The Meaning of Life and Religious Coping in the Fight Against Cancer: A Study with Oncology Patients in Brazil in Light of Viktor Frankl's Theory.

This study aimed to describe the perception of the meaning of life and coping strategies of 19 patients with cancer at a public hospital in Brazil. This is descriptive and qualitative research that used Amedeo Giorgi's phenomenological model, and the interpretation was performed in light of Viktor Frankl's theory. Two themes have emerged: (1) the perception of the meaning of life in the experience with cancer and (2) religious coping to fight the disease. This study showed that revealing the meaning of life in the cancer experience contributes to better treatment compliance, a more favorable view of the future and better quality of life. On the other hand, religious coping is the strategy most used by patients who believe in God, showing a greater state of psychological and spiritual well-being.

Psychometric Properties of the Haitian Creole Brief Religious Coping Scale (RCOPE) with a Sample of Adult Haitians Impacted by the 2010 Earthquake.

The current study investigated the psychometric properties of the Haitian Creole version of the Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE). A total of 256 adult survivors of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti completed the Brief RCOPE and measures of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, resilience, general coping, and posttraumatic growth. The results showed the Brief RCOPE to have excellent internal consistency reliability α = .94 and α = .85 for the positive religious coping and negative religious coping, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis showed construct validity for the Brief RCOPE subscales. The results also showed evidence of convergent validity of the Brief RCOPE in relation to measures of positive spiritual change and religion. Independent t-tests revealed statistically significant gender differences in scores on the positive religious coping subscales as women scored higher than men. These findings suggest that the psychometric properties of the Haitian Creole version of the Brief RCOPE are adequate for the assessment of religious coping with Haitian adults exposed to a natural disaster.

Praying for a Miracle Part II: Idiosyncrasies of Spirituality and Its Relations With Religious Expressions in Health.

As a continuation of the previous paper, Praying for a Miracle - Negative or Positive Impacts on Health Care, published in this research topic, this second paper aims at delving deeper into the same theme, but now from a simultaneously practical and conceptual approach. With that in mind, we revisit three theoretical models based on evidence, through which we can understand the role of a miracle in hospital settings and assess its impact in health contexts. For each of the models described, we seek to illustrate the possible outcomes of belief in miracles as a modality of religious coping in situations of stress and suffering experienced by patients and caregivers in the face of gloomy diagnoses on coming across the limits of medicine to revert certain illnesses (e.g., child cancer) or biological conditions (e.g., fetal malformation). We posit that the judgment about how such a mechanism is healthy or not for each of the people involved (patient, caregiver, and/or health professional) depends on the modulation between the conception of the miracle adopted by the patient and/or caregiver and the concrete outcomes of the way of responding to the situations that accompany the gravity of the illness or condition. To better understand this process of psychological modulation that accompanies belief in miracles, we revisit the concepts of spirituality, religiosity, and religion, pointing out the connections and distinctions between them from a phenomenological perspective. We then present a conceptual model that takes these connections and distinctions into consideration to foster an understanding of miracles, their relations with the diversity of experiences of people who meet in hospital settings (patients, caregivers, and health professionals), and their respective impacts on healthcare.

Praying for a Miracle: Negative or Positive Impacts on Health Care?

The belief in miracle, as a modality of spiritual/religious coping (SRC) strategy in the face of stress and psychic suffering, has been discussed in psychological literature with regard to its positive or negative role on the health and well-being of patients and family members. In contemporary times, where pseudo-conflicts between religion and science should have been long overcome, there is still some tendency of interpreting belief in miracle - as the possibility of a cure granted by divine intervention, modifying the normal course of events in a bleak medical diagnosis - as having unhealthy impacts in the care and treatment of health. This position seeks to find a base in the three characteristics of hoping in a miracle, frequently pointed out by psychological literature: (a) it would imply a negation of reality instead of its confrontation; (b) it would be a coping strategy focused on emotion instead of the problem; (c) it would imply seeking to modify the supposed desire of God by extra-natural facts. In this study, we shall critically discuss this position and the dangers of its crystallization by the use of SRC scales in which the act of praying for a miracle is previously classified as a negative strategy. We revisit some tendencies in psychological literature about the subject, taking into consideration the various facets of miracle, sociocultural facts, elements of idiographic nature, and their profound outcomes in the lives of people especially in health contexts. We illustrate the dangers of a hasty generalization of the results of nomothetic studies about the role of belief in miracle with two examples of research in the Brazilian context: one carried out with pregnant women with fetal malformation and the other with family members caring for children and adolescents with cancer under chemotherapeutic treatment. In both studies, the results do not confirm the predominance of the negative aspects associated with the act of praying for a miracle, which we discuss and analyze in light of the phenomenological perspective. In this perspective, "pray for a miracle", as experienced by patients and caregivers, can be recognized as an act of openness to life (instead of isolation in a bleak perspective), bolstering hope, and the resignification of reality in the psyche.

