Refusal of Medical Blood Transfusions Among Jehovah's Witnesses: Emotion Regulation of the Dissonance of Saving and Sacrificing Life

Overview

Journal J Relig Health

Publisher Springer

Specialties General Medicine
Psychology
Social Sciences

Date 2016 Apr 21

PMID 27094707

Citations 1

Authors

Hege Kristin Ringnes

Harald Hegstad

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This study focuses on the requirement of JWs to refuse medical blood transfusions. We identified a life-death cognitive dissonance among JWs, with the opposing cognitions of being willing to sacrifice life by religious standards, while being unwilling to do so. Using a theory that connects cognitive dissonance with the need to regulate difficult emotions to analyze our qualitative data material, we identified two sets of dissonance reduction strategies among the JWs. Set 1 was tied to the individual-group: selective focus on eternal life, a non-blood support and control system, and increased individualization of treatment choices. Set 2 was in the religion versus medicine intersection: denial of risk combined with optimism, perception of blood as dangerous, and use of medical language to underscore religious doctrine.

Citing Articles

Religiosity and Attitudes towards Health, Disease, Death and the Use of Stimulants among Jehovah's Witnesses.

Jakubowska K, Chrusciel P, Jurek K, Machul M, Kosciolek A, Dobrowolska B Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(10).

PMID: 34064581 PMC: 8151608. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18105049.

References

Cordella M . Negotiating religious beliefs in a medical setting. J Relig Health. 2010; 51(3):837-53. DOI: 10.1007/s10943-010-9393-0. View

Rajtar M . Bioethics and religious bodies: refusal of blood transfusions in Germany. Soc Sci Med. 2013; 98:271-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.02.043. View

Bock G . Jehovah's Witnesses and autonomy: honouring the refusal of blood transfusions. J Med Ethics. 2012; 38(11):652-6. DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2012-100802. View

Jordan S, Alexander E . Bovine hemoglobin: a nontraditional approach to the management of acute anemia in a Jehovah's Witness patient with autoimmune hemolytic anemia. J Pharm Pract. 2012; 26(3):257-60. DOI: 10.1177/0897190012451928. View

Jonas E, Greenberg J, Frey D . Connecting terror management and dissonance theory: Evidence that mortality salience increases the preference for supporting information after decisions. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2004; 29(9):1181-9. DOI: 10.1177/0146167203254599. View

Spencer J . A point of contention: the scriptural basis for the Jehovah's Witnesses' refusal of blood transfusions. Christ Bioeth. 2003; 8(1):63-90. DOI: 10.1076/chbi.8.1.63.8761. View

Dallas T, Welsby I, Bottiger B, Milano C, Daneshmand M, Guinn N . Bloodless Orthotopic Heart Transplantation in a Jehovah's Witness. A A Case Rep. 2015; 4(10):140-2. DOI: 10.1213/XAA.0000000000000067. View

Jonas E, Graupmann V, Frey D . The influence of mood on the search for supporting versus conflicting information: dissonance reduction as a means of mood regulation?. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2005; 32(1):3-15. DOI: 10.1177/0146167205276118. View

Muramoto O . Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses: Part 3. A proposal for a don't-ask-don't-tell policy. J Med Ethics. 2000; 25(6):463-8. PMC: 479294. DOI: 10.1136/jme.25.6.463. View

10.

Gupta S, Onwude J, Stasi R, Manyonda I . Refusal of blood transfusion by Jehovah's Witness women: a survey of current management in obstetric and gynaecological practice in the U.K. Blood Transfus. 2012; 10(4):462-70. PMC: 3496240. DOI: 10.2450/2012.0105-11. View

11.

Singla A, Lapinski R, Berkowitz R, Saphier C . Are women who are Jehovah's Witnesses at risk of maternal death?. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2001; 185(4):893-5. DOI: 10.1067/mob.2001.117357. View

12.

Van Wolfswinkel M, Zwart J, Schutte J, Duvekot J, Pel M, Van Roosmalen J . Maternal mortality and serious maternal morbidity in Jehovah's witnesses in The Netherlands. BJOG. 2009; 116(8):1103-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2009.02191.x. View

13.

Wilson P . Jehovah's Witness children: when religion and the law collide. Paediatr Nurs. 2005; 17(3):34-7. DOI: 10.7748/paed2005.04.17.3.34.c978. View

14.

Belzen J, Hood R . Methodological issues in the psychology of religion: toward another paradigm?. J Psychol. 2006; 140(1):5-28. DOI: 10.3200/JRLP.140.1.5-28. View

15.

Ridley D . Jehovah's Witnesses' refusal of blood: obedience to scripture and religious conscience. J Med Ethics. 2000; 25(6):469-72. PMC: 479295. DOI: 10.1136/jme.25.6.469. View

16.

Shaner D, Prema J . Conversation and the Jehovah's Witness dying from blood loss. Narrat Inq Bioeth. 2014; 4(3):253-61. DOI: 10.1353/nib.2014.0071. View

17.

Gohel M, Bulbulia R, Slim F, Poskitt K, Whyman M . How to approach major surgery where patients refuse blood transfusion (including Jehovah's Witnesses). Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2005; 87(1):3-14. PMC: 1963852. DOI: 10.1308/1478708051414. View

18.

Allen J, Berrios L, Solimine M, Knott-Craig C . Bloodless surgery in a pediatric Jehovah's Witness. J Extra Corpor Technol. 2014; 45(4):251-3. PMC: 4557499. View

19.

Singelenberg R . The blood transfusion taboo of Jehovah's Witnesses: origin, development and function of a controversial doctrine. Soc Sci Med. 1990; 31(4):515-23. DOI: 10.1016/0277-9536(90)90048-w. View

20.

Leas B, Umscheid C . Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infection and Jewish Ritual Circumcision With Oral Suction: A Systematic Review. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2015; 4(2):126-31. PMC: 4608492. DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piu075. View