Religious Coping Strategies Research Articles

The Relationship of Religious Coping with Psychological Well-being, Psychological Resilience, and Grief Severity in Women Who Had Experienced Perinatal Loss in Türkiye.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between religious coping strategies and three key variables: psychological well-being, psychological resilience, and grief intensity, in a sample of women who had experienced perinatal loss. The study was designed as a descriptive and correlational study. The study was completed by reaching 208 (approximately 68.1%) of the 305 women who experienced perinatal loss. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Religious Coping Scale, the Psychological Well-Being Scale, the Psychological Resilience Scale, and the Perinatal Grief Scale. Bivariate analysis revealed a positive relationship of positive religious coping with psychological well-being and psychological resilience. Conversely, a negative relationship was found with perinatal grief and its sub-dimensions (p < 0.001). Furthermore, while there was negative correlation between women's negative religious coping and psychological well-being (p < 0.001), there was positive correlation between the total scale score of perinatal grief (p = 0.034) and its subscale, difficulty in coping (p = 0.003). Concurrently, the regression analysis revealed that positive religious coping was a significant predictor of enhanced psychological well-being and resilience in women, while concurrently mitigating perinatal grief (F = 281.515, p < 0.001). The study revealed that religious coping strategies employed by women who had experienced perinatal loss led to an enhancement in their psychological well-being and resilience, as well as a favorable impact on their ability to cope with perinatal grief.

A Qualitative Study on Problems of Young People and Ways of Religious Coping in Türkiye

The aim of the research is to investigate the problems young people face in Turkey and to examine the religious coping mechanisms they use to cope with these problems. A total of 353 students from Turkey participated, including 190 high school and 163 university students. The research, conducted in April 2024, employed two different methods for data collection: Written data were gathered directly from high school students through interviews, while questionnaires were distributed to university students and collected by the researcher. We used semi-structured interviews based on a specific framework, asking participants three comprehensive, open-ended questions. After conducting a content analysis on the data, the researcher categorized the data thematically according to the content. According to the findings of the research based on the available data, the problems faced by young people are classified under three main headings: individual, social and existential issues. Individual problems included gender roles, sexuality, religious doubts, stress, addiction, and loneliness. Social problems consist of local and popular culture, violence, concerns about the future, difficulties in finding a profession, the education process, marriage, and family communication. Existential problems include such issues as the meaning of life, death, and belief in God. The study revealed that young people often resort to religious coping strategies to handle these challenges. Among these strategies, such practices as trusting and believing in Allah, prayer (salat) and supplication (dua), expressing gratitude, repentance, ablution, going to the mosque, reading the Qur'an, participating in religious conversations and volunteering services become prominent. As a result, it was determined that religious coping strategies are an important part of the daily lives of young people in Turkey and that these strategies play an important role in coping with individual, social, and existential challenges. Unlike studies that generally address psychological or social elements, this research highlights the role of religious practices as a coping mechanism.

Fear, death anxiety, and religious coping in response to COVID-19 among older adults in Turkey

ABSTRACT This study examined fear, death anxiety, and religious coping in older adults during COVID-19, emphasizing the pandemic’s psychological impact. A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2021 and April 2022 at a university-affiliated Research and Training Hospital Family Medicine polyclinic. The study included 284 voluntary participants aged 65 and above, with no communication issues, recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Socio-Demographic Information Form, COVID-19 Fear Scale, Religious Coping Scale, and Templer Death Anxiety Scale, and analyzed with SPSS software for descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicated a medium level of COVID-19 fear, with singles, those living alone, and individuals who had contracted COVID-19 showing higher fear levels. Female participants reported significantly higher death anxiety. Primary and secondary education graduates relied more on religious coping, which was less common among those who had experienced COVID-19. A negative correlation was found between social-religious coping and death anxiety, while a positive correlation existed between death anxiety and COVID-19 fear. The study highlights that older adults continue to experience moderate levels of COVID-19-related fear and death anxiety. High reliance on religious coping strategies effectively reduces death anxiety. Based on these findings, integrating spiritual support services in healthcare and implementing gender-sensitive mental health interventions are recommended to better support older adults’ psychological needs.