Trusting in God: Religious and Spiritual Support in Mental Health Treatment Expectations in Mexico.

Religious and spiritual practices have been identified as a main source of mental health support for Latinxs to improve overall health and well-being. This qualitative secondary data analysis sought to elucidate how Mexican patients and family members engaged in religious and spiritual practices to help alleviate patients' experiences of mental illness. Three main findings are discussed: (1) positive religious coping such as entrusting God with one's suffering, consejos (i.e., emotional support and advice giving), and positive social supports through religious communities; (2) negative religious coping such as harmful views of God as punishing; and (3) indigenous healing practices such as engagement with curanderos (medicine doctor) and limpias (i.e., herb-based cleanses). The authors discuss these findings in the context of tensions between culturally sanctioned healing and the perception of psychotherapeutic effectiveness reported by Mexican patients and their family members. The authors also provide future directions for incorporating patients' religious and spiritual practices into multiculturally competent treatment.

Spiritual Resources of Family Members of Patients in Palliative Care in Brazil.

Although religiosity is a strong feature of Brazilian people, the integration of spirituality in palliative care (PC) has been a challenge for health care professionals. In order to evaluate the spiritual resources used by family members of patients in PC, this work presents the results of the research carried out with 50 family members. The Satisfaction with Life Scale, Centrality of Religiosity Scale, Spiritual/Religious Coping Scale, Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale, and Attachment to God Inventory were applied. The prevalence of positive spiritual/religious coping was very high (76%) or high (6%). There was a strong correlation between positive spiritual/religious coping and centrality of religiosity (r = 0.805; SD = 0.87). There was a moderate negative correlation between the avoidant attachment to God and centrality of religiosity (r = -0.611; SD = 1.24) and positive spiritual/religious coping (r = -0.575; SD = 1.37). There was a moderate positive correlation between the anxious attachment to God and spiritual struggles (r = 0.515; SD = 0.76) and negative spiritual/religious coping (r = 0.555; SD = 0.616). These results suggest that spiritual/religious resources are present in family members of patients in PC. These resources have been mostly ignored by the multidisciplinary team. Findings provide an evidence base for training health care professionals to better integrate spirituality in PC settings.

La religión como afrontamiento en pacientes oncológicos: síntomas depresivos y ansiosos / Religion as coping in cancer patients: depressive and anxious symptoms

Resumen En momentos de crisis o amenaza la religión es uno de los principales recursos que utilizan las personas para hacer frente. El diagnóstico de cáncer y su tratamiento constituyen un evento especialmente demandante para cualquier persona. En concordancia con eso, el presente estudio tuvo como objetivo verificar la relación entre afrontamiento religioso por medio de RCOPE y síntomas depresivos-ansiosos por medio del DASS-21, en pacientes oncológicos y grupo no oncológico. Este estudio de carácter cuantitativo, comparativo, correlacional y transversal se llevó a cabo en una muestra de 96 pacientes oncológicos del Hospital base Valdivia, Chile y grupo control de 102 sujetos. Los principales resultados obtenidos comprueban el mayor uso del afrontamiento religioso por pacientes oncológicos en comparación a grupo control; la existencia de relación directamente proporcional entre afrontamiento religioso negativo y la presencia de síntomas depresivo-ansiosos; la ausencia de relación entre afrontamiento religioso positivo y la presencia de síntomas depresivo-ansiosos. Se concluye que la búsqueda de respaldo de medios religiosos resulta especialmente necesaria en periodos de crisis, como lo es el tratamiento de una enfermedad grave. Sin embargo, cuando hay una relación positiva con la deidad o lo religioso (afrontamiento positive), no necesariamente implicaría un efecto atenuante de síntomas ansiosos o depresivos, y más bien, el afrontamiento negativo, se puede esperar un aumento o disminución de este tipo de malestar. Por lo que resultaría conveniente en contexto de enfermedad grave enfocarse en disminuir la conflictividad religiosa como medio de atenuar síntomas depresivos y ansiosos.

