Religious Coping Behaviors Research Articles

Religious Coping Styles Used by Young Black Women Who Experience DatingViolence.

Young Black women experience higher rates of dating violence victimization compared to their White peers. Religion is a cornerstone of African American culture, suggesting that Black women may use religious coping after experiencing trauma like dating violence. However, research has not explored the patterns of religious coping following dating violence experiences. The current study analyzed survey data from 481 young Black women aged 18-19 years on their religious coping behaviors, acceptance of violence beliefs, and dating violence victimization experiences. Results showed that victimization was positively associated with negative religious coping. Findings indicate that one way young Black women cope with dating violence victimization is through feelings of spiritual discontent, and they may see their victimization as a punishment from God.

Death Anxiety and Religious Coping in Heart Failure Patients.

This study was conducted to determine death anxiety and religious coping in heart failure patients. It was determined that 64% of the patients were male, the mean death anxiety score was 7.78 ± 3.91, 38% had ≤6 points and 62% had ≥7 points. Positive religious coping score was 20.54 ± 6.58 and negative religious coping score was 6.86 ± 3.18. Patients with a diagnosis of heart failure ≥3years had higher death anxiety levels. There was a weak positive correlation between death anxiety and positive and negative religious coping scores. Death anxiety and the number of days hospitalized were determined to predict positive religious coping in regression analysis. The model explained 7.6% of the total variance in positive religious coping. Heart failure patients were detected to have high death anxiety. Patients were observed to have high positive religious coping scores. As death anxiety increases, patients exhibit positive religious coping behavior.

Islamic spiritual care and negative religious coping


 This article discusses religious coping behaviors in relation to Islamic spiritual care practices. Islamic spiritual care is an established practice, integrated in many European countries’ health and welfare services, and an emerging field of research. I have 17 years of experience as a Muslim chaplain in Danish hospitals and a prison, working with counseling, educating staff, and policymaking in the field of Muslim chaplaincy. In this article, I use psychological theory to analyze positive and negative religious coping, first demonstrating that spiritual care is a practice in Islam that is embedded in its theological and psychological (re)sources. Then, based on two case examples, I analyze negative religious coping among Muslims, which is a topic that has received little scholarly attention. The article contributes to the emerging field of Islamic practical theology and the interdisciplinary relationship between practical theology and psychology of religion.

Women's Self-Care and the Explanatory Role of Religion in its Promotion: a Comparative Study in Yazd

Introduction: Today, religious coping behaviors such as prayer, hope in God and participation in collective rituals are considered as one of the main determinants of health behaviors because it can have positive effects on women's behavioral strategies with the aim of self-care. However, there is little empirical research in this scope and the present study intends to investigate the relationship between religiosity and self-care of women. Methods: The present research was a survey cross-sectional study. The population of this study included all 18-70 year old, of Yazd in 2020. The sample size was determined based on Cochran formula 737 and was used with Probability Proportionate to Size Sampling (PPS). Data based on a researcher-made self-care questionnaire and religiosity standard questionnaire were collected. Results were analyzed using the software SPSS and Amos 24. Results: The results on the relationship between religiosity and self-care revealed that the effect of religiosity on self-care was positive and significant. The effectiveness rates of religiosity on women's self-care in the marginal, the middle, and the upper areas were 0.56, 0.38, and 0.36, respectively (p<0.001). Also, there was no significant difference between the intensity of the relationship between religiosity and self-care in the three areas (CR<1.96). Also, the structural equation model had a good fit. Conclusions: It is necessary that since women's decision to adopt care-oriented behavior is conditioned by the social conditions that surround them, we should pay special attention to the social contexts in which they live to improve self-care performance in them.

Coping Mechanism Towards Academic Stress Among Students: An Analysis from Islamic Perspective

Academic stress can have a negative effect on a student's cognitive, emotional and behavioural well-being. Furthermore, academic stress could also cause a decline in student’s academic performance. Therefore, it is necessary for the student to be able to cope and relieve stress. Religious coping strategies are one of the effective ways in overcoming academic stress. This study was aimed to explore and understand students' experiences of religious coping methods when facing academic stress. A qualitative method by using interview was used. A total of five respondents from the public universities were involved. The data from interviews were analysed by using thematic analysis from five respondents. This study discovered three specific religious coping behaviour that was employed to cope with academic stress; 1) worship in the heart, 2) worship verbally and, 3) worship by action. It has also identified three themes on the impact of religious coping on 1) cognitive, 2) emotional and 3) behaviour. From this study, it can be concluded that specific religious coping behavior which had been used by the students is helpful for them in coping with academic stress. The knowledge and awareness of the internal and external stressors also can help the students to identify the best solution and coping mechanism to manage the stress. These coping behaviours also help the students to have a better understanding of how religious coping can affect students in terms of cognitive, emotion and behavior.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GLOBAL AND DAILY LEVELS OF PAIN AND RELIGIOUS COPING