Religion as a strategy for Ukrainians to overcome difficulties at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022

This study is about those Ukrainians who chose faith аs their dominant survival strategy at the beginning of the war. The multifunctionality of the religious strategy (according to K. Pargament) can manifest itself in religious behavior, which is also observed among the respondents: passive, active, in the development of personal relationships with God and interpersonal — in the middle of church communities, focused on solving problems and the emotional calm that religious practices bring — prayer and participation in divine services. A religious coping strategy helps to find hope through faith and trust in God and build a more positive vision of your future and your country. How did Ukrainians use religion to deal with the fear and trauma of war? This study shows how some Ukrainians, feeling the fear and trauma of war, turned to religion and faith not only in the traditional spiritual sense, but also in a broader interpretation as a hope and trust for a better future, victory and the forces of good. In order to identify strategies that help Ukrainians survive difficult trials, we conducted the interviews in April and May 2022 with 31 Ukrainians from different regions of Ukraine and abroad. Our research particularly highlights the spiritual experience of the Roman Catholic community of Ukraine. Religious coping mechanisms included physical activities such аs evening prayer with the family and attending church services. Metaphysical actions included communicating with God in everyday life or "giving everything to God." Religion was singled out as one of the strategies for overcoming difficulties by Ukrainians in extreme situations. Using thematic analysis, several strategic areas for dealing with stress were identified from the interview. In a brief linguistic analysis, It was noted that the word ‘faith’ appears in various meanings, not only faith in God, but also faith in victory, faith in the forces of good, faith in a better future for their children. Verbal concepts that reveal respondent’s religious worldview — faith in God (4 mentions), prayer (4), God (3), religious community (2), hope in God (4), faith (2), Lord God (2), church (1), trust in God.

Coping Strategies Among Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Cultural Exploration

PurposeTo identify the patterns of stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents living in different cultural settings and to explore how adolescents cope with such stressors, particularly by type of stressor, site, and gender. MethodsThe study was based on focus group discussion data from 9 urban poor communities in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Blantyre (Malawi), Shanghai (China), Semarang and Denpasar (Indonesia), New Orleans (USA), Ghent (Belgium), São Paulo (Brazil), and Santiago (Chile). Translated transcripts from the focus group discussions were uploaded into ATLAS.ti (Version 9.1) and analyzed using an inductive thematic analytical approach to code and identify themes related to the primary objectives. ResultsAdolescents in Blantyre and Kinshasa reported stressors primarily related to economic constraints and hardships, whereas adolescents in other sites were more likely to report stressors related to school lockdowns. Patterns of coping strategies also loosely aligned with these differences, as adolescents in Blantyre and Kinshasa were also more likely to report using religious coping strategies compared to any other site. Still, the most common coping mechanism mentioned across sites was obtaining social support, with support from friends and family being the most dominant. DiscussionA comprehensive understanding of adolescent stressors and coping mechanisms is valuable for promoting internal resources and positive outcomes for adolescents. Given that adolescents’ stressors and types of coping strategies varied primarily by socioeconomic factors, interventions that aim to bolster positive coping among adolescents need to consider the local context and available resources.

Navigating Workplace Stigma: Examining the Relationship between Power, Authenticity and Religious Coping among employees in Industrial Sectors

Power dynamics, authenticity, religious coping, and workplace stigma within a socio-economic context in Punjab, Pakistan are explored. The research uses a mix methods design of quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to gather comprehensive data from 350 professionals, from across different professions. Using quantitative analysis, we found there is a significant negative correlation between power dynamics and authenticity (r = -0.57, p &lt; 0.01), meaning that the more power imbalance individuals experience, the less likely they are to display their true selves in their work environment. In addition, religious coping was shown to mediate the relationship between power dynamics and authenticity (? = 0.42, p &lt; 0.01) suggesting that the use of religious practices can help those to maintain authenticity in the workplace. Second, religious coping was positively correlated with psychological well-being (r = 0.60, p &lt;. 01), even among professionals who reported experiencing workplace stigma. Finally, qualitative findings further explained the protective nature of religious coping, showing how it allows individuals to cope with power hierarchies and to reduce stigma related stress. The need to create authentic workplaces and the impact of religious coping strategies on employee wellbeing are emphasized in this study. Organizations can thus create supportive atmospheres where professionals feel comfortable expressing themselves authentically while accessing psychological resilience by addressing power dynamics and stigma in the workplace.

The Role of Spirituality and Religion in Improving Quality of Life and Coping Mechanisms in Cancer Patients.

