Religious Appraisals Research Articles

EXPLORING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN RELIGIOUS COPING AND GENERAL COPING STRATEGIES IN OLDER LONG-TERM CARE RESIDENTS

Aging long-term care residents utilize a variety of coping strategies to manage stressors. While many older adults report religious faith is important in the coping process, it is unclear how religious coping appraisals and religious coping styles fit within a broader coping framework. This poster explores relationships between religious coping and general coping strategies in a convenience sample of older nursing home and assisted living residents (median age = 71.5). In this cross-sectional study, we interviewed residents (N = 102) from long-term care facilities (N = 11) in the Louisville metropolitan area and southern Indiana. Participants responded to questions about religious practices, religious coping, general coping, stress, life satisfaction, psychological distress, and health. The present analyses examined correlations between religious coping appraisals/styles and general coping strategies. We found: 1) small to moderate associations between theoretically adaptive religious coping appraisals/styles (e.g., positive appraisals, collaborative/deferring styles) and theoretically adaptive general coping strategies (e.g., positive reframing, instrumental support), and 2) small to moderate associations between theoretically maladaptive religious coping appraisals/styles (e.g., negative appraisals, self-directing styles) and theoretically maladaptive general coping strategies (e.g., denial, behavioral disengagement). Our results identify interesting conceptual relationships suggesting residents who report positive religious coping appraisals and less independent religious coping styles use adaptive coping strategies more frequently. These constructs may be explored in future research through examining their theoretical uniqueness and whether they independently account for variance in clinically-relevant outcomes. Further study of religious coping in these settings may help promote resilience and optimal aging for long-term care residents.

The psychological study of religion and spirituality in a disaster context: A systematic review.

The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize the existing empirical psychology of religion/spirituality (R/S) and disaster research and offer a prospectus for future research. Searches were conducted in PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Medline databases, and through personal communication with study authors covering a period from 1975 (from the earliest identified study meeting our criteria) to 2015. Studies that took an empirical approach to studying the impact of disasters on R/S phenomena, as well as the relationship between R/S phenomena, cognition, behavior, and well-being in disaster contexts were included. A total of 51 articles met the inclusion criteria. We organized the empirical findings under five main categories, which emerged from sorting studies by their primary R/S focus: (a) general religiousness, (b) God representations, (c) religious appraisals, (d) R/S meaning making, and (e) religious coping. On the whole, R/S appears to generally lead to positive outcomes among disaster survivors. Results suggest positive benefits of R/S comes more from how one engages faith and access to resources via R/S communities. This review revealed several emerging patterns regarding what is known as well as existing gaps in the literature, including the need for more rigorous methodological designs and ongoing systematic programs of study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Cancer survivors' understanding of the cause and cure of their illness: Religious and secular appraisals.

Little is known about survivors' understanding of the cause of their cancer and of their recovery, nor how these ways of understanding relate to their well-being. No study has examined both secular and religious appraisals of the same event. The current study aimed to examine both religious (God) and secular (self) appraisals of both the cause (attributions) and course/cure of cancer in relation to multiple aspects of adjustment. Data were obtained from a sample of cancer survivors at Time 1 (n=250) and 1year later (Time 2, n=167). Cancer survivors endorsed higher appraisals relating to course/cure of their cancer than those relating to cause, and they endorsed both secular and religious appraisals. Appraisals of the cause and course/cure of cancer were differentially related to adjustment, such that self-attributions of cause and God-attributions of cause were related to negative aspects of adjustment (eg, negative affect and pessimism), while appraisals of self and God's control over the course/cure were related to positive aspects of adjustment (eg, perceived positive life and health changes since cancer). Religiosity did not moderate most of relationships between religious appraisals and adjustment outcomes. Secular and religious appraisals of cancer are not mutually exclusive, and religious appraisals are associated with adjustment regardless of survivors' religiosity. Appraisals relating to cause and course/cure have differential relationships with well-being. Addressing cancer survivors' appraisals-religious or nonreligious-in a therapeutic setting may be beneficial regardless of their reported religiosity.

Role of Islamic appraisals, trauma-related appraisals, and religious coping in the posttraumatic adjustment of Muslim trauma survivors.

