated with worse overall suffering two months later. We highlight the implications of the findings for high-risk populations who are suffering amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Potential benefits of both integrating assessments of suffering into screening procedures and addressing experiences of suffering in mental health service settings are discussed.

The Relationship Between Forgiveness, Bullying, and Cyberbullying in Adolescence: A Systematic Review

The study of bullying in adolescence has received increased attention over the past several decades. A growing body of research highlights the role of forgiveness and its association with aggression. In this article, we systematically review published studies on the association among online and traditional bullying and forgiveness in adolescents. Systematic searches were conducted in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, and Scopus databases. From a total of 1,093 studies, 637 were nonduplicated studies and 18 were eventually included. Together, these studies provided evidence that forgiveness and bullying behaviors are negatively related: Adolescents with higher forgiveness levels bully less. Similarly, forgiveness is negatively related to victimization: Adolescents with higher forgiveness show less victimization. Unforgiveness was positively related to traditional and online bullying. This relationship appears to be consistent beyond types of bullying, certain background characteristics, and forgiveness measures. These findings are discussed, and clinical implications and guidelines for future research are presented.

National longitudinal evidence for growth in subjective well-being from spiritual beliefs

Previous research finds an association between spirituality and subjective well-being. However, the widespread use of poorly defined concepts of spirituality, tautological spirituality scales, and heavy reliance on cross-sectional samples cast doubts on prior findings. Here, we leverage ten waves of panel data from a nationally diverse longitudinal study to systematically test whether having spiritual beliefs leads to growth in personal well-being and life satisfaction (N = 3257, New Zealand, 2010-2020). Contrary to previous research, we find that belief in a spirit or life force predicts lower personal well-being and life satisfaction. However, in support of previous speculation, belief (relative to disbelief) in a spirit or life force predicts increasing personal well-being and life satisfaction over time. These findings are robust even while accounting for known demographic influences; they even hold among those who believe in a God but disbelieve in a spirit or life force. The recent growth in spiritual beliefs and decline in traditional religion across many industrial societies motivates further causal investigations of the mechanisms by which spiritual beliefs lead to growth in subjective well-being.

Self-Forgiveness Among Incarcerated Individuals in Ghana: Relations With Shame- and Guilt-Proneness

Research on the forgiveness of self has largely focused on less severe, more common types of offenses among samples within developed westernized nations. In this brief report of a study within a developing nation in Africa, applications of self-forgiveness are extended to incarcerated people. The sample comprised N = 310 males (83.87%) and females (16.13%) who were incarcerated in a medium-security Ghanaian prison (M_age = 39.35, SD_age = 13.28). Participants completed measures of self-forgiveness, shame-proneness, and guilt-proneness. Prison records were examined for criminal history details. We hypothesized that self-forgiveness would correlate negatively with shame-proneness and positively with guilt-proneness. We tentatively hypothesized that this association would be moderated by offense type. Self-forgiveness correlated with both shame- and guilt-proneness in the hypothesized direction. However, neither association was moderated by type of offense. The findings offer further evidence on the salience of self-conscious emotions in forgiving oneself, particularly among incarcerated offender populations. We discuss the implications of the findings for enhancing offender rehabilitation initiatives.

Construct validity of two measures of self-forgiveness in Portugal: a study of self-forgiveness, psychological symptoms, and well-being

Several studies have suggested that self-forgiveness promotes psychological well-being. The state self-forgiveness scale (SSFS) and the differentiated self-forgiveness process scale (DSFPS) are two self-report questionnaires that assess self-forgiveness in psychotherapy, personal change, and health. The present study aims to examine the psychometric properties of the SSFS and the DSFPS in a Portuguese sample, highlighting reliability and validity properties for scores on both scales. We examine the relationships among self-forgiveness, self-criticism, psychological well-being, and global psychopathological symptoms. The two scales were completed in a random nonclinical sample of 475 University students. The psychological well-being scale was used to explore the relation between self-forgiveness and well-being. Our findings show evidence of a good estimated internal consistency for scores on both scales - SSFS and DSFPS. Self-forgiveness is related to higher indexes of positive feelings (e.g., self-compassion, self-esteem) such as positive behaviors and beliefs about the self. Thus, self-criticism (e.g., hated self) tends to decrease while self-forgiveness feelings and actions, as well as positive feelings of the self (self-compassion; self-love) tends to increase. In clinical practice these are positive indicators, which can lead to personal improvement, as well as positive affect and lower symptomatology (e.g., symptoms of depression).