Objective: This research examines associations between global and daily levels of pain and the use of religious coping strategies among African American (AA) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) older adults with physician-confirmed knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: As part of a larger study of racial/ethnic differences in everyday quality of life with OA, 125 persons over the age of 50 completed a global measure of religious coping using the Brief RCOPE. Daily variability in pain and coping was assessed using a daily diary methodology consisting of 4 daily phone calls over 7 days. Hypotheses: Demographic characteristics (sex, race) were expected to predict religious coping at both the global and daily levels. Specifically, we expected women and AAs would use more religious coping than their male and NHW counterparts. Further, daily levels of pain were predicted to correlate with daily levels of coping. Results: AAs were found to engage in significantly more religious coping behaviors than NHWs at the global, but not daily, level. An intraclass correlation coefficient of .316 indicated sufficient within-person variability for the use of multi-level modeling to determine the association of daily pain and religious coping. Within individuals, pain was significantly lower on days when religious coping was not used. Implications: Results contribute to a growing understanding of how individuals use their religious beliefs to cope with daily pain and perhaps, to the formulation of more targeted therapies for individuals living with chronic illness. (Supported by R01-AG041655 D. Smith and P. Parmelee, PIs.)

Domains of religious coping behavior among African Christians in NSW Australia: An exploratory qualitative study

ABSTRACTThis study examines the domains of religious coping strategies among African Christians in New South Wales, Australia, and the role they play in negotiating quality of life and life stressors. Study themes were drawn from interview transcripts that showed positive and negative aspects of religious coping, involving multiple domains including personal, social, and environmental attributes. Of particular interest were the correlations that respondents drew between their personal biographies, environmental stressors, human-based coping, and religious coping behavior. These results position religious coping as a social cognitive model which may arise from relationship problems, while serving the need for autonomy. Implications are discussed.

Religious coping and death depression in Iranian patients with cancer: relationships to disease stage.

The study investigated relationships among the extent of disease, religious coping, and death depression in Iranian patients with cancer. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 482 Iranian cancer patients. Participants completed demographic and health, death depression, and religious coping surveys. After controlling for demographic and health characteristics, positive and negative religious coping behaviors were significantly related to the experience of death depression. There was an interaction effect between negative religious coping and extent of disease with significant positive relationships to the experience of death depression. Negative religious coping was found to be more closely associated with death depression in patients with earlier stage disease than those with advanced stages of cancer in this sample of patients with cancer from Iran. Findings support assessing patients for use of religious coping strategies. Muslim patients who are religiously alienated and have existential anguish may be vulnerable and need heightened support following diagnosis and during treatment of early stage cancer.

The Relationship Between Religious Coping and Depression in Iranian Patients with Cancer

Background: The present study aims at investigating the relationship between religious coping behaviors and depression in Iranian patients with cancer. Methods: In this cross sectional study (October to December, 2015), 380 patients with cancer, admitted to the associated university’s medical sciences hospitals (Sari, Iran), were entered to the present study, using non-random sampling (accessible sampling). Data were collected by demographic questionnaire, center for epidemiological studies depression scale (CES-D), and religious coping questionnaire (RCOPE). The statistical package for social sciences, version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for data analysis by descriptive and infernal statistic tests (Spearman’s correlation and generalized linear models). Results: Males (48.39 ± 13 ± 39; CI95: 46.41 - 50.38) were older than females (45.33 ± 18.44; CI95: 42.79 - 47.87). The results of spearman correlation test suggested that there was a negative and significant correlation between positive religious coping and depression (r = 0.134, P = 0.009). In addition, there was a significant relationship between depression and level of education (P < 0.05), the economic status (P < 0.05), age (B = -0.078; P = 0.002), gender (B = 2.604; P < 0.001), marital status (B = 3.073; P = 0.001), and history of cigarette smoking (B = -2.176; P = 0.003) in patients with cancer. Conclusions: Considering the adverse effects of depression on the treatment process and secondary problems, more comprehensive studies should be conducted on the effects of religious coping on depression in order to take effective steps towards the intervention and health promotion of these patients.

Association Between Religious Coping and Quality of Working Life in Nurses

Background: Nurses are an important part of the health system, thus it is essential to evaluate the quality of their working life. Based on various studies, positive religious coping has positive consequences such as higher self-esteem and better quality of life. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the association between religious coping and quality of work life among nurses during year 2015. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 285 nurses of four training-therapeutic hospitals (who were selected with the multi-stage sampling method) of Sari city. Data collection tools consisted of a 31-item standard questionnaire of religious coping and Walton’s standard questionnaire of quality of working life that included 32 items. Data were analyzed by SPSS 16 using descriptive (mean and SD) and inferential statistics (Pearson and Spearman correlation). Results: Among 285 nurses, 70 (24.6%) were male and 215 (74.4%) were female with an average age of 33 (SD = 6.95; 95%CI: 32.19 - 33.81) years. The mean and standard deviation of religious coping and quality of work life for nurses were 101 ± 16.798 and 85.57 ± 16.769, respectively. Based on statistical test of Pearson correlation, a direct and significant relationship was found between variables of religious coping behaviors and quality of working life of nurses (r = 0.387, P < 0.001). Conclusions: The results revealed that there was a significant association between religious coping and quality of life of nurses, and it seemed that by making efforts to improve the quality of religious coping in this group and by frequent training sessions, the quality of life of nurses can be improved.

