TITLE:
The Mental and Physical Health Effects of Torture: The Role of Identity Salience as a Pathway to Posttraumatic Growth and Healing: The Case of Syrian Refugees and IDPs
AUTHORS:
Ibrahim Kira, Hanaa Shuwiekh, Boshra Al Ibrahim, Jakoub Aljakoub
KEYWORDS:
Torture Survivors, Refugees, Identity Salience, PTSD, Dissociation, Executive Function Deficits
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.12 No.11,
November
29,
2021
ABSTRACT: Objective: Some studies found that torture did not predict posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is associated with more complex symptoms and that torture survivors are more resilient than other refugees. The goal is to recheck the validity of these findings. Method: A secondary analysis of data of 502 Syrian refugees, of whom 123 were torture survivors, we measured cumulative stressors and traumas (CST), PTSD, identity salience, post-cumulative trauma-related disorders (P-CTD), posttraumatic growth (PTG), and physical health. We conducted independent samples t-test between tortured and non-tortured refugees and hierarchical multiple regression analyses with PTSD, P-CTD, and PTG as dependent variables. We entered intersected discrimination, torture, and identity salience in the last step. Results: Independent samples t-test indicated that torture survivors have more neurological and musculoskeletal problems, higher psychoticism-dissociation, suicidality, and executive control deficits. There were no differences between the two groups in PTG. Further, torture survivors have higher identity salience than other non-tortured refugees. Regression analysis indicated that torture and intersected discrimination were predictors of P-CTD syndromes; torture was a stronger predictor. Torture did not predict PTSD. Identity salience was a strong predictor of PTG (Beta = .51). Conclusions: Torture survivors may develop PTSD because of other traumas other than torture. The results clarified some of the mechanisms that linked high identity salience and PTG in torture survivors, even though they have worse physical health, higher trauma load, and mental health symptom severity, compared to other refugees. Torture survivors’ stronger collective identity empowered their PTG. The clinical implications of the results were discussed.