Abstract In times of crisis or threat, religion is one of the primary resources that people use to cope. Cancer diagnosis and treatment are an exceptionally demanding event for anyone. By this, the present study aimed to verify the relationship between religious coping through RCOPE and depressive symptoms - anxious through DASS-21, in cancer patients. This quantitative, comparative, correlational, and cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 96 cancer patients from the Valdivia base Hospital, Chile, and a control group of 102 subjects. The main results obtained confirm the greater use of religious coping by cancer patients than the control group; the existence of a directly proportional relationship between negative religious coping and the presence of depressive-anxious symptoms; the absence of a relationship between positive religious coping and the presence of depressive-anxious symptoms. It is concluded that the search for support from religious media is essential in periods of crisis, such as the treatment of a severe illness. However, when there is a positive relationship with the deity or religion, it would not necessarily translate into mitigation of anxious and depressive symptoms. Instead, negative coping, an increase or decrease of this type of discomfort can be expected. Therefore, in the context of serious illness, it would be advisable to focus on reducing the religious conflict to attenuate anticipatory and anxious symptoms.

Crecimiento postraumático y variables psicosociales en víctimas de violencia política / Posttraumatic growth and psychosocial variables among victims of political violence

Resumen Antecedentes: la dictadura militar chilena (1973-1990) dejó miles de víctimas entre afectados directos y familiares, quienes pudieron desarrollar diversas secuelas en su salud mental. Objetivos: el presente estudio buscó evaluar un modelo predictivo de crecimiento postraumático (CPT) que incluía la ideología política, el afrontamiento religioso y la rumiación, en víctimas de la violencia política durante la dictadura. Método: participaron 200 personas adultas reconocidas en el Programa de Reparación y Atención Integral de Salud (PRAIS), encargada de brindar apoyo a las víctimas directas de violaciones a los derechos humanos durante la dictadura, y a sus familiares. De ellos 104 son mujeres (52%) y 96 hombres (48%), en un rango de edad entre los 30 y 91 años. Se utilizaron como instrumentos el Inventario de Crecimiento Postraumático, la Escala Breve de Afrontamiento Religioso, la Escala de Rumiación relacionada con el Evento y la Escala de Ideología Política. Resultados: los principales resultados indicaron que el afrontamiento religioso positivo y la rumiación deliberada predijeron el CPT. La rumiación deliberada media parcialmente entre el afrontamiento religioso positivo y el CPT. Conclusión: se concluye que el afrontamiento religioso positivo y el procesamiento cognitivo deliberado favorecen los cambios positivos en víctimas directas de la violencia política y sus familiares. Ante esto, se refuerza la idea que las víctimas de estas violaciones logran crecer después de estas experiencias dolorosas.

Abstract Background: The Chilean military dictatorship (1973-1990) left thousands of victims among those directly affected and their families, who were able to develop various mental health sequelae. Objective: The present study sought to evaluate a predictive model of posttraumatic growth (PTG) that included political ideology, religious coping and rumination in victims of political violence during the dictatorship. Method: The study involved 200 adults recognised in the Programme for Reparation and Integral Health Care (PRAIS), which is responsible for providing support to direct victims of human rights violations and their family members during the dictatorship. Out of these, 104 were women (52%) and 96 were men (48%) ranging in age from 30 to 91 years. The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Brief Religious Coping Scale, the Event-Related Rumination Scale and the Political Ideology Scale were used as instruments. Results: The main results indicated that positive religious coping and deliberate rumination predicted PTG. Deliberate rumination partially mediates between positive religious coping and PTG. Conclusion: It is concluded that positive religious coping and deliberate cognitive processing favour positive change in those directly affected by political violence and their family members. This reinforces the idea that victims of these violations manage to grow after these painful experiences.

Religious Coping and Depressive Symptoms Among Black Americans Living with HIV: An Intersectional Approach.

