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Abstract
Participation in organized religion has been correlated with various negative mental health outcomes for LGBTQQA persons, including shame, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse. However, previous research has not fully examined the impact of specific religious events on these outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between Allport & Ross (1967) religious orientations, orthodoxy, spiritual trauma, and PTSD in LGBTQQA Mormons and ex-Mormons. Mormonism was selected as the studys focus population given its centralized governing structure as well as its strong doctrinal and policy restrictions against homosexuality and transgenderism. The study used a cross-sectional online survey design. Two-hundred and seventy-eight participants were recruited primarily through LDS-affiliated LGBTQQA support and discussion groups on Facebook. Existing measures were used to collect data on religious orientation and PTSD, while the researcher developed questions to quantify spiritual trauma specific to Mormon doctrine and policies. The majority of participants (85.6%) were raised in an LDS family and half (51.8%) indicated they still attend LDS services at least monthly. On average, participants identified 13.8 religious beliefs, teachings, or experiences as damaging or extremely damaging. A majority of participants (89.2%) likely met criteria for PTSD diagnosis related to their religious experiences. Respondents perception of religious experiences as damaging had a statistically significant positive effect on PTSD symptomology. Conditional process analysis did not show any significant relationship between religious orientation and orthodoxy on spiritual trauma or PTSD. Overall, the findings of this study indicate LGBTQQA Mormon and ex-Mormon adults experience a substantial amount of spiritual trauma and PTSD related to their religious experiences. Thus, it is recommended social workers incorporate religious and spiritual dimensions into assessment efforts to assess both positive and negative impacts of religious participation, with social work education providing additional training in the topics of spirituality and spiritual trauma. Implications for future research, including continued efforts to build a conceptual consensus of spiritual trauma, are also shared.