Forgiveness of others and subsequent health and well-being in mid-life: a longitudinal study on female nurses

Background

Forgiveness is a concept of growing interest within psychology and of potential relevance to public health. While there has been increasing evidence suggesting positive associations between forgiveness of others and a range of psychosocial well-being and mental health outcomes, its associations with health behaviors and physical health are less clear.

Methods

This study used longitudinal data from the Nurses’ Health Study II (2008 Trauma Exposure and Post-traumatic Stress Supplementary Survey to 2015 questionnaire wave, N = 54,703), to conduct an outcome-wide analysis among a cohort of female nurses in the United States (age range: 43–64 years). The study prospectively examines the association between spiritually motivated forgiveness of others and a number of of subsequent psychosocial well-being, mental health, health behavior, and physical health outcomes in midlife. A set of linear, logistic, and Poisson regression models were used to regress each outcome on forgiveness in separate models. Sociodemographic factors, prior religious service attendance, and prior values of all outcome variables were controlled for wherever data were available. To account for multiple testing, we performed Bonferroni correction.

Results

Forgiveness was associated with subsequent improved psychosocial well-being and reduced psychological distress outcomes in a monotonic pattern. For instance, the top versus bottom level of forgiveness was associated with substantially higher levels of subsequent positive affect (β = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.21) and social integration (β = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.17), and was inversely associated with several indicators of subsequent psychological distress such as depressive symptoms (β = − 0.16, 95% CI: − 0.19, − 0.14). However, in this sample, there was little evidence that forgiveness was associated with health behaviors or physical health outcomes.

Discussion

This study suggests that forgiveness may be a health asset for promoting population mental health and psychosocial well-being, and moreover may also be understood as a good in itself. Further investigation on the dynamics between forgiveness and physical health is warranted to explore the discrepancy between the results here and some past research.

Dynamics of Moral Repair: Forgiveness, Self-Forgiveness, and the Restoration of Value Consensus as Interdependent Processes

Most psychological research has investigated victims' forgiveness and offenders' self-forgiveness separately, ignoring interactive and dynamic processes between them. We suggest that both parties are interdependent in their attempts to revalidate the values violated by the wrongdoing. In the present study, both partners of close relationships dyads (including 164 complete couples) were surveyed over three time-points following the report of a wrongdoing by one of the partners. Latent growth modeling showed that victims' forgiveness was associated with growth in their perception of a value consensus with the offender. Victims' value consensus perception was associated with growth in offenders' perception of value consensus and engagement in genuine self-forgiveness (working through). However, directly, forgiveness was associated with decline in offenders' genuine self-forgiveness, while offenders' self-punitiveness was associated with decline in victims' forgiveness. The findings highlight the regulatory function of victim forgiveness and the pivotal role of restoring value consensus in interactive moral repair.

Resource Loss and Stress Outcomes in a Setting of Chronic Conflict: The Conservation of Resources Theory in the Eastern Congo

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine conservation of resources (COR) theory in the context of armed conflict in Africa. Specifically, within the setting of ongoing chronic conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), we tested the COR theory prediction that resource loss contributes to various stress outcomes. A randomly selected sample of 312 adults (125 men, 187 women) from villages in North Kivu, DRC completed orally administered measures of resource loss, daily stressors, and four stress outcomes: depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, posttraumatic distress, and general distress. Consistent with COR theory, resource loss predicted all four stress outcomes above and beyond the contribution of demographics, relocation experiences, and daily stressors; however, this effect was small, ΔR² = .02-.06. The most consistent and strongest predictors of stress outcomes were daily stressors, βs = .42-.62; number of relocation experiences, βs = .33-.43; and psychosocial resource loss (e.g., loss of hope, meaning or purpose in life, intimacy with friends and family, physical health of family), βs = .17-.26. Additionally, male sex predicted depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms, and lower educational status predicted anxiety symptoms and general distress. Our exploratory mediation analysis showed that daily stressors partially mediated all four pairs of associations between psychosocial resource loss and mental health outcomes. We discuss the findings with consideration of research on disasters generally and armed conflicts specifically. We also discuss implications for humanitarian interventions with conflict-affected populations in Africa and beyond.

