Groundbreaking study exposes hidden struggles of ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses in the UK

A groundbreaking study published in The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion has shed light on the profound and long-lasting challenges faced by people leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses and ways in which targeted support can assist their recovery.

Conducted by a national group of academic researchers in collaboration with Faith to Faithless, the Humanists UK programme supporting people who leave high-control religions, the research involved in-depth interviews with 20 ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses in the UK. Participants described significant emotional, social, and practical struggles after leaving – often compounded by shunning, loss of identity, and a lack of understanding from professionals.

The study found:

• Many experience acute mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD, linked both to life inside the religion and to the process of leaving.
  
• Social isolation is common, with loss of family and friends leaving some feeling like ‘a little baby’ navigating the outside world for the first time.
  
• Professional help is often ineffective due to a lack of awareness about religious trauma.
  
• Recovery is possible – but requires specialist understanding, safe environments, and supportive relationships.

The authors emphasise that leaving a high-control religion is not a single event but ‘a complex, ongoing process of rebuilding identity and worldview.’ With the right support from trained mental health professionals, informed social services, and community networks, former members can ‘piece everything together again’ and go on to live fulfilling lives.

Reflecting these findings, Faith to Faithless is calling for:

• Integration of religious trauma awareness for professionals working in NHS mental health services.
  
• Specialist training for safeguarding and social care professionals to recognise abuse within religious contexts, and the impact of leaving a high-control religious group.
  
• Statutory funding for therapy and other support services for those leaving high-control religions, as recommended by the government-commissioned Bloom Review of 2023.

Terri O’Sullivan, Apostate Services Development Officer at Faith to Faithless, said:

‘This research confirms what we see every day: people leaving high-control religions face immense barriers to rebuilding their lives. Without informed support, too many are left isolated, misunderstood, and at risk. But with the right help, recovery is absolutely possible.’