Neuroscientific, Behavioural, and Mental Health Interventions for Survivors of Unethical Religious Healing Practices: A Scoping Review Protocol

This study focuses on the systematic analysis and mapping of the existing body of literature on interventions designed to assist survivors of harmful religious healing practices. The specific focus of this study is on the psychological, behavioural, neurological, emotional and spiritual impact on individuals subjected to the unethical use of religion. Specifically, this includes the use of coercion to force an individual into a certain behaviour or action, manipulation or failure to provide victims adequate medical care and spiritual abuse towards victims. The aim of this project is to identify and evaluate neuroscientific, behavioral, psychosocial, and mental health interventions for helping survivors of trauma due to religious abuse, as well as how the trauma from abuse is perceived across disciplines, including neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, theology, and pastoral care. A scoping review will be employed to acquire information using the Arksey and O’Malley framework and PRISMA-ScR Guidelines, examining both peer reviewed and grey literature sourced from many different academic databases. The anticipated outcomes of this project include an interdisciplinary overview of all interventions identified, identification of gaps related to religious trauma research, and suggestions for ethical, trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate practices within survivor care. The results will support mental health practitioners, pastoral caregivers, researched, and faith communities with evidence-based methods for supporting survivors of trauma and ethical use of religious practices.