Efficacy of the REACH Forgiveness Intervention in Indian College Students

The present study investigated the efficacy of the REACH Forgiveness psychoeducation program for the first time in Indian college students and examined theoretically-based predictors of program response based on the model of relational spirituality and forgiveness. This was an intervention experiment that spanned 5 weeks and included three measurement occasions (weeks 1, 3, 5) and two separate deliveries of the forgiveness intervention (weeks 2 and 4). Participants were N = 124 students at Karnatak University in Darwha, India (100 Hindu; 18 Muslim, 5 Christian, and 1 Jain). This was a manualized, secular intervention led by a trained facilitator in a group, psychoeducational format. Measures included forgiveness and unforgiveness as well as assessments of positive and negative affective states and spirituality. Participants who received immediate forgiveness training showed significant and large positive changes in forgiveness and unforgiveness, as well as, more positive affect and increased self-esteem in contrast to wait-list comparisons. Perceiving one’s offender as having a similar spirituality to oneself was a consistent predictor of response to the REACH Forgiveness program. Specifically, perceiving the offender as having a similar spirituality was related to less growth of unforgiveness and more growth in empathy, positive affect, and emotional forgiveness as a result of the psychoeducational program. The REACH Forgiveness psychoeducational approach is efficacious in an Indian college student sample, and some relational spirituality variables are important predictors of response to the program. Future studies should consider the role of Indian culture in promoting forgiveness and possibly tailor the intervention to suit the significant proportions of Hindus and Muslims in India.

Apology and Restitution: The Psychophysiology of Forgiveness After Accountable Relational Repair Responses

Apology and restitution each represents wrongdoers' accountable repair responses that have promoted victims' self-reported empathy and forgiveness in crime scenario research. The current study measured emotional and stress-related dependent variables including physiological measures, to illuminate the links between predictors of forgiveness and health-relevant side effects. Specifically, we tested the independent and interactive effects of apology and restitution on forgiveness, emotion self-reports, and facial responses, as well as cardiac measures associated with stress in 32 males and 29 females. Apology and restitution each independently increased empathy, forgiveness, gratitude, and positive emotions, while reducing unforgiveness, negative emotion, and muscle activity above the brow (corrugator supercilii, CS). The presence of a thorough apology-regardless of whether restitution was present-also calmed heart rate, reduced rate pressure products indicative of cardiac stress, and decreased muscle activity under the eye (orbicularis oculi, OO). Interactions pointed to the more potent effects of restitution compared to apology for reducing unforgiveness and anger, while elevating positivity and gratitude. The findings point to distinctive impacts of apology and restitution as factors that foster forgiveness, along with emotional and embodied changes relevant to health.

The Big Six Personality Traits and Mental Distress: Dynamic Modeling in a Population Panel Study Reveals Bidirectional Relationships Involving Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness

In a single comprehensive model, using a large nationally representative sample, we investigate longitudinal relationships between mental distress and "Big Six" personality using an analysis approach sensitive to dynamic effects (i.e., to effects of deviations from individual trajectories). We find that, consistent with a mechanism involving scarring by distress, upward deviations (flare-ups) in distress predict flare-ups in Neuroticism 12 months later. Among younger adults (n = 4,775), distress flare-ups predict dips in Conscientiousness. Consistent with a dynamic precursor model, (a) flare-ups in Neuroticism and Extraversion predict subsequent flare-ups in distress among older adults (n = 11,167), and (b) slopes of distress correlate with slopes of a number of traits (e.g., positively for Neuroticism, and, among older adults, negatively for Extraversion). While demonstrating these scarring and dynamic precursor effects, we draw attention to a nuanced direction of dynamic effect for Extraversion, a newly discovered dynamic effect of Conscientiousness, and previously undocumented dynamic effects of traits on each other.

Does forgiving in a collectivistic culture affect only decisions to forgive and not emotions? REACH forgiveness collectivistic in Indonesia

According to some theorising, in collectivistic societies, forgiveness is mainly enacted to maintain relationships, not engender emotional transformation. This present study was designed to explore whether forgiveness affects decisional and emotional forgiveness in Indonesia, a country categorised as collectivistic. The evidence-based REACH Forgiveness psychoeducational group intervention was adapted to collectivistic culture (REACH forgiveness collectivistic; REACH-FC), and its efficacy was assessed in a randomised controlled trial. Undergraduates in Indonesia (N = 97; 24 male; 73 female; ages 16-21) were randomly assigned within a 2 × 3(S) quasi-experimental repeated-measures design comparing immediate treatment (IT) and waiting list (WL) conditions [Condition (IT, WL) × Time ([S] 3 time points). Harmonious value, a personality variable assessing the strength of participants' desire for group harmony, was the covariate. The condition × time (S) interactions for both decisional and emotional forgiveness were significant, challenging some previous literature. Clearly, not all forms of collectivism have similar effects when individuals and communities deal with transgressions.