This systematic review aimed to comprehensively evaluate the role of spirituality and religion in the journey of patients with cancer and assess their impact on various aspects of well-being and coping mechanisms. Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar following the PRISMA guidelines. This study focused on the period from 2014 to 2024, the time chosen for the emerging integration of spirituality and religion in cancer treatment. Inclusion criteria targeted studies exploring the impact of spirituality and religion on cancer patients' quality of life, coping, and treatment outcomes. A comprehensive search initially yielded 2591 papers, of which 1544 were excluded as duplicates, and 113 were further excluded based on the inclusion criteria. Ultimately, 53 papers were selected for review, including 8 prospective cohort, 17 cross-sectional, 16 observational descriptive, and 12 RCT studies. Encompassing 13,590 patients with various cancer types, including breast, gastrointestinal, prostate, brain, and others, the review highlighted spirituality and religion's significant role in improving cancer patients' well-being. Across different cancers, greater spiritual well-being and religious coping were consistently associated with an improved quality of life, reduced distress, enhanced coping, and better treatment outcomes. Interventions such as mindfulness therapy, yoga, and religious coping strategies positively impact patients' spiritual and emotional well-being. This review highlights the vital role of spirituality and religion in cancer care. Integrating these aspects into patient plans offers comfort and support throughout treatment. Healthcare providers should prioritize spiritual support to enhance patient well-being and optimize outcomes.

Incidence of mental disorders and its predictors among air force personnel exposed to counter-insurgency operations in a West African country: a 6-month follow-up study

BackgroundDespite robust reports in the literature concerning the effect of exposure to combat on mental health, there is a paucity of studies in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) using a...

Spiritual and Emotional Care Among Clergy as First Responder–Victims in Puerto Rico: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study

A longitudinal qualitative study was conducted to explore the experiences of church leaders (10 priests, pastors, and pastors’ wives) who provided disaster spiritual/emotional care (DSEC) to the island of Puerto Rico during a period of intense and repeated crises from 2017 to 2022. Utilizing a narrative inquiry approach, 18 in-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed. Findings indicated that the participants engaged in psychological, social, and religious coping strategies to actively cope with the stress and trauma of being first responder rescuer/victims. Regional, cultural and contextual factors are considered in an effort to understand and enhance services to populations where disaster is the new normal.

Physical Symptoms and Coping Strategies With Earthquake Stress Among Adults Living in Tent Cities: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study aimed to examine the physical symptoms, coping strategies for earthquake stress and factors predicting coping strategies among adults staying in tent cities after an earthquake. A cross-sectional design was conducted. The study sample consisted of 706 adults residing in tent cities in three cities of earthquake-affected regions. Data were collected through face-to-face surveys and the Earthquake Coping Strategies Scale, starting from the 16th day after the earthquake in February-March 2023. Independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, McNemar test and multiple linear regression analysis used for data analysis. The first three physical symptoms with the highest frequency after the earthquake were insomnia, frequent waking and difficulty falling asleep, respectively. Individuals with chronic illnesses, lower education levels, no previous experience with earthquakes and having undamaged homes more frequently used religious coping strategies. Individuals with higher incomes, employed individuals, non-smokers and those with having undamaged homes more frequently used positive reappraisal strategies. The present study concluded that physical symptoms were common among individuals in the post-earthquake period and that many individuals adopted religious coping strategies. Nurses can develop effective interventions for preventing physical and mental health problems in the post-earthquake period. They can contribute significantly as caregivers, leaders, researchers and advisors in health monitoring and improvement practices for individuals after earthquakes. The results of the study are instructive for designing prevention and improvement practices to minimise future destructive effects of earthquakes. Individuals mostly experienced sleep problems and preferred different coping styles in the early post-earthquake period. The physical and mental health of individuals can be improved by early intervention and encouraging effective coping methods after an earthquake. STROBE checklist. No patient or public involvement.

Religious coping and maternal work-conflict: uncovering the pathways to well-being

ABSTRACT Most studies examining work-family conflict have utilized quantitative methodologies, which do not provide sufficient narrative information about participants’ experiences. This qualitative descriptive study describes both the religious and non-religious coping strategies employed by Twelve (N = 12) Conservative Protestant Working Mothers with school-aged children to manage work-family conflict. The CPWM shared their experiences of how they found balance and well-being. Two research questions guided this study: How do Conservative Protestant Working Mothers with school-aged children describe their experiences of work-family conflict when transitioning between the work and home environments? How do Conservative Protestant Working Mothers with school-aged children describe the coping strategies they use to reduce or resolve work-family conflict? Prayer was found to be a coping strategy used by all of the mothers in this study, it helped to reduce their stress levels and enhance their emotional well-being.

