Levels Of Positive Religious Coping Research Articles

Dyadic positive and negative religious coping among older Singaporean couples and marital satisfaction.

Difficulties faced in life can affect marital relationships and such troubles may be dealt with in a multitude of ways, including coping religiously. The present study examined how religious coping, either in a positive or negative manner, may have an impact on marital satisfaction. Importantly, this association was studied dyadically in a sample of religiously diverse (Buddhists, 32.3%; Taoists, 17.6%; protestant Christians, 14.1%; and others who did not identify with a specific religion, 19.1%), married older Singaporean adults (N = 1928; 964 couples). Using actor-partner interdependence modeling, we found significant actor, partner, and combined actor-partner effects for positive and negative religious coping on marital satisfaction. Specifically, marital satisfaction was highest when both spouses reported high levels of positive religious coping and low levels of negative religious coping. Taken together, these findings suggest that it is the simultaneous act of either greater positive or lower negative religious coping by both spouses that is related to higher marital satisfaction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE: UNDERSTANDING RELIGIOSITY AND HOPE AMONG OLDER AFRICAN AMERICAN COUPLES

Abstract Older African Americans frequently turn to their religion or spiritual faith as a source of coping and resilience. Disproportionately burdened by numerous disparities and stressors, many African American utilize religion as a source hope for the future. Existing studies suggest that higher levels of positive religious coping are associated with higher levels of hope, and more frequent experiences with negative religious coping are associated with lower levels of hope. However, the relationship between religious coping and hope is underexamined among one of the most religious dyads in the U.S., older African American couples. This study utilizes data from 194 older African American couples (146 married and 48 cohabiting), with each partner between the age of 50 and 86 years, to examine the dyadic relationship between religious coping and hope. Actor Partner Interdependence Models revealed that men’s religious coping was associated with their own hope, and women’s religious coping was associated with their own hope. One unexpected partner effect was identified and found that women’s positive religious coping was negatively associated with men’s hope. Given the dearth of research on older African American couples, along with the need to better understand religious significance in psychosocial dyadic outcomes, this study offers several implications for engaging African American couples in relational counseling and therapy across the life course.

Resource loss, positive religious coping, and suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic: a prospective cohort study of US adults with chronic illness

ABSTRACT Using data from a prospective cohort of US adults living with chronic illness (n = 184), we examined longitudinal associations between domains of resource loss assessed one month into the COVID-19 pandemic and suffering two months later. We also explored the role of positive religious coping in modifying relations between each type of resource loss and suffering, adjusting for a number of sociodemographics, chronic health conditions, religious/spiritual factors, psychological characteristics, and prior values of positive religious coping and suffering. Pandemic-related economic, interpersonal, and psychological (but not physical) resource loss were each associated with higher levels of subsequent suffering. Positive religious coping moderated the associations of physical, interpersonal, and psychological (but not economic) resource loss on suffering, such that domains of resource loss evidenced a stronger positive association with suffering at higher levels of positive religious coping. Implications of the findings for supporting people dealing with disaster-related resource loss are discussed.

The Effect of Religious Coping on Disease Acceptance and Management Among Patients with Diabetes in Turkey.

Religious coping is considered an important factor for assisting with the management of chronic diseases. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between religious coping and disease acceptance and management among patients with diabetes. A total of 504 individuals with type 2 diabetes were included in this descriptive-correlational study. In this study, individuals who did not use their medications regularly, those who did not pay attention to their diet and those who did not exercise regularly had higher levels of positive religious coping. No significant relationship was found between the level of acceptance of illness and religious coping styles among participants with diabetes. However, it was found out that there was a positive relationship between HbA1C levels and the mean score of positive religious coping and positive religious coping accounted for 7% of the total variance in the glycemic control parameter.

Positive Religious Coping and Mental Health among Christians and Muslims in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Positive religious coping has frequently been associated with better mental health outcomes when dealing with stressful life events (e.g., natural disasters, domestic abuse, divorce). The COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated infection prevention and control measures (curfew, quarantine, restricted travel, social distancing), represent a society-wide stressor. This study explored positive religious coping among the Muslim and Christian residents of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the early stages of the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (N = 543) completed an online survey assessing religious coping in response to the pandemic, along with symptom measures of depression, anxiety and history of psychological disorder. Muslims (N = 339) reported significantly higher levels of positive religious coping compared to their Christian counterparts (N = 204). Across the whole sample, positive religious coping was inversely related to having a history of psychological disorders. Among the Muslim cohort, positive religious coping was inversely related to depressive symptoms and having a history of psychological disorders. Positive religious coping during infectious disease outbreaks may help some individuals reduce their risk of depressive illness. National pandemic preparedness plans may benefit from including a focus on religion and religious coping.