This exploratory quantitative study examined the association between religious coping and depressive symptoms among a sample of 216 Black Americans living with HIV (BALWH) in the Southeastern United States. Descriptive analyses and multiple linear regression were used to determine statistically significant associations between religious coping styles and depressive symptoms, and to investigate the potential of sexual orientation and gender to moderate the associations between religious coping styles and depressive symptoms. Negative religious coping, but not positive religious coping, significantly predicted depressive symptoms. Sexual orientation, but not gender, significantly moderated the association between positive religious coping and depressive symptoms so that the relationship was only significant for heterosexual BALWH. Implications of these findings for future research and clinical work with BALWH are discussed.

Resilience of People with HIV/AIDS: Influence of Religious Coping / Resiliência de Pessoas com HIV/Aids: Influência do Coping Religioso / Resiliencia de Personas con HIV/Aids: Influencia del Coping Religioso

Abstract Authors have highlighted resilience as one of the factors that allows people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) to persist or adapt to the medical, psychological, and social implications related to seropositivity. The process by which people, through religion, try to deal with personal or situational requirements in their lives is called religious coping. This study aimed to investigate predictors of resilience among sociodemographic, medical-clinical and religious coping strategies (positive and negative). Participants of the study were 200 seropositive people (52.5% men) monitored in an HIV/AIDS outpatient clinic, who responded to the instruments: General sociodemographic and clinical-medical questionnaire; the Brief Religious Coping Scale and the Resilience Assessment Scale. Resilience was not associated with any of the sociodemographic and medical-clinical variables, however, it was significantly and positively correlated with positive religious coping and negatively correlated with negative religious coping. In the multiple regression analysis, both negative and positive religious coping were significant predictors of resilience, with higher scores in this variable resulting from more use of positive religious coping and less use of negative religious coping in the PLH sample of this study. The results indicate important effects that religious coping can have on the process of overcoming adversities related to the experience of seropositivity.

Resumo Autores têm apontado a resiliência como um dos fatores que permite a pessoas vivendo com HIV/aids (PVHA) persistirem ou se adaptarem às implicações médicas, psicológicas e sociais relacionadas à soropositividade. O processo pelo qual as pessoas, por meio da religião, tentam lidar com exigências pessoais ou situacionais em suas vidas é denominado coping religioso (CR). Este estudo objetivou investigar preditores da resiliência entre variáveis sociodemográficas, médico-clínicas e estratégias de coping religioso (positivo e negativo). Participaram 200 pessoas soropositivas (52,5% homens) acompanhadas em ambulatório especializado em HIV/Aids que responderam aos instrumentos: questionário sociodemográfico e médico-clínico; Escala breve de enfrentamento religioso e Escala de avaliação da resiliência. Resiliência não se associou a nenhuma das variáveis sociodemográficas e médico-clínicas, mas se correlacionou significativa e positivamente ao CR positivo e negativamente ao CR negativo. Na análise de regressão múltipla, tanto o CR negativo quanto o positivo foram preditores significativos da resiliência, de modo que escores mais altos nessa variável resultaram de maior utilização de CR positivo e menor utilização de CR negativo na amostra de PVH desse estudo. Os resultados apontam para efeitos importantes que o CR pode desempenhar no processo de superação de adversidades relacionadas à vivência da soropositividade.

Resumen Autores han señalado la resiliencia como uno de los factores que permiten las personas que viven con VIH adaptarse a las implicaciones médicas, psicológicas y sociales relacionadas con la seropositividad. El proceso por el cual las personas, por medio de la religión, intentan lidiar con exigencias personales o situacionales en sus vidas es denominado coping religioso (CR). Este estudio objetivó investigar predictores de la resiliencia entre variables sociodemográficas, médico-clínicas y estrategias de coping religioso (positivo y negativo). Participaron 200 personas (52,5% hombres) acompañadas en ambulatorio especializado en SIDA que respondieron a: Cuestionario sociodemográfico y médico-clínico; Escala breve de enfrentamiento religioso y Escala de evaluación de la resiliencia. Resiliencia no se asoció a ninguna de las variables sociodemográficas y médico-clínicas, pero se correlacionó significativa y positivamente al CR positivo y negativamente al CR negativo. En el análisis de regresión múltiple, tanto el CR negativo como el positivo fueron predictores significativos de la resiliencia, de modo que los puntajes más altos en esa variable resultaron de mayor utilización de CR positivo y menor utilización de CR negativo. Los resultados apuntan a efectos importantes que el CR puede desempeñar en el proceso de superación de adversidades relacionadas con la vivencia de la seropositividad.