Religious, Practical and Future-Oriented Coping Strategies to End Intimate Partner Violence: An In-Depth Examination of Ultraorthodox Israeli Women’s Narratives

Abstract Purpose Much attention has been devoted to the ways in which women have made sense of, worked through, coped with, and recovered from Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), but the insights of survivors affiliated with religious minorities are scarce. The purpose of this study is to advance understandings and practices concerning the coping experiences of Ultraorthodox women (UJW) survivors of IPV. Using descriptive phenomenological methodology, in-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 15 Ultraorthodox Israeli women who identified themselves as survivors of IPV. Methods The research design and data analysis were inspired by a phenomenological approach to document, analyze, and understand these women’s subjective experiences on this heretofore under-studied topic. Shenton’s four criteria were assessed to promote the current study’s rigor and trustworthiness. Results Thematic analysis revealed three core themes and seven related sub-themes: (1) Devoting time to spiritual activities (sub-themes: daily prayers and attending Jewish classes); (2) Finding inspiration in a role model (sub-themes: a woman who survived IPV, a well-appreciated rabbi); and, (3) Planning the future (sub-themes: commitment to a new project, helping other women to cope with IPV, and commitment to the future and well-being of their children). Conclusions An integrative synthesis of the findings reveals two distinctive forms of coping: spiritual-based and practical-based coping strategies, that demonstrate the survivors’ multifaceted perceptions and coping narrative with IPV. The strengths and limitations of this study are addressed along with implications for practice and theory.

Religious Coping as Mediator of Sense of Competence and Post-traumatic Growth in Mothers of Children With Cerebral Palsy.

The present study aimed to determine whether religious coping mediates the relationship between parenting sense of competence (PSOC) and post-traumatic growth (PTG). Cross-sectional research design was used. A sample of 74 mothers (age range; 20-45 years) of CP children (age range; 2-9 years) was collected through purposive sampling from different physiotherapy centres and special education schools of Lahore. PSOC scale, brief RCOPE and PTG inventory were used. Positive religious coping partially mediated (β = 0.190, 95% CI [0.026, 0.374], p < 0.05) between PSOC and PTG. Partial mediation exists between PSOC and appreciation of life through pathway of positive religious coping (β = 0.040, 95% CI [0.007, 0.075], p < 05). Full mediation exists between PSOC and personal strength through pathway of positive religious coping (β = 0.041, 95% CI [0.001, 0.081], p < 0.05) and through negative religious coping (β = 0.034, 95% CI [0.002, 0.066], p < 0.05). Positive religious coping fully mediated (β = 0.029, 95% CI [0.007, 0.058], p < 0.05) between PSOC and spiritual change. Moreover, indirect effect of PSOC on relating to others and new possibilities through positive and negative religious coping was non-significant, indicating no mediation. Positive religious coping affected the association between PSOC and PTG, that is, mothers of CP children having high parenting competence are more likely to use positive religious coping strategies that results in more PTG.

‘I Can Only Do My Best and Leave the Rest to God”: Religious/Spiritual Coping Strategies of African Nurses in the UK

Research on racism in the workplace has long focused on organizational remedies for this moral problem. Given the acknowledged inadequacies of organizational solutions such as anti-racism training, attention is now turning to how immigrants manage their individual experiences of racism in a western context. Employing an agentic lens, this article describes a qualitative study of 43 African nurses in the UK in which their capacity for withstanding workplace racism is examined. It investigates how participants draw upon a range of religious coping strategies to make sense of and respond to racism. The data indicate that African nurses rely on specific coping strategies at different points in time and across various contexts, adapting their coping approaches to accommodate their personal growth and individual experiences. This underscores the versatility, context-dependency, and temporal aspects of religious coping among immigrants. The study’s findings are particularly interesting given the limited role that religion plays in western organizations.

