The Relationship of Meaning of Life and Religious Beliefs with the Type and Extent of Acute Stress Reactions after the Disclosure of Spouse''''s Infidelity

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of meaning of life and religious beliefs with the type and extent of acute stress reactions after the disclosure of spouse''s infidelity. This correlational study was a descriptive research. The population was couples who had been involved in infidelities and had referred to the courts and family counseling centers in the cities of Tehran and Saveh in the years 2020-2021. 172 people were purposefully selected among them as the sample. The data collection tools were Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire (SASRQ), Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) and Glock and Stark''s dimensions of religiosity. The data were analyzed by the Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. According to the results, the extent of acute stress reactions after the disclosure of spouse''s infidelity had a negative significant relationship with meaning of life and its dimensions, including the existence of meaning and seeking it, and religious beliefs and their dimensions, including beliefs, rituals, and emotional and consequential aspects (p < 0.01). All types of acute stress reactions, i.e. dissociative symptoms, re-experience, avoidance, anxiety, hyper-arousal and functional disorder, also had a negative significant relationship with religious beliefs, and meaning of life and its dimensions (p < 0.05). 36% of the total variance of acute stress reactions was explained by meaning of life and religious beliefs (p < 0.01). Therefore, couples'' meaning of life and religious beliefs decrease their acute stress reactions after the disclosure of spouse''s infidelity.

Keywords

• meaning of life
• religious beliefs
• acute stress disorder
• infidelity
• disclosure of infidelity