Prayer and Avoidant Coping in Non-White and White Groups: Post-Traumatic Stress after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Background and Purpose:Major natural disasters bring about great loss of life, limb, property, and health problems including post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS)—symptoms particularly problematic for minority groups due to pre-disaster health disparities born of historic and contemporary discrimination. Coping is understood as a critical mediator between trauma and post-traumatic stress. Hence, we sought to compare coping strategies used and associated PTSS in light of racial/ethnic inequalities after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (HKR). We hypothesized that disparate levels of PTSS would be observed between groups and that coping strategies would have differential associations with PTSS.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were drawn from a larger convenience sample of college students surveyed at five Gulf Coast universities three months after HKR (Non-White: n=233; White: n=124). Demographic characteristics, the Brief COPE (α=.92), the Modified PTSD Symptom Scale (MPSS-SR; α=.91), and a 4-item measure of coping via prayer (α=.80) were included in the survey. Frequencies, descriptive and bivariate statistics, and principal component analyses (PCA) were used to describe the sample and measures. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to compare coping strategies used by Non-White and White subsamples’ accounted for PTSS during the past 30 days upon controlling for age, gender, and the protective factor of prayer.

Results: PCA of the Brief-COPE revealed a two-factor structure: Active (n=11; α=.92) and Avoidant (n=17; α=.88). Mean differences revealed numerous disparities with the Non-White subsample reporting greater PTSS (d=.22), active coping (d=.23), and coping via prayer (d=.76). Bivariate analyses revealed moderate relationships between avoidant coping and PTSS for both Non-White and White subsamples (r=.63; r=.58, p<.01, respectively). Avoidant coping accounted for the largest variation in PTSS for both groups, though a stronger association was found for the Non-White subsample when compared to the White subsample (β=.51; β=.35, p<.001, respectively).

Conclusions and Implications: We sought to compare coping strategies used and associated PTSS between racial/ethnic groups in the wake of HKR. The Non-White subsample reported greater use of prayer and active coping. Socio-political disenfranchisement of minority groups has been noted as often met with both persistence and prayer. Results may thus reflect the cultural norm to harness spirituality through prayer to manage fear. Scholars have noted that avoidant coping is associated with mental health sequelae after traumatic events. Therefore, the current study findings align with previous research. The stronger relationship observed between avoidant coping and PTSS for the Non-White subsample may reflect ongoing inequality and inequity for minority groups in the Gulf Coast region, though this was not examined in the current study. Survey methods, sampling strategies, and measures limit generalizability and thus, temper findings. We encourage 1) social workers to educate individuals to reduce avoidant coping strategies and 2) institutions of higher education to use available technologies (e.g., websites, social media) to increase awareness and access of community resources to support post-disaster recovery. Researchers are called to use PTSS measures that account for symptom frequency and severity. These practice and research efforts will support our ability to enhance the well-being of vulnerable individuals and communities.