Emotional State and Religious Coping Strategies among Junior Doctors in a COVID-19-designated Tertiary Care Hospital in Mysore – A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Health-care workers (HCWs) in India have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, facing significant psychological distress due to their challenging work, exposure to the virus, and isolation. This study examines the emotional states and coping strategies of HCWs and the potential effects of religious coping mechanisms on their mental health. Aim: To explore the emotional state, coping strategies, and impact of religious beliefs on the mental health of junior doctors in a COVID-19-designated tertiary care hospital in Mysore. Methods: The cross-sectional survey-based observational study included residents and house surgeons working in COVID-19 wards. Sociodemographic data along with their emotional state and coping strategies were assessed using Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), Brief COPE Inventory, and the Brief Religion COPE. Chi-square test and Pearson’s correlation were used to evaluate the relationship between variables. Results: Majority (57.2%) of the participants were between 21 and 25 years and of male gender (61.6%), with Hinduism being the most prevalent religious affiliation (88.4%). Most (71.7%) tested positive for COVID-19. A significant prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression among HCWs. Significant associations were found between stress, anxiety, and factors such as living alone, working in emergency care, substance use, and associations between religious coping and emotional status. Conclusion: The study highlighted the psychological distress faced by HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic and proposes that religious coping techniques may help their mental health amid emergencies. Promoting an integrated strategy that incorporates psychological and religious coping mechanisms may improve health-care personnel’s overall resilience and mental well-being in the face of future challenges.

Mediators and Predictors of Peritraumatic Dissociation after Devastating Consecutive Earthquakes: The role of social support

Objective: Dissociation involves the tendency to detach from one's environment, own body and mental states. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of psychiatric symptoms, coping strategies with earthquake stress and the relationship between peritraumatic dissociation one month after two earthquakes that occurred 9 hours apart on 6th February 2023 in Turkey. Method: In this cross-sectional, an online questionnaire distributed through social media groups was filled by 786 university students studying in Adana, including Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (PDEQ), Coping Strategies with Earthquake Stress Scale, and Brief Symptom Inventory. Results: The peritraumatic dissociation showed a weak negative relationship with religious coping strategy and a very weak positive relationship with seeking social support. Obsessive-compulsivity (β=0.650), anxiety (β=0.572), depression (β=-0.316, i.e., negatively), phobic anxiety (β=0.390), positive symptom distress index (β=-1.888), social support (β=0.597) sub-dimensions were found to be important predictors of PDEQ in the linear regression model (explanatory power R2=0.379) with obsessive-compulsivity (30.9%) being the most contributing factor. Peritraumatic dissociation scores were significantly higher in females and in those with damage or destruction in their homes. Mediation analysis revealed that depression indirectly increased the dissociation score, i.e., by decreasing the seeking social support scores, the latter being found to mediate peritraumatic dissociation. Discussion: The most important predictor of peritraumatic dissociation was obsessive-compulsivity symptoms, with the highest risk in those with more anxiety symptoms and who sought more social support. Therefore, social support is suggested to accompany early symptom screening after the earthquake to reduce outcomes like post-traumatic stress disorders. Keywords: Earthquake; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire; Coping Strategies with Earthquake Stress Scale; Brief Symptom Inventory

Comparison of Religious Coping Strategies in Taiwanese and Turkish Parents of Children with Cancer

&lt;p&gt;在本文中我們討論並比較了生活在兩種不同文化中的台灣和土耳其癌症兒童父母的宗教因應策略，以引起人們對人類經驗的宗教/靈性維度的重要性的關注。癌症是兒童疾病相關死亡和治療相關的致病率的主要原因之一，近幾十年來，癌症在全球呈上升趨勢。宗教因應是一種以與神聖相關的方式理解和處理生活壓力的努力，包括祈禱、會眾支持、教牧關懷和宗教信仰。台灣和土耳其的癌症兒童父母經常使用宗教因應方式，因為宗教對心理靈性有好處；然而，由於父母的宗教信仰和習俗不同，所使用的宗教因應策略也大不相同。大多數台灣父母的信仰是傳統民間信仰和道教，而大多數土耳其父母的信仰是伊斯蘭教。我們堅信，醫療專業人員應該認識並尊重父母的宗教和靈性需求，並鼓勵父母採用宗教因應策略。&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this article, we discussed and compared the religious coping strategies of Taiwanese and Turkish parents of children with cancer, living in two different cultures, in order to draw attention to the importance of the religious/spiritual dimension of human experience. Cancer is one of the leading causes of disease-related death and treatment-associated morbidity in children with an increasing trend in recent decades worldwide. Religious coping is an effort to understand and deal with life stress in ways related to the sacred, which includes prayer, congregational support, pastoral care, and religious faith. Religious coping has been frequently used by Taiwanese and Turkish parents of children with cancer because it brings psychospiritual benefits; however, the religious coping strategies used are largely different since the parents’ religious beliefs and practices are different. While the beliefs of most Taiwanese parents are traditional folk beliefs and Taoism, the belief of most Turkish parents is Islam. We strongly believe that healthcare professionals should recognize and respect parents’ religious and spiritual needs and encourage parents to use religious coping strategies.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

