Spiritual Fortitude: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Implications for COVID-19 Coping

Abstract

Traumatic events, such as natural disasters, often lead to significant resource loss for survivors, which can negatively affect emotional well-being. In these situations, it is common for people to draw on their religious or spiritual faith to cope with their pain and struggle. One construct that has received increased attention within the field of religious/ spiritual coping is spiritual fortitude (SF). SF refers to one’s ability to draw on spiritual resources to transcend negative emotions in the face of stressors (Van Tongeren et al., 2019). In this review, we analyze eight empirical studies with 3,455 total participants. Specifically, we explore the relationship between SF and mental health and well-being, with a particular focus on its role in traumatic contexts (e.g., natural disasters). SF has been found to demonstrate a series of positive mental health benefits including higher meaning in life, spiritual well-being, positive religious coping, and perceived posttraumatic growth. We discuss areas for future research and implications for clinical practice, with specific consideration to coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.