Abstract
Background: Religious rituals can shape the expression of psychopathology after severe trauma. We examined how religious commitment relates to obsessive compulsive disorder 55, particularly compulsive washing, among women treated for rape-related post-traumatic stress disorder.
Methods: In a comparative study, 32 Kurdish refugee inpatients and 30 German inpatients with rape-related post-traumatic stress disorders were assessed during early hospitalization using validated clinical interviews and questionnaires 84 alongside the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire. Thirty-eight healthy Kurdish refugee women served as controls.
Results: Post-traumatic stress disorders severity did not differ significantly between patient groups. Kurdish patients showed higher compulsive disorders severity than German patients (Y-BOCS total mean 18.5 vs. 10.8) and much higher compulsive-action scores (13.7 vs. 6.8); controls scored low (total 3.3; actions 1.5). Religious upbringing and, especially, practicing religion were more prevalent among Kurdish patients than among German patients and controls. Higher religious commitment correlated with greater compulsive washing on multiple Y-BOCS action items among Kurdish patients (e.g., bathing/showering, washing hands/face), with smaller or item-limited associations in German patients.
Conclusions: Cultural background, indexed here by strength of religious commitment, modulates the manifestation of compulsive disorders symptoms, particularly washing compulsions, in women with rape-related PTSD. Culturally sensitive assessment and treatment should explicitly address religious practices and meaning frameworks when planning post-traumatic stress disorders and compulsive disorders interventions for refugee populations.