Forgiveness moderates relations between psychological abuse and indicators of psychological distress among women in romantic relationships

Forgiveness frequently occurs in a relational context and is a key ingredient for restoring and maintaining intimate relationships. Yet, certain interpersonal dynamics that sometimes motivate forgiveness (e.g. abuse) have the potential to adversely affect well-being, especially when ongoing exploitation occurs. In this study, we examined the role of forgiveness in moderating relations between psychological abuse and indicators of psychological distress in a sample of community-based South African women currently in a heterosexual romantic relationship. Participants (n=515) completed measures of decisional and emotional forgiveness of their partner, psychological abuse committed by their current partner during the course of the relationship, and depression, anxiety, and stress. Latent profile analysis identified two subgroups characterised by differing levels of forgiveness: partial forgiveness (high decisional forgiveness and moderate emotional forgiveness) and complete forgiveness (high decisional and emotional forgiveness). Regression analyses revealed that the relations of psychological abuse with depression and stress, but not anxiety, were moderated by ‘forgiveness of partner’. The complete forgiveness group scored lower on depression and stress when psychological abuse was lower, but higher on each outcome when psychological abuse was higher. The findings suggest that there may be conditions in which forgiveness of partner may promote or undermine the mental health of women who experience abuse perpetrated by their current partner.

Intrapersonal and interpersonal facilitators of forgiveness following spousal infidelity: A stress and coping perspective

OBJECTIVE

Forgiveness includes processes that involve a decision to stop bitterness and thoughts of revenge (i.e., decisional forgiveness), which further motivates the forgiver towards the restoration of positive emotions (i.e., emotional forgiveness). Using stress and coping framework, this study investigated intrapersonal and interpersonal facilitators of decisional and emotional forgiveness in a Chinese marital context.

METHOD

Participants were 154 respondents who had experienced or were experiencing spousal infidelity.

RESULTS

Solidarity-oriented personality and perceived partner's reconciliation motivation facilitated benign attributions and empathy, then facilitated higher levels of decisional forgiveness, which promoted emotional forgiveness. Strength of marital bond before the infidelity directly predicted higher levels of emotional forgiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide evidence for the differentiated decisional and emotional forgiveness processes after spousal infidelity and delineate different coping mechanism that triggers them, thus lending culturally appropriate evidence for clinicians who work with clients facing spousal infidelity.

Development of the Self-Forgiveness Dual-Process Scale

Progress in the scientific study of self-forgiveness reveals a need for (a) integration of the extant self-forgiveness literature with general psychological theory, (b) development of measures that reflect nuanced conceptualizations of self-forgiveness, (c) better understanding of the impact of self-forgiveness on personal and interpersonal functioning, and (d) development of evidence-based clinical applications of self-forgiveness. Accordingly, we conceptualized self-forgiveness within the framework of Social Cognitive Theory and developed the Self-Forgiveness Dual-Process Scale to assess value reorientation (VRO) and esteem restoration (ERS) following perceived interpersonal offense. In Study 1, we identified the hypothesized 2-factor structure in a sample of university students (N = 191). For Study 2, we used an independent sample (N = 100) to replicate the factor structure and provide initial evidence of construct validity by exploring associations of value reorientation and esteem restoration with established measures of self-forgiveness, self-punishment, and self-exoneration. In Study 3, we recruited a third sample (N = 66) to assess contributions of value reorientation and esteem restoration to explain variance in offense-related rumination beyond that explained by an existing measure of state self-forgiveness. Overall, findings supported conceptualization of self-forgiveness according to processes of value reorientation and esteem restoration, distinguished self-forgiveness from other responses to wrongdoing, and revealed the unique impacts of value reorientation and esteem restoration on functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Do congruent apologies facilitate forgiveness?

Research largely supports the apology–forgiveness cycle, a process in which perpetrators’ post-transgression apologies are reciprocated with victims’ forgiveness. This cycle is often facilitated by the mere provision of an apology. Yet, there are times in which apologies may be rejected. We hypothesised that when apologies matched victims’ apology preferences (i.e., congruent apologies), victims would be more likely to accept them and self-report higher levels of forgiveness. Using an autobiographical transgression-recall approach, participants ( n = 102) provided self-report ratings on the apology they preferred receiving, the severity of the transgression, the type of apology they actually received from perpetrators, whether or not they accepted the apology offered to them, and forgiveness. Victims were more likely to accept apologies and report higher levels of forgiveness when perpetrators offered apologies that were congruent with victims’ preferred apologies, particularly apologies that met victims’ needs for empathy. The findings not only provide support for the apology–forgiveness cycle but also signify the importance of delivering apologies that meet the psychological needs of victims.