Spiritual Jihad among U.S. Muslims: Preliminary Measurement and Associations with Well-Being and Growth

Religious and spiritual (r/s) struggles entail tension and conflict regarding religious and spiritual aspects of life. R/s struggles relate to distress, but may also relate to growth. Growth from struggles is prominent in Islamic spirituality and is sometimes referred to as spiritual jihad. This work’s main hypothesis was that in the context of moral struggles, incorporating a spiritual jihad mindset would relate to well-being, spiritual growth, and virtue. The project included two samples of U.S. Muslims: an online sample from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) worker database website (N = 280) and a community sample (N = 74). Preliminary evidence of reliability and validity emerged for a new measure of a spiritual jihad mindset. Results revealed that Islamic religiousness and daily spiritual experiences with God predicted greater endorsement of a spiritual jihad mindset among participants from both samples. A spiritual jihad mindset predicted greater levels of positive religious coping (both samples), spiritual and post-traumatic growth (both samples), and virtuous behaviors (MTurk sample), and less depression and anxiety (MTurk sample). Results suggest that some Muslims incorporate a spiritual jihad mindset in the face of moral struggles. Muslims who endorse greater religiousness and spirituality may specifically benefit from implementing a spiritual jihad mindset in coping with religious and spiritual struggles.

Examining the Relationship between Religious Coping and the Misuse of Prescription Stimulants among a Sample of Undergraduate Students

ABSTRACTBackground: There is a well-established inverse relationship in undergraduate samples between a person's religious coping and substance abuse. Positive religious coping (PRC) has been associated with decreases in the use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Investigations examining prescription drug misuse and PRC found that higher levels of PRC were related to a reduction in the misuse of some prescription drugs. However, the literature has yet to identify an inverse relationship between PRC and the misuse of prescription stimulants (MPS) among undergraduates. Objective: Examine the association between religious coping and past-year MPS in a sample of undergraduate students. Methods: Undergraduates were recruited to complete an anonymous online survey from three universities (1 private, 2 public) in the United States. Results: The sample consisted of 908 undergraduates between the ages of 18 and 25. Statistical analyses revealed that higher levels of PRC were associated with a reduction in past-year MPS. A separate model found that attending religious events also decreased the behavior. Conversely older students, males, Greek organization affiliation, a lower GPA and having a current stimulant prescription all increased the odds of reporting past-year MPS. Negative religious coping and a student's race were not significantly associated with MPS. Conclusions: Findings indicate that PRC skills have the potential to reduce MPS in college students. Therefore, it is possible that the development of similar secular skills could have the same effect. Future studies should explore the role that positive coping skills having on the reduction of MPS among undergraduates regardless of religious conviction.

Decreased Drinking and Alcoholics Anonymous are Associated with Different Dimensions of Spirituality.

A 30-month panel study recruited 364 individuals with alcohol dependence. Multilevel models examined drinking and AA at six months as predictors of both the levels and trajectories of seven dimensions of spirituality assessed five times over 6 - 30 months. Controlling for AA involvement, less drinking was associated with higher levels of purpose in life, self-forgiveness, and spiritual/religious practices. Controlling for drinking, greater AA involvement was associated with higher levels of positive religious coping, daily spiritual experiences, forgiveness of others, and spiritual/religious practices. Neither AA nor drinking predicted trajectories of spirituality. Data visualizations identified a pattern of elevated purpose in life and self-forgiveness among individuals who were abstinent and among individuals who drank less intensely. Reduced drinking influenced aspects of spirituality that have been shown to respond to experience and maturation. AA was associated with aspects of spirituality embedded in the 12 steps which have been shown to be responsive to learning and modeling. This knowledge has the potential to inform decisions about recovery options, and contributes to theoretical understandings of the nature of spiritual change over the course of addiction recovery.

