“The Role of Religion and Spirituality in Building Resiliency Among Muslim Armed Forces Personnel”

 Studies show that religion and spirituality protect military personnel from stress, trauma, and suicidality; support coping; and build resilience. Additionally, the Army has identified spirituality as a salient component of its strategic planning and training. As most relevant literature on resiliency focuses on mainstream populations’ definitions of healthy functioning, it remains unclear how such strategies apply to non-mainstream populations and religions such as Muslims and Islam.

 

Objectives: This study will explore (1) How and to what extent do religion/spirituality help Muslim Armed Forces Personnel (MAFP) cope with service and war-related stress?; (2) What factors contribute to their spiritual fitness?; (3) What other strategies do MAFP use to cope with daily life and war?; (4) What are the risk and protective factors of religious/spiritual-based coping?; (5) How do religious/spiritual-based coping strategies impact MAFP’s resiliency?; and (6) How does family and community support impact MAFP’s resiliency and health resources?

 Hypotheses: (1) that MAFP using religious/spiritual coping strategies and receiving family and community support will more effectively deal with adversity and further increase their resiliency, and, conversely, (2) that the presence of faith-related stressors can cause observant MAFP to experience increased stress and decreased resiliency.

Methods: This study utilized in-depth semi structured individual face-to-face interviews with 20 active and retired MAFP.  All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed for analysis.

Data Analysis: Grounded thematic analysis guided the processing of qualitative interview data.  Two authors and one research assistant have reviewed the transcriptions of each interview and used the qualitative data analysis software package NVivo9 to develop hierarchies of themes and sub-themes through constant comparison across interviews.  Theme summaries were integrated into theoretical memos to explore emerging perspectives on the data.   

Results: The level to which religion serves as either a protective or risk factor for a participant varied depending on race, ethnicity, gender, rank, skin color, branch of military service and immigration status.  While some participants faced more religious discrimination after 9/11, practicing religion and seeking familial and social support were important strategies used to reinforce their spiritual fitness and cope with war and life stressors.   Participants faced many barriers including a lack of access to faith-based services, inability to attend Jumuah prayer service on Fridays, and an absence of halal food on base.  All Participants recommended incorporating educational and cultural competency training about Islam and Muslims into the U.S. Armed Forces System as a way to help foster resiliency and spiritual fitness among both Muslims and other Armed Forces personnel.

Implications: Individuals of minority cultural, religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds are likely to have different needs than their majority counterparts. The study’s results can help mental health providers identify common coping strategies among MAFP, and provide the necessary services to help them become more resilient while facing stresses associated with trauma. Findings will also identify the role of family and community as a source of support to service members as they begin to understand the service members’ experiences. This could strengthen family life and connectedness, while maintaining the highest state of military readiness.