God Images and Resilience: A Study of Vietnamese Immigrants

This article examines the relationship between resilience and the God images of Vietnamese immigrants living in Canada. In earlier literature, little attention was paid to the way that these immigrants may have used spiritual components as resources in helping them endure struggle and become resilient (i.e., well-adapted, resourceful, and filled with a sense of purpose). In the current study, we examined the above link using an object relations' perspective on God images and hypothesized that a more positive God image would be related to greater resilience. One hundred twenty-nine participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Questionnaire on God Image (QGI), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Correlation and regression analyses showed that positive God images (e.g., those characterized by love, comfort, protection, and trust) were not only positively associated with a higher degree of resilience but also helped predict resilience among the Vietnamese immigrants we surveyed. We discuss various cultural implications of these findings for theory, research, and practice and make recommendations for fixture research. ********** The world is filled with millions of men, women, and children who, with strength and courage, grace and humor, resolve and hard work, rise above their pain and live in the face of continuous suffering. In our own lives we may know some of these special people. (Wholey, 1992, p.1) Vietnamese immigrants have faced many hardships and losses associated with experiences of war, of crossing the ocean by boat, and of separating from the family and community structures that are of central importance in Asian culture--as this separation can threaten individuals' sense of security within, and loyalty to, their family and community units (Lee, 2000). Despite these hardships, many Vietnamese immigrants appear to be well-adjusted in their host countries (Beiser, 2009; Dorais, 2007). In the current study, we sought to further understand what spiritual resources might be contributing to the resilience of these immigrants by first examining their God images through the lens of object relations theory (Klein, 1930/1964; Rizzuto, 1979). Research demonstrates that the empirical foundations of Rizzuto's (1979) theory of God image are robust (Lawrence, 1997; Schaap-Jonker, Eurelings-Bontekoe, Zock, & Jonker, 2008), and the theory has often been used to help people find meaning in life and deal with existential fear (e.g., experiences of loss) across the lifespan. For instance, Dezutter et al. (2010) found that the experience of God as loving and comforting could lead one to interpret illness in a constructive way. Francis, Gibson, and Robbins (2001) also found that a loving image of God predicts life satisfaction and well-being. Furthermore, research indicates that people's experience of God provides a framework of belief systems that can inspire hope in the face of negative events (Gall & Guirguis-Younger, 2013; Pargament, Smith, Koenig, & Perez, 1998). God images have also been seen as a way of exploring Vietnamese immigrants' spiritual resources in dealing with losses and adapting to host countries (Dorais, 2007). This article provides a review of the relevant literature with a special focus on object relations theory as it relates to the development of God images and resilience. Our findings suggest that a higher score on positive God image is not only related to a higher level of resilience, it is also a predictor of resilience. Results from the current study are also examined from a cultural perspective, and recommendations for possible future research are presented. We begin by first describing each key concept in the current study. God Images and God Concepts God image is a psychological construct related to how one feels toward God (e.g., feeling safe because one believes God is trustworthy, consistent, and comforting or feeling anxious because one views God as untrustworthy, inconsistent, and angry) and one's impression of how God feels about oneself (Hall, Fujikawa, Halcrow, Hill, & Delaney, 2009). …