Religious Coping as Moderator of Psychological Responses to Stressful Events: A Longitudinal Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of positive and negative religious coping with posttraumatic symptoms (PTS) and growth (PTG). Their moderating role was also examined among predictors such as social support and the subjective severity of event with PTS and PTG. Two hundred and eleven Chilean adults (58.3% women) of 18 years and older who had been exposed to highly stressful were surveyed. The Brief-RCOPE, the Brief-COPE subscale of social support, the Subjective Severity of Event Scale, and a socio-demographic questionnaire were used as measurements at time one. The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-short form (PTGI-SF) and Short Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Rating Interview (SPRINT-E) was used to collect baseline scores and six months after. The results show that negative religious coping predicts the increase in PTS, positive religious coping predicts the increase in PTG and plays a moderation role: at low levels of positive religious coping it was found a strong association between coping by seeking social support and PTG, while at high level the association is weak. These results are discussed in the framework of the functionality of positive and negative religious coping and its role in adjusting to potentially traumatic events.

Is Religious Coping a Moderator Of Perceived Control and Panic Symptoms in African American Adults?

Extant research has established a strong association between perceived control and anxiety; however, limited work has examined perceived control within the context of fear-based anxiety disorders and in ethnic minority populations. Further, scant attention has been paid to protective factors that may moderate the relationship between perceived control and anxiety. The current study investigated the relationship between perceived control, positive religious coping, and panic-related fears in a community-based African American adult sample ( N = 91, mean age = 38, 91% female). Results from hierarchical linear regression indicated that perceived control significantly predicted all panic subscales (i.e., total panic symptoms, agoraphobic fears, social phobia fears, interoceptive fears); however, positive religious coping moderated only the relationship between perceived control and agoraphobic fears. Simple slopes analyses revealed that increased levels of positive religious coping resulted in a strengthened negative relationship between perceived control and agoraphobic fears.

The Fading Affect Bias shows healthy coping at the general level, but not the specific level for religious variables across religious and non-religious events.

The research on fading emotions has shown that unpleasant emotions fade more over time than pleasant emotions, which is a phenomenon referred to as the Fading Affect Bias (FAB). Based on the negative relation between the FAB and dysphoria (Walker, Skowronski, Gibbons, Vogl, & Thompson, 2003), some researchers have argued that the FAB is a healthy coping mechanism (Walker, Skowronski, & Thompson, 2003). As religious variables are related to positive emotions and emotional coping (e.g., Cohen, 2002; Pargament, Smith, Koenig, & Perez, 1998), we examined the FAB as a healthy coping mechanism at the general and specific levels of analysis in the context of religion. General healthy coping was supported by (1) FAB effects across both religious events (REs) and non-religious events (NREs) and (2) a positive relation for spirituality and the FAB. However, specific healthy coping was not supported by a small FAB for (1) REs at high levels of positive religious coping (PRC) for NREs, (2) NREs at low levels of PRC for NREs, and (3) purely REs relative to REs involving spirituality. Other implications are discussed.

The Relationship Between Hope and Religious Coping Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

Background and Purpose:Globally, diabetes is one of the most common non-contagious diseases resulting in severe complications. Fostered hope facilitates coping and improves self-care and one of the Factors affecting hope is religious beliefs. This research investigated the level of hope and its relationship with religious coping among Type 2 diabetes patients.Material and Methods:This correlation, cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 patients with Type 2 diabetes, who had been referred to the Karaj Diabetes Association during the period, March–June 2011, and selected through purposive sampling. A three-part questionnaire including demographic data, the Herth Hope Index, and a short form of religious coping, was used for data collection. The data were analyzed using descriptive and analytic statistics, including Pearson’s correlation coefficient, the t-test, a one-way ANOVA, and a multiple regression analysis. The set significance level was p<0.05.Results:The mean hope score was 34.89 (SD±8.75); most of the subjects (46.7%) showed high levels of hope. Positive religious coping, marital status, and social support significantly affected hope fostering (r=0.897, p =0.000). A significant negative relationship was found between hope and age (r=-0.373, p=0.000), and between hope and negative religious coping (r=-0.749, p=0.000).Conclusion:Positive religious coping, married life, and social support significantly affected the development of hope. Moreover, there was a significant positive relationship between positive religious coping and social support. So, strengthening social support could lead to increased levels of positive religious coping and fostering of hope.

Religious coping, stigma, and psychological functioning among HIV-positive African American women

The present study examined the role of religious coping in psychological distress and adjustment both cross-sectionally and longitudinally among 141 HIV-positive African American women. Cross-sectional analyses showed that negative religious coping was associated with poorer mental health and functioning, and greater perceptions of stigma and discrimination. Longitudinal analyses revealed that greater negative religious coping at baseline significantly predicted greater changes in mental health in a negative direction 12 months later. Positive religious coping was not associated with any measures of psychological well-being, nor did it predict any mental health outcomes at 12 months. However, participants who experienced high levels of HIV-related stigma and reported high levels of positive religious coping were less depressed than those who reported lower levels of positive religious coping. These results suggest that for this population, negative religious coping was a more salient determinant of psychological distress than positive religious coping was of psychological health.

Associations among Religious Coping, Daily Hassles, and Resilience

The purpose of this study is to examine relationships among religious coping styles, the experience of daily hassles, and resiliency. Through the use of a set of questionnaires, positive and negative religious coping styles (Brief RCOPE) are identified and analyzed in relation to a direct measure of resiliency (CD-RISC), level of psychological distress (BSI), and level of daily hassles (BCSHS). Negative religious coping is positively related to psychological distress, while individuals who experience more daily hassles but use higher levels of positive religious coping have greater resiliency than individuals who use higher levels of negative religious coping. Additionally, the combination of daily hassles, major life stressors, level of positive religious coping, and resiliency accounted for a significant proportion of the variability in psychological distress. Post hoc analyses removed questions of spirituality from the resiliency scale that could possibly overlap with the measure of religious coping. These exploratory analyses indicate that negative religious coping is negatively correlated with non-spiritual resiliency. Exploratory analyses also indicate that individuals who experience more daily hassles but use higher levels of positive religious coping do not have greater levels of non-spiritual resiliency than individuals who use negative religious coping.

Depressive symptoms, religious coping, and cigarette smoking among post-secondary vocational students.

Depressive symptoms are associated with increased levels of cigarette smoking, yet not every individual experiencing depressive symptoms smokes. This study examined whether religious coping moderated the impact of depressive symptoms on past 30-day cigarette use among a racially/ethnically diverse sample of 963 postsecondary vocational students (46.8% women; mean age = 25 years). Results from negative binomial regression analyses indicated that depressive symptoms increased the likelihood of cigarette smoking (quantity-frequency measure of cigarette use) for female students, whereas positive religious coping decreased the likelihood of smoking for female students. Consistent with religious coping theory and as expected, negative religious coping moderated the depressive symptoms-smoking relationship such that negative religious coping exacerbated the impact of depressive symptoms on cigarette smoking among females. Positive religious coping also moderated the depressive symptoms-cigarette smoking relationship for females. However, contrary to expectations, high levels of positive religious coping exacerbated the likelihood of cigarette smoking among females with high levels of depressive symptoms. Surprisingly, neither depressive symptoms nor positive or negative religious coping contributed to the likelihood of males' smoking. Study limitations and suggestions for directions in future research are discussed.

Does religiousness and spirituality moderate the relations between physical and mental health among aging prisoners?

We examined positive and negative religious coping as moderators of the relation between physical limitations, depression, and desire for hastened death among male inmates incarcerated primarily for murder. Inmates over the age of 45 years who passed a cognitive screening completed face-to-face interviews (N = 94; mean age = 57.7 years; SD = 10.68). Multiple regression analyses included age, race/ethnicity, parole belief, physical health, positive or negative religious coping, and all two-way interactions represented by the product of health and a religious coping variable. Older inmates and those who reported greater levels of positive religious coping endorsed fewer symptoms of depression, whereas those who reported greater levels of negative religious coping endorsed more symptoms of depression. Inmates who reported higher levels of depression endorsed a greater desire for hastened death. The effect of physical functioning on desire for hastened death is moderated by negative religious coping such that those who endorsed higher levels of negative religious coping reported a greater desire for hastened death. Examinations of religious/spiritual practices and mindfulness-based interventions in prison research have assumed a positive stance with regard to the potential impact of religious/spiritual coping on physical and mental health. The current findings provide cautionary information that may further assist in selection of inmates for participation in such interventions.

Religious Coping and Physiological, Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Outcomes in Patients with HIV/AIDS: Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Findings

The present study investigated the relationships between positive religious coping (e.g., seeking spiritual support) and spiritual struggle (e.g., anger at God) versus viral load, CD4 count, quality of life, HIV symptoms, depression, self-esteem, social support, and spiritual well-being in 429 patients with HIV/AIDS. Data were collected through patient interview and chart review at baseline and 12-18 months later from four clinical sites. At baseline, positive religious coping was associated with positive outcomes while spiritual struggle was associated with negative outcomes. In addition, high levels of positive religious coping and low levels of spiritual struggle were associated with small but significant improvements over time. These results have implications for assessing religious coping and designing interventions targeting spiritual struggle in patients with HIV/AIDS.

Enhancing spiritual well‐being among suicidal African American female survivors of intimate partner violence

Spirituality has been identified as one component of a culturally competent therapeutic intervention for African American women. The present study was designed to investigate the ability of factors, such as level of hopelessness and the use of positive religious coping strategies, to predict spiritual well-being over time. Seventy-four low-income African American women were administered self-report questionnaires measuring hopelessness, use of religious coping strategies, and two domains of spiritual well-being. Path analysis indicated that hopelessness, existential well-being, religious well-being, and positive religious coping are correlated with one another. Further, lower levels of hopelessness predict increases in existential well-being over time; higher levels of positive religious coping predict increases in religious well-being over time. Results were consistent with the study hypotheses and highlight the need to attend to predictors of spiritual well-being when implementing culturally relevant interventions with abused, suicidal African American women. Therapeutic strategies for reducing hopelessness and enhancing positive religious coping to improve spiritual and existential well-being are presented; such strategies will ensure the interventions are more culturally competent.

Religious struggle: prevalence, correlates and mental health risks in diabetic, congestive heart failure, and oncology patients.

For some people, diagnosis with a serious illness or other adverse life events can precipitate a period of religious struggle. While evidence of the harmful effects of religious struggle is accumulating, less is known about its prevalence or correlates. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of religious struggle in three groups of medical patients. Study participants included diabetic outpatients (N= 71), congestive heart failure outpatients (N = 70), and oncology inpatients (N = 97). Participants completed questionnaires which included several measures of religion, including religious struggle, emotional distress or well-being, and demographic characteristics. Half of the total sample (52%) reported no religious struggle, while 15% reported moderate or high levels. In a multi-variate analysis, younger patients (p < 0.001) and CHF patients (p < 0.05) had higher levels of religious struggle. Those with higher levels of positive religious coping also reported higher levels of religious struggle (p < 0.01), while those who attended worship most frequently had lower levels of religious struggle (p < 0.05). Religious struggle was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and emotional distress in all three patient groups. While further research is needed to help clarify the sources, additional correlates, and course of religious struggle, the findings in this study confirm the association between religious struggle and emotional distress in these three groups of medical patients. Clinicians should be attentive to signs of religious struggle. Where patient's responses indicate possible religious struggle, clinicians should consider referral to a trained, professional chaplain or pastoral counselor.

Religious Coping Among the Religious: The Relationships Between Religious Coping and Well‐Being in a National Sample of Presbyterian Clergy, Elders, and Members

This study examined whether the relationships between religious coping and well‐being are moderated by the salience of religion to the individual's identity and social roles. As part of a national survey of Presbyterians, 1,260 clergy, 823 elders, and 735 members completed measures of demographic variables, global religiousness, life stressors, positive and negative religious coping, and well‐being (positive affect, depressive affect, religious satisfaction). Our predictions were largely confirmed. First, clergy reported higher levels of positive religious coping than elders, who, in turn, indicated more positive religious coping than members. Second, positive and negative religious coping were associated with higher and lower levels of well‐being respectively. Finally, positive and negative religious coping were more strongly related to well‐being for clergy than for members. Furthermore, the drawbacks of negative religious coping for the clergy were not offset completely by the benefits of positive religious coping. Longitudinal studies of the longer term implications of positive and negative religious coping are clearly warranted. The results also suggest the need for supportive and educational services to help clergy draw on their religious coping resources and come to terms with their spiritual struggles.