This research investigated the role of Islamic appraisals, trauma-related appraisals, and religious coping in Muslim trauma survivors. We report 2 studies of Muslim trauma survivors with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) living in the United Kingdom (Study 1) and a sample of Muslim trauma survivors living in Northern Iraq (Study 2). In both studies participants completed the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, Brief Religious Coping Scale, Islamic Appraisal Questionnaire, and Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory in Arabic. First, it was found that negative religious coping differentiated between trauma survivors with and without PTSD (Study 1) and was significantly correlated with PTSD symptoms (Study 2). Second, negative Islamic appraisals were significantly associated with greater PTSD symptoms whereas positive Islamic appraisals were significantly associated with fewer PTSD symptoms (Study 2). Third, negative trauma-related appraisals correlated significantly with, and uniquely predicted, PTSD symptoms (Study 2). Finally, trauma-related appraisals were found to mediate the relationship between negative Islamic appraisals and negative religious coping and PTSD symptoms. These findings suggest that the theoretical emphasis on trauma-related cognitions may also be applicable to our understanding of PTSD in Muslim trauma survivors. However, for this population, trauma-related appraisals and subsequent coping strategies may be influenced by Islamic beliefs and values. Clinically, our findings suggest that addressing PTSD symptoms in Muslim trauma survivors may require clinicians to consider the impact of trauma on the survivor's religious appraisals and relationship with God. (PsycINFO Database Record

Relationship between Religious Coping and Silver Lining Tendencies among Cancer Patients

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. In categorizing neoplasms, 3 most important items of information are the location of tumor (site, topography), histological or cytological appearance and the behavior of the tumor (benign, malignant). Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among females, accounting for 23% of the total cancer cases and 14% of cancer deaths. Lung cancer is the leading cancer site in males; comprising 17% of the total cancer cases and 23% of the total cancer deaths (GLOBOCAN, 2008). Symptoms of cancer depend on the type, location of the cancer. Some symptoms that can occur with most cancers are chills, fever, loss of appetite, night sweats, weight loss, etc. Though the cause of many types of cancer is unknown, some of the common causal factors are benzene and other chemicals, drinking excess alcohol, environmental toxins like poisonous mushrooms and a type of poison that can grow on peanut plants (aflatoxins), excessive sunlight exposure, genetic problems, obesity, radiation, viruses, age (the incidence of most cancers with age), sex (most cancers are more frequent in men than in women), race (some nasopharyngeal cancers occur more among Chinese and in some regions of USA, while prostate cancer is almost twice as common among Africans as Americans/Europeans) place of residence certain cancers (lung, breast), etc (Morris etal., 1988).Treating the cancer patients involves multistages and the approach is also multifolded. The most common mainstream cancer treatments include suigery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. These therapies may be used either alone or in combination with other therapies and approaches. One important consideration in treating cancer patients, being the victim of a life threatening disease is religious means of coping. More than 85% of the world's population adhere to some religion, including Christianity with around 2 billion and Islam with more than 1 billon (Adherents, 2003), each, with its own doctrines, attitudes and practices. Thus, religiosity is part of our culture, and it plays an important role in determining many aspects of our lives, which includes coping with illness.Spirituality is more concerned with direct experience of latent higher consciousness within one's self, i.e. the internal space, and religion is an institutionalized set of beliefs, practices, and guidelines that an individual adopts and follows. Positive religious coping methods, such as prayer and benevolent religious appraisals of negative situations, reflect the perception of a secure relationship with God, a belief in a benevolent purpose to life, and a sense of connectedness with a religious community. In contrast, negative religious coping methods, such as attributions of situations to a punishing God and feelings of abandonment by God, reflects a struggle that grows out of a perception of a tenuous relationship with God, a more ominous view of life, and a sense of disconnectedness with a religious community. Empirical studies have demonstrated that many people turn to religion as a resource in their efforts to understand and deal with the most difficult times of their lives. In several studies, religion has been consistently found to be an important coping resource for those with life threatening illnesses. Positive religious coping among patients seem to be associated with enhanced Quality of Life (Tarakeshwar et al., 2006). Similar studies have been done by Mytko and Knight (1999) and Farell, Smith et al (2003) which show the importance of religion in coping with illness. Quite on the contrary, it seems that younger women with more advanced disease, who used more negative spiritual coping, had a greater tendency towards depression and that the use of negative coping was associated with greater anxiety scores (Boscaglia et al., 2005). Among cancer patients, there is more response to chemotherapy when the patient's faith score is higher (Lissoni et al. …

