Religious Struggle and Psychological Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Religious Support and Meaning Making

Beata Zarzycka,Anna Tychmanowicz,Dariusz Krok

doi:10.3390/rel11030149

Abstract

Although a variety of studies have found robust links between religious/spiritual (r/s) struggle and poorer well-being, only a few have examined the means by which r/s struggle affects mental well-being. The present paper aims to examine religious support and meaning making as mediators of the relationship between r/s struggle and well-being. The study included 226 adults, 108 women and 118 men, aged between 17 and 78 years. We applied the Religious and Spiritual Struggle Scale, Religious Support Scale, Meaning Making Scale, and Psychological Well-Being Scale. The results demonstrated that both religious support and meaning making were mediators in the relationship between r/s struggles and well-being. During moral or demonic struggles, many people reportedly feel supported by their religion, make meaning based on these positive religious experiences, and in turn experience greater well-being. Conversely, during divine, ultimate meaning, and interpersonal struggles people may feel like God does not support them, which may lead to difficulties reframing their religious experience, and adversely influence well-being. The findings from this study underscore the multifaceted character of r/s struggle: during different types of r/s struggle people may feel that religion is a source of support for them or, by contrast, they may feel deprived of religious support, which can lead to an increase or decrease of well-being, respectively.

Highlights

Religion is a source of support and consolation for many people as well as a predictor of mental health and personal adjustment (Fatima et al 2018; Koenig et al 2012; Park and Slattery 2013)
Results from mediation analyses indicated: (1) similar patterns of mediation effects for divine, interpersonal, and ultimate meaning struggles—during divine, interpersonal, and ultimate meaning struggles people reportedly do not feel supported by their religion, and have difficulty in cognitively reframing their religious experience, which was negatively correlated with well-being; (2) similar patterns of mediation effects for demonic and moral struggles—during demonic or moral struggles people reportedly feel supported by their religion, which may help them find meaning in their religious experience, and positive meaning making correlated with improved well-being; (3) a different pattern of mediation effect for religious doubt—meaning making was the only mediator of the religious doubt–well-being link
The present study found that different types of r/s struggle—divine, ultimate meaning, and moral struggles—were significant predictors of well-being, it is worth noting that divine and ultimate meaning struggles correlated with psychological well-being (PWB) negatively, whereas moral struggle correlated positively

Summary

Introduction

Religion is a source of support and consolation for many people as well as a predictor of mental health and personal adjustment (Fatima et al 2018; Koenig et al 2012; Park and Slattery 2013). When some persons think that adverse events that happen in their life are unjust, they may blame God, distrust God or feel angry with God (Exline et al 2011). Researchers have coined the term religious or spiritual (r/s) struggle to define a wide range of phenomena, all marked by strains and conflicts related to religion or spirituality (Exline 2013)

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion