Browsing by Subject "Religious coping"
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Coping with cancer: Associations among religiousness, religious coping, health locurs of control, and psychological functioning(2012-08) Moore, Lindsey; Cook, Stephen W.; Hendrick, Susan S.; Morgan, Robert D.; Richards, StevenCancer patients have many sources of stress compared to healthy people and people with other illnesses (Lin & Bauer-Wu, 2003). Effectively coping with the psychological distress associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment is important in maintaining mental health. Recent reviews (for examples, see Lin & Bauer-WU, 2003; Thuné-Boyle, Stygall, Keshtgar, & Newman, 2005) provide evidence for positive associations between aspects of religious coping and quality of life, adjustment, and well-being among cancer patients. However, null and negative associations among these variables have been reported as well. Therefore, the effectiveness of using religious coping with cancer was unclear and needed future research (Kendrick & Koenig, 2000). The current study examined how one’s religiousness may be used during a cancer patient’s coping experience. More specifically, the current study researched the relationships among religiousness, religious coping, health locus of control, and psychological functioning among cancer patients. Results indicated associations among religiousness, religious coping, and health locus of control beliefs, as expected. Results also indicated that religiousness and God health locus of control were associated with increased satisfaction with life and greater positive affect. Collaborative religious coping was also found to be associated with increased satisfaction with life. Several hypothesized relationships were not supported. For example, there was no evidence that religiousness was negatively associated with negative affect. Active surrender religious coping, internal health locus of control, and God health locus of control were not found to be associated with enhanced psychological functioning. Pleading religious coping and chance health locus of control were not found to be associated with diminished psychological functioning. Finally, none of the mediating and moderating relationships hypothesized in this study were supported. In summary, results indicate that religion, Christianity in particular, tends to be important to cancer patients in the Southwestern United States, and is used in their coping process. Since religiousness and religious coping have been associated with well-being in this study, it can be argued that it would be beneficial for helping professionals to initiate conversations with cancer patients about religious issues. The discussion includes directions for future research as well as implications for mental health professionals, religious counselors, and medical staff in a position to offer support to cancer patients.Item Initial development and validation of the Assessment of Beliefs and Behaviors in Coping (ABC)(2012-08) Kulkarni, Monique Shah; McCarthy, Christopher J.; Cokley, Kevin; Dodd, Barbara; Keith, Timothy Z.; Parker, RandallThe central purpose of this study was to use structural equation modeling techniques on a newly developed measure of religious coping, the Assessment of Beliefs and Behaviors in Coping (ABC), in order to confirm the factor structure previously established through exploratory factor analysis. The ABC is a two-part, 40-item measure (each part containing 20 items) that measures attitudes about the helpfulness of religious coping as well as use of religious coping behaviors. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to determine whether the established factor structure is the same across religious groups. Participants were 885 undergraduate students from the Department of Educational Psychology subject pool. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess the fit of the hypothesized structure as well as explore the fit of competing models. The factor structure of the attitude portion of the measure was confirmed independently of the behavior portion of the measure. Both scales demonstrated the initially theorized four-factor model. Multi-group analyses were then conducted on each portion of the ABC, again, independently. Partial scalar invariance was demonstrated for the ABC – Attitudes (across three groups, Christians, Non-Christians, and Non-Believers). Partial scalar invariance was also demonstrated for the ABC – Behaviors, but only for the Christian and Non-Christian groups. Finally, participants’ scores on the ABC were compared to their scores on existing measures of similar constructs to assess for convergent validity. Reliability of the instrument was also evaluated. By better understanding the role religion plays in coping with stressful life events, the objective is to aid mental health professionals in addressing religion, when applicable, with their clients. Limitations, directions for future research, and implications for counseling psychology are also discussed.Item Religious and non-religious coping, depressive symptoms, financial stress, and cigarette use among post-secondary vocational students(2011-05) King Horton, Karissa Diane; Loukas, Alexandra; Ellison, Christopher G.; Holahan, Carole; Pasch, Keryn; Steinhardt, MaryResearch suggests that depressive symptoms and financial stress are both associated with increased levels of cigarette smoking, yet not every individual who experiences depressive symptoms or financial stress smokes. The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether positive and negative religious coping moderated the influence of depressive symptoms and financial stress on current (past 30-day) cigarette smoking over and above the contributions of demographic covariates and nonreligious problem- and emotion-focused coping. Participants were drawn from a larger study comprised of a convenience sample of 1,120 post-secondary vocational/technical school students enrolled in programs such as welding, air-conditioning, and vocational nursing at two different two-year public colleges in Texas. These students are training to work in blue-collar occupations, which have higher smoking rates compared to white-collar occupations. Negative binomial regression analysis was used to test the study hypotheses. Depressive symptoms and financial stress increased the likelihood of smoking for female students, whereas financial stress decreased the likelihood of smoking for male students. Positive religious coping decreased the likelihood of smoking for females only. 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. Contrary to expectations, positive religious coping exacerbated the likelihood of cigarette smoking among females with high levels of depressive symptoms. Negative religious coping moderated the financial stress-cigarette smoking relationship such that males who reported low financial stress and high levels of negative religious coping had the highest likelihood of smoking in the past month. For females, religious coping was associated with current cigarette use, but did not moderate the association between financial stress and smoking. Even after controlling for demographic covariates and nonreligious coping, positive and negative religious coping influenced the smoking behaviors of vocational students experiencing depressive symptoms and financial stress, and these outcomes varied by gender. Study limitations, implications, and suggestions for future directions in research are discussed.Item Strength of religious faith and positive coping behaviors : testing a mediation model(2010-05) Shah, Monique Mohit; McCarthy, Christopher J.; Cokley, KevinThe purpose of the proposed study is to examine the relationships among the strength of college students’ religious faith and positive coping behaviors (religious and non-religious) and their subsequent effects on physical and psychological well-being, perceived stress, and life satisfaction. Research has shown strength of faith to be positively associated with both mental health and life satisfaction, which in turn, are often related to better health (Larson et al., 1992; Ellison, 1991). Positive religious and non-religious coping behaviors have also been shown to have similar relationships with the aforementioned outcomes (Koenig et al., 2001). The potential mediating relationships between the variables will be tested with the multiple regression methods outlined by Baron and Kenny (1986).