Pediatric chronic pain: active versus passive religious coping

Several studies have explored adult's use of religion in coping with chronic pain or illness, focusing on active religious coping techniques (social support, prayer, partnering with god or looking to God for support) and religion's enhancement of one's well-being with the subsequent reduction of physical and emotional pain. However, research has shown that when compared to an active style, passive religious coping (avoidance, denial, or deferring to or passively waiting for God to take control of the situation) is associated with negative mental health outcomes. We describe the clinical presentation of three adolescent girls (M age = 14.3) who came from low SES, ethnic minority intact families with fathers who were Christian pastors. They presented with chronic pain that was described by their rheumatologists as being excessive given their medical diagnosis (diagnosis; juvenile idiopathic arthritis, fibromyalgia, pain disorder NOS). The patients attended weekly individual therapy with their mothers, noting disapproval by their fathers who refused to participate. The patients all reported active religious coping for their pain management, using prayer in addition to outside support to help manage their chronic pain. However, they emphasized their fathers' preference towards passive religious coping methods for pain management, denying the presence of their pain and the aid of psychiatric, therapeutic, and/or medical treatment. As a result, high levels of anxiety, depression, guilt, self-blame, and negative religious appraisals were observed in the adolescents, with all three prematurely ending therapy within the year. Religion plays a strong role in many patients' lives, requiring medical staff to be attuned to coping methods used by not only the patients but their families as well. Future research should examine the role of religion in pain coping amongst the patient, family, and medical professionals. (Schumaker, Religion & Mental Health, 1992; Pargament, Koenig, & Perez, J Clinical Psychology, 2000.) Several studies have explored adult's use of religion in coping with chronic pain or illness, focusing on active religious coping techniques (social support, prayer, partnering with god or looking to God for support) and religion's enhancement of one's well-being with the subsequent reduction of physical and emotional pain. However, research has shown that when compared to an active style, passive religious coping (avoidance, denial, or deferring to or passively waiting for God to take control of the situation) is associated with negative mental health outcomes. We describe the clinical presentation of three adolescent girls (M age = 14.3) who came from low SES, ethnic minority intact families with fathers who were Christian pastors. They presented with chronic pain that was described by their rheumatologists as being excessive given their medical diagnosis (diagnosis; juvenile idiopathic arthritis, fibromyalgia, pain disorder NOS). The patients attended weekly individual therapy with their mothers, noting disapproval by their fathers who refused to participate. The patients all reported active religious coping for their pain management, using prayer in addition to outside support to help manage their chronic pain. However, they emphasized their fathers' preference towards passive religious coping methods for pain management, denying the presence of their pain and the aid of psychiatric, therapeutic, and/or medical treatment. As a result, high levels of anxiety, depression, guilt, self-blame, and negative religious appraisals were observed in the adolescents, with all three prematurely ending therapy within the year. Religion plays a strong role in many patients' lives, requiring medical staff to be attuned to coping methods used by not only the patients but their families as well. Future research should examine the role of religion in pain coping amongst the patient, family, and medical professionals. (Schumaker, Religion & Mental Health, 1992; Pargament, Koenig, & Perez, J Clinical Psychology, 2000.)

The Mediating Role of Secular Coping Strategies in the Relationship Between Religious Appraisals and Adjustment to Chronic Pain: The Middle Road to Damascus

Despite an outgrowth in research examining associations between religiosity and health outcomes, there has been a lack of empirical focus on the relationship between religiosity and adjustment to chronic pain. This study investigated specific secular coping strategies that mediate the proposed relationship between religious appraisals and pain-related outcomes. Twenty-nine chronic pain patients completed measures assessing pain-related coping strategies, pain severity, disability, depression, positive and negative affect, trait anger and three types of religious appraisals- benevolent God appraisals, punishing God appraisals, and demonic appraisals. A significant positive relationship was found between punishing God appraisals and depression, with catastrophizing mediating this relationship. Demonic appraisals were significantly related to disability. Benevolent religious appraisals were related to positive affect. Benevolent religious appraisals were significantly related to the secular coping strategies of diverting attention, ignoring pain sensations, reinterpreting pain sensations and using coping self-statements, but these coping strategies did not mediate the relationship between benevolent religious appraisals and positive affect. While this study provides no evidence that religious appraisals influence pain perception, data suggest that both positive and negative religious appraisals are related to mental health outcomes in a chronic pain population.