Matching Services to Patients' Beliefs About Depression in Dublin, Ireland

This study explored tensions between biomedical and psychosocial illness models and between the public health goal of stigma reduction and patients' perceptions of helplessness. Patients' etiological beliefs and use of language are considered as possible pathways to improved care. Qualitative and quantitative data were obtained from 18 adults attending a mood disorders support group in Dublin, Ireland. Respondents reported feelings of helplessness concerning the occurrence of depressive episodes. When describing episodes of wellness and depression, respondents used a "light switch" metaphor to indicate this lack of control. For several respondents, acceptance of biomedical causality was linked to helplessness. In contrast, spiritual beliefs offered hope. Alleviating patients' sense of responsibility may reduce their guilt, but patients' perceptions of illness uncontrollability may diminish their sense of agency, reinforce depressive attributional styles, and undermine overall treatment outcomes. Communication and the patients' involvement in decisions are vital to treatment.

The role of religious resources for older adults coping with illness.

The present study investigated the role of religious/spiritual appraisal and coping among a community sample of older adults with illness. In particular this study explored the relationship between these religious resources and nonreligious cognitive appraisals (e.g., threat) and coping behavior in response to illness. These religious resources were related to more adaptive forms of general appraisal and coping. For example, meaning-making related to God (e.g., God's will) was linked to more positive appraisals of the illness and its potential to lead to growth. As well, various forms of religious coping behavior were associated with older adults' use of positive reframing and active forms of general coping. Such findings have implications for counselors and health care providers in their work with older adults adjusting to illness.

Religious Resources in Long-Term Adjustment to Breast Cancer

This cross-sectional study explored the role of religious resources in long-term adjustment to breast cancer. A sample of 32 survivors was assessed on indexes of religious resources (e.g., God image), nonreligious resources (e.g., optimism), and emotional and spiritual well-being. Results indicated that both relationship with God, or God image, and religious coping behavior were related to the survivors' well-being. However, the relationship of these resources with well-being and other nonreligious resources was complex. Different types of relationship with God (e.g., presence) and religious coping behavior (e.g., religious discontent) demonstrated different associations with aspects of emotional well-being and nonreligious resources (e.g., optimism). For example, women who had a sense of a benevolent God experienced less psychological distress in their current life situation. Finally, religious resources, in general, added to the prediction of emotional well-being for the long-term survivors beyond the contribution of nonreligious resources.

Religious coping and health status in medically ill hospitalized older adults.

Associations between specific religious coping (RC) behaviors and health status in medically ill hospitalized older patients were examined and compared with associations between nonreligious coping (NRC) behaviors and health status. The sample consisted of 577 patients age 55 or over consecutively admitted to the general medical inpatient services of Duke University Medical Center (78%) or the Durham VA Medical Center (22%). Information was gathered on 21 types of RC, 11 types of NRC, and 3 global indicators of religious activity (GIRA). Health measures included multiple domains of physical health, depressive symptoms, quality of life, stress-related growth, cooperativeness, and spiritual growth. Demographic factors, education, and admitting hospital were control variables. "Negative" and "positive" types of religious coping were identified. Negative RC behaviors related to poorer physical health, worse quality of life, and greater depression were reappraisals of God as punishing, reappraisals involving demonic forces, pleading for direct intercession, and expression of spiritual discontent. Coping that was self-directed (excluding God's help) or involved expressions reflecting negative attitudes toward God, clergy, or church members were also related to greater depression and poorer quality of life. Positive RC behaviors related to better mental health were reappraisal of God as benevolent, collaboration with God, seeking a connection with God, seeking support from clergy/church members, and giving religious help to others. Of 21 RC behaviors, 16 were positively related to stress-related growth, 15 were related to greater cooperativeness, and 16 were related to greater spiritual growth. These relationships were both more frequent and stronger than those found for NRC behaviors. Certain types of RC are more strongly related to better health status than other RC types. Associations between RC behaviors and mental health status are at least as strong, if not stronger, than those observed with NRC behaviors.

The Use of Religion and Other Emotion-Regulating Coping Strategies Among Older Adults

A stratified random sample of 100 older participants in the Second Duke Longitudinal Study was interviewed. Responses to open-ended coping questions were commonly religious in nature. For at least 1 of the 3 stressful periods inquired about, 45% of the sample mentioned a religious coping behavior. Because of the socio-demographic characteristics of participants, these results provided evidence against the generally held view that religion is relevant only to the poor or uneducated. This coping strategy's effectiveness is supported by studies that have revealed a positive relationship between religious behaviors and well-being.