The multicultural orientation framework: A narrative review

After several decades of slow progress, researchers are beginning to make advances in linking constructs based on the multicultural competencies tradition-especially those focused on qualities of the therapist-to therapy outcomes. The multicultural orientation framework was developed in response to several trends within the multicultural competencies tradition, with a particular emphasis on integrating the multicultural competencies tradition into research on psychotherapy process. We provide a narrative review of studies that include one of the three constructs (i.e., cultural humility, cultural opportunities, and cultural comfort) articulated by the multicultural orientation framework. Results indicate initial evidence linking multicultural orientation constructs to therapy outcomes (e.g., perceived improvement, racial/ethnic disparities in termination, and therapy alliance). Results also supported the social bond and social oil hypotheses from theorizing on humility. Implications for future research and therapy practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Integrating clients' religion and spirituality within psychotherapy: A comprehensive meta-analysis

Some religious or spiritual (R/S) clients seek psychotherapy that integrates R/S values, while others may be reticent to disclose R/S-related aspects of struggles in a presumably secular setting. We meta-analyzed 97 outcome studies (N = 7,181) examining the efficacy of tailoring treatment to patients' R/S beliefs and values. We compared the effectiveness of R/S-tailored psychotherapy with no-treatment controls, alternate secular treatments, and additive secular treatments. R/S-adapted psychotherapy resulted in greater improvement in clients' psychological (g = 0.74, p < 0.000) and spiritual (g = 0.74, p < 0.000) functioning compared with no treatment and non R/S psychotherapies (psychological: g = 0.33, p < 0.001; spiritual: g = 0.43, p < 0.001). In more rigorous additive studies, R/S-accommodated psychotherapies were equally effective to standard approaches in reducing psychological distress (g = 0.13, p = 0.258), but resulted in greater spiritual well-being (g = 0.34, p < 0.000). We feature several clinical examples and conclude with evidence-based therapeutic practices.

Religiously or Spiritually-Motivated Forgiveness and Subsequent Health and Well-Being among Young Adults: An Outcome-Wide Analysis

This study performs an outcome-wide analysis to prospectively examine the associations of forgiveness (including forgiveness of others, self-forgiveness and divine forgiveness) with a range of psychosocial, mental, behavioral and physical health outcomes. Data from the Nurses' Health Study II and the Growing Up Today Study (Ns ranged from 5,246 to 6,994, depending on forgiveness type and outcome) with 3 or 6 years of follow-up were analyzed using generalized estimating equations. Bonferroni correction was used to correct for multiple testing. All models controlled for sociodemographic characteristics, prior religious service attendance, prior maternal attachment and prior values of the outcome variables. All forgiveness measures were positively associated with all psychosocial well-being outcomes, and inversely associated with depressive or anxiety symptoms. There was little association between forgiveness and behavioral or physical health outcomes. Forgiveness may be understood as a good itself, and may also lead to better subsequent mental health and psychosocial well-being.

Negative Interpersonal Interactions and Dating Abuse Perpetration: The Mediating Role of Dispositional Forgivingness

Theory and research suggest that an individual's negative interactions with his or her parents or romantic partner are associated with the perpetration of dating abuse. Research is beginning to explore the role of forgivingness within abusive romantic relationships, and these preliminary findings suggest that dispositional forgivingness might mediate the relations between negative interpersonal interactions and dating abuse. The current study assessed negative interactions with one's parents and one's romantic partner, the frequency of dating abuse perpetration, and dispositional forgivingness of others and oneself among a sample of emerging adults in college ( n = 421). Dispositional forgivingness of others was negatively associated with the perpetration of emotional/verbal dating abuse and threatening behaviors, and it mediated relations between negative interpersonal interactions and dating abuse perpetration. Our findings suggest that the tendency to forgive others may explain why some individuals who experience negative interpersonal interactions with parents or romantic partners do not escalate to perpetration of abuse within their romantic relationships. Implications for future research and application are discussed.

Promoting forgiveness: Characteristics of the treatment, the clients, and their interaction

Forgiveness-based group treatments to address interpersonal hurts have been shown to be efficacious across a range of therapy models (Wade, Hoyt, Kidwell, & Worthington, 2014). However, little is known about how treatment and individual characteristics may interact in predicting outcomes. The present study examined a sample of 162 community adults randomly assigned to three treatment conditions; an 8-week REACH Forgiveness intervention (Worthington, 2006), an 8-week process group, and a waitlist control. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) indicated that the forgiveness-based treatment was more effective than the waitlist control across a range of forgiveness-related constructs but no more effective than the process condition. Furthermore, attachment avoidance and anxiety interacted with treatment type to predict certain outcomes, indicating that the REACH Forgiveness model may be more helpful for promoting forgiveness with insecurely attached individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record