Should never the twain meet? Integrating models of religious personality and religious mental health

Abstract

The adaptational-continuum model of personality and coping suggests a useful context for research areas that emphasise both personality and coping. The present paper used Ferguson's (2001) model integrating personality and coping factors to combine theories surrounding religious personality and religious mental health. 420 (206 males, 214 females) respondents completed measures of personality, coping style, religious orientation, religious coping, general health, stress, positive and negative affect and life satisfaction. Among respondents, a factor structure of the personality, coping, and religiosity scale was consistent with Ferguson's model; with extrinsic religiosity and negative religious coping loading on a neuroticism-coping factor (N-COPE), and intrinsic religiosity and positive religious coping loading on a low psychoticism-coping factor (P-COPE). The relationship of these two factors with mental health was consistent with predictions, with a N-COPE religious factor being associated with poorer mental health and a P-COPE religious factor associated with better mental health. This integration suggests a simplification of the literature, facilitating an increase in understanding by locating religious orientation and religious coping within two important factors, each with a specific theoretical context to understand the relationship between religiosity and mental health.