Sacred Violations, Perceptions of Injustice, and Anger in Muslims

Anger has been at the center of religiopolitical conflicts and has been associated with well‐being. This study examined the role of Muslim anger in sociopolitical events perceived as a sacred violation. A Muslim sample (N = 151) identified adverse political events that have deeply affected them; and completed measures of anger, sacred violations, perceptions of injustice, and religiousness. Sacred violations and perceptions of injustice were associated with greater levels of anger, with sacred violations being the stronger predictor. Post hoc analyses revealed that surrender problem‐solving style increased anger control. The findings provide broad support for the importance of religious appraisals of adverse political events in Muslim anger.

Ophthalmology Patients' Religious and Spiritual Beliefs

To assess the prevalence of religion and spirituality as a component of ophthalmology patients' value systems. A brief questionnaire distributed to 124 consecutive patients was self-administered by the patient and was collected without identifier so that participants could be assured that answers would not affect their care. The main outcome measure was the prevalence of religious and spiritual beliefs and behaviors in ophthalmology patients. The sample was predominantly Christian (76.6%). Of the participants, 82.3% reported that prayer was important (69.4% "very important" and 12.9% "moderately important") to their sense of well-being, and 45.2% reported weekly attendance at religious services. The prevalence of positive religious and spiritual interpretations of God's role in illness was higher than that of negative religious appraisals of God's role in illness. The prevalence and importance of religious and spiritual beliefs in this sample of ophthalmology patients suggests that, like other medical patient populations, religion and spirituality are significant, and often positive, components of patients' value systems. Attention to religion and spirituality is one aspect of acknowledging and respecting a patient's value system and of establishing a relationship that promotes trust for making joint therapeutic decisions.

They Killed Our Lord: The Perception of Jews as Desecrators of Christianity as a Predictor of Anti‐Semitism

Drawing on religious coping theory, we examined whether the appraisal that Jews desecrate Christian values (the stressor) is linked to anti‐Semitic attitudes (the response). Further, we considered whether religious ways of understanding and dealing with this stressor (religious coping) mitigate or exacerbate the ties between religious appraisals of Jews and anti‐Semitic responses. College students completed measures of desecration, anti‐Semitism, and religious ways of coping with appraisals of Jews as desecrators of Christianity. Greater desecration was associated with greater anti‐Semitism, after controlling for demographic variables and dispositional measures (e.g., particularism, pluralism, church attendance, Christian orthodoxy, fundamentalism, and authoritarianism). Religious coping in ways that emphasized expressions of Christian love were associated with lower anti‐Semitism; ways of coping that emphasized being punished by God and Jews as demonic were tied to greater anti‐Semitism. Perceptions of Jews as desecrators were predicted by higher levels of authoritarianism and religious orthodoxy, less closeness to Jews, greater exposure to messages of desecration, and less exposure to messages that counter the perception of desecration.

Understanding the Nature and Role of Spirituality in Relation to Coping and Health: A Conceptual Framework.

