Copingstrategier under vistelse i koncentrationsläger : -En religionspsykologisk studie om coping vid svår stress

Sammanfattning: To cope with difficult stress isn’t always easy and a lot of studies have been made to gain more information about how individuals develop their coping strategies under extreme stress. During the Holocaust, Jewish people found themselves in a number of different situations: extermination camps, labor and concentration camps, physical hiding in the sewers or forests. The aim of this paper is to examine the experiences and coping strategies of two Holocaust survivors. Through their biographies they have shared their experiences during the concentration camps. The research questions in this study are: How do the two individuals develop their coping during their stay in a concentration camp and to what extent can religion be included in the coping process? Three underlying questions are: What was significant for them during their experiences? What can be seen as theirs stressors? and What kind of coping strategies are used? To answer these questions a qualitative research method called template analysis style has been used. The main theory is Pargament’s (1997) coping theory. The conclusion of my study was that both individuals are trying to normalize life in the concentration camps with the help of daily routines because they felt that surviving in concentration camp is a matter of adaptation. Individuals had both mental and physical stressors. The use of daily routines and boundary setting served as coping strategies for both individuals. A strategy that both of the individuals used was to think about the future and prepare for the life after the concentration camp. The results showed that religion wasn’t a part of the coping process for these two individuals and that several different coping strategies were used.