A qualitative analysis of religious coping and participation in patients with head and neck cancer.

e24093 Background: Head and neck cancer (HNC) and its treatment sequelae result in substantial disfigurement, depression, and isolation. Though up to 7 out of 10 cancer patients lean on prayer or other forms of spirituality for support, little is known about the significance of prayer and religious communities for patients with HNC. There is also a dearth of literature on the role of clergy as spiritual support for patients with HNC. In this qualitative study, we explore religious coping and barriers to community engagement both from a patient and clergy perspective. Methods: We purposively sampled ten patients with HNC from a single, comprehensive cancer center and twelve clergy for interviews. Patients were selected from a larger study of religious engagement and symptomatic distress. Clergy were recruited from a network of churches near the cancer center. Both patients and clergy completed semi-structured interviews, which were then transcribed and analyzed by descriptive content analysis. Results: Four main themes emerged from patient interviews: 1) HNC-related physical symptoms (dysphagia, stoma, impaired speech) hindered relationship-building with others and structured religious groups. 2) Most patients used positive religious coping, citing frequent prayer to God for strength during treatment and peace regardless of disease outcome. Few patients used negative religious coping, describing feelings of doubt and abandonment by God. 3) Patients predominantly found spiritual (prayer) and practical comfort (encouragement, phone calls) outside of religious communities through family, physicians, and support groups. 4) Barriers to religious community involvement included physical disability, satisfaction with individual spirituality, and religious community politics. Among clergy, barriers to patient engagement in religious communities included: lack of health literacy to understand patient needs, resource limitations, insufficient hospital emphasis on holistic health, and little awareness of opportunities for aid apart from psychosocial support. Overall, most clergy and patients believed faith to be an integral part of coping with head and neck cancer. Conclusions: Though patients with HNC experienced some isolation due to physical symptoms, many found spiritual support through private practices of prayer or individual relationships. Patient and clergy views on barriers to religious community involvement diverged; many patients felt satisfied with personal practices, and clergy felt distanced from patients. While future research should focus on clinical elicitation of religious coping strategies, our patients suggest the successful adaptation of such strategies to private contexts when faced with physically debilitating cancer diagnoses.

Coping Mechanisms Used by Male Partners of Women Diagnosed with Cervical Cancer: An Explorative Qualitative Study at Ocean Road Cancer Institute in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Cervical cancer has a significant impact on the lives of caregivers of cervical cancer patients, including male partners. Disturbances in physical, psychological, sexual, spiritual, and socioeconomical aspects of life are reported by male partners of cervical cancer patients. To reduce the impact associated with cervical cancer, adaptive coping mechanisms are needed. In this regard, little is known about the coping mechanisms used by male partners of women diagnosed with cervical cancer in sub-Saharan African countries. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the coping mechanisms used by male partners of women diagnosed with cervical cancer at the Ocean Road Cancer Institute in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A descriptive cross-sectional study design with a qualitative approach was employed to explore coping strategies used by male partners of cervical cancer patients between December 2022 and March 2023. Participants were selected using a purposeful sampling technique guided by the principles of saturation. In-depth interviews with thirteen male partners of cervical cancer patients were carried out, and the interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were then analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Four themes highlighting coping mechanisms used by male partners of cervical patients were identified after data analysis. They include religious coping, emotional expression and regulation strategies, support-seeking strategies, and problem-solving strategies. Male partners of cervical cancer patients used various mechanisms to cope with the stressful situations they encountered. While most of the coping mechanisms used by male partners of cervical cancer patients were adaptive, some were maladaptive. Therefore, regular assessment among this population needs to be done to identify maladaptive coping and provide relevant support.

Adaptive religious coping with experiences of sexual and gender-based violence and displacement

Abstract This article examines the religious coping strategies among forced migrant women survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). While it is acknowledged that faith and religion help people to survive crises, the patterns of religious coping with SGBV and displacement are little understood. I explore how displaced women use their faith and religious resources to cope with SGBV and migration-related daily stressors. Using qualitative methods and data collected in Turkey and Tunisia with thirty-eight Levantine and African women, I introduce the concept of adaptive religious coping, which they deployed over time and place as one main coping mechanism in experiences of SGBV and displacement. Survivors used cognitive, behavioural and spiritual/emotional religious coping strategies, drawing on their available religious resources—ideas, practices and experience. The study highlights the importance of religious coping in supporting displaced populations emotionally and spiritually, and offers implications for mental health responses in forced displacement contexts.