Abstract The past several years have seen a virtual explosion of research in the area of religion, spirituality, coping, and health. Despite this inundation, most studies have remained at the descriptive level of analysis. It has only been within the past few years that more complex associations, pathways (i.e., mediation), and possible models concerning the influence of religion and/or spirituality on health have been investigated. One psychosocial model of adjustment that holds promise as a potential scaffold for the organization and understanding of these vast data on spirituality is the transactional model of stress and coping originally put forth by Lazarus and Folkman (1984). The present paper uses the basic tenets (e.g., dynamic process) and structural components (e.g., coping behaviour) of the transactional model as a framework for the integration of the growing empirical literature on spirituality, coping, and health. The resultant application of the model in a spiritual context was reviewed by four spiritual care workers and/or chaplains from different religious backgrounds. These multifaith chaplains critiqued the fit of this model in relation to their understanding of health and coping from their faith perspective and offered suggestions on modifications to the model that would create a better fit. Over the past 20 years, the study of religion, spirituality, and coping has become an abundant area of research. This surge in interest in religion and spirituality may be due to the fact that many people turn toward their faith under extreme circumstances such as severe illness (Ganzevoort, 1998; Oxman, Freeman, & Manheimer, 1995). Religious coping in particular has demonstrated associations with a variety of social, personal, and situational factors, as well as links to psychological and physical health (Harrison, Koenig, Hays, Eme-Akwari, & Pargament, 2001; Koenig & Futterman, 1996). As a result, attempts have been made to integrate aspects of religiosity and spirituality into psychosocial models of adjustment (e.g., Daaleman, Kuckelman Cobb, & Frey, 2001). While these models are insightful, they often present religiosity as having a cognitive role (Dull & Skokan, 1995), thus ignoring its other possible functions in the overall coping process. As well, such models can be limited in their focus on a Christian view of religion (Nooney & Woodrum, 2002; Stolley, Buckwalter, & Koenig, 1999) rather than on what could be considered the broader concept of spirituality (Stifoss-Hanssen, 1999). The purpose of this paper is to organize and integrate the diverse findings and concepts found within this literature into a conceptual model of the role of spirituality in coping. In its vastness, the existing literature on spirituality, coping, and health can be overwhelming to the established, as well as to the new, researcher in this area. Although rich in possibility, this literature is plagued by a lack of consistency in the definitions given to spirituality, the domains of spirituality investigated, and in the diverse measures used to assess spirituality. As a whole, the empirical work also tends to remain at the descriptive level with little reference to an overarching conceptual model that could guide hypotheses and set the groundwork for the investigation of specific pathways of effect among the various spiritual constructs. As a leading researcher in this field, Pargament (1997) makes reference to the transactional model of stress and coping (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) as a potential point of departure for understanding and organizing research on religiosity and spirituality. Notably, he has focused on the process of religious coping behaviour with some additional emphasis on religious appraisals or attributions in response to various life stressors (e.g., Pargament & Hahn, 1986; Pargament, Koenig, & Perez, 2000). Pargament continues to expand the application of these religious and spiritual domains in the coping process, most recently addressing the importance of spiritual attachment (connection) to God as a key factor in driving the religious coping process (Belavich & Pargament, 2002). …

God and the search for meaning among hospice caregivers.

The purposes of this study were (1) to describe both religious and nonreligious appraisals of caregiving for a terminally ill patient and (2) to explore the relationship between these appraisals with situational outcomes, mental health outcomes, and spiritual health outcomes in the caregivers. Ninety-two caregivers completed a questionnaire consisting of religious and nonreligious appraisals, general and religious outcomes, depression, anxiety, and purpose in life. Caregivers who appraised their situation as part of God's plan or as a means of gaining strength or understanding from God reported positive outcomes while caregivers who viewed their situation as unjust, as unfair punishment from God, or as desertion from God had low scores on mental and spiritual health outcomes. Religious appraisals made a significant and unique contribution to the prediction of situational outcomes and mental and spiritual health outcomes above and beyond the effects of nonreligious appraisals.

God and the Search for Meaning Among Hospice Caregivers

The purposes of this study were (1) to describe both religious and nonreligious appraisals of caregiving for a terminally ill patient and (2) to explore the relationship between these appraisals with situational outcomes, mental health outcomes, and spiritual health outcomes in the caregivers. Ninety-two caregivers completed a questionnaire consisting of religious and nonreligious appraisals, general and religious outcomes, depression, anxiety, and purpose in life. Caregivers who appraised their situation as part of God’s plan or as a means of gaining strength or understanding from God reported positive outcomes while caregivers who viewed their situation as unjust, as unfair punishment from God, or as desertion from God had low scores on mental and spiritual health outcomes. Religious appraisals made a significant and unique contribution to the prediction of situational outcomes and mental and spiritual health outcomes above and beyond the effects of nonreligious appraisals. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@haworthpressinc.com]