Envelhecimento e espiritualidade: O papel do coping espiritual/religioso em pessoas idosas hospitalizadas

Embora o índice de envelhecimento da população mundial venha crescendo, isso não implica, necessariamente, longevidade saudável. Estudos que apontem as variáveis que interferem nos resultados em saúde de pessoas idosas são relevantes nesse contexto. Com base nos referenciais da Psicologia da Religião sobre envelhecimento e sobre coping espiritual/religioso, foi empreendido um estudo junto a essa população com o objetivo de evidenciar o funcionamento da espiritualidade/religiosidade (E/R) nesse contexto de saúde ameaçada. A metodologia utilizada foi de abordagem quantitativa, descritiva, de corte transversal. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: escala breve de coping espiritual/religioso (CER), escala da centralidade da religiosidade e um questionário para levantamento dos dados sociodemográficos. Participaram do estudo 51 pessoas, com média de idade de 71,76 anos, baixa renda econômica (86,3%), predominantemente católicos (68,6%); seguidos dos evangélicos (23,5%). Os idosos são altamente religiosos (M = 4,3) e 80,4% fazem utilização alta/altíssima de CER Positivo. A despeito da relevância da E/R, 87,3% deles nunca foram abordados sobre questões ligadas à E/R e 41,2% afirmam que gostariam de ter sido. Os resultados confirmam as teorias sobre o papel da E/R nessa fase da vida e indica ser essa uma dimensão relevante a ser integrada na terapêutica por toda a equipe de saúde.

Although the rate of the world population aging is increasing, it does not imply healthy longevity. Studies that point out the variables that interfere in the health outcomes of the elderly are relevant in this context. Based on the framework of Psychology of Religion on aging and spiritual/religious coping, a study among elderly inpatients was carried out with the objective of showing the functioning of spirituality/religiosity (S/R) in the context of threatened health. The methodology used was quantitative in nature, descriptive and cross-sectional. The instruments used were: Brief Spiritual/Religious Coping Scale, Centrality of Religiosity Scale, and the Sociodemographic Questionnaire. Fifty-one elderly inpatients participated in the study, at an average age of 71,76 years old, low economic income (86.3%), predominantly Catholics (68.6%), followed by Evangelicals (23.5%). The elderly is highly religious (M = 4.3) and 80.4% make high/ higher use of Positive Spiritual Religious Coping. Despite the relevance of S/R, 87.3% of them were never asked about S/R issues and 41.2% said they would like to be approached with these issues. The results confirm the theories about the role of S/R in this phase of late life and indicate that this is a relevant dimension to be integrated in the practice of care by the multidisciplinary healthcare team.

Spiritual Pain Is Associated with Decreased Quality of Life in Advanced Cancer Patients in Palliative Care: An Exploratory Study.

Background: Improving quality of life (QOL) is important in cancer palliative care (PC) patients. "Spiritual pain" (SP) is common in this population, but it is unknown how it affects QOL. Objective: To study the associations between SP and QOL in cancer patients in PC. Design: Cross-sectional. Settings/Subjects: Cancer patients assessed at a PC clinic in Puente Alto, Chile, were enrolled in a longitudinal study to characterize patients' end of life. Inclusion criteria included age ≥18, a primary caregiver, not having delirium, and a Karnofsky performance status (KPS) ≤80. Measurements: After consenting patients completed baseline surveys that included demographics, single-item questions to assess SP (0-10), financial distress, spirituality-related variables and questionnaires to assess QOL (0-100), and physical (Global distress score-physical) and psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), baseline data analyses to explore associations between SP and QOL were adjusted for potential confounders. Results: Two hundred and eight patients were enrolled: mean age was 64, 50% were female, and 67% had SP. In univariate analysis, SP was significantly associated with lower QOL (coefficient [95% confidence interval]: -1.88 [-2.93 to -0.84], p < 0.001). Lower QOL was also associated with being younger, lower KPS, higher physical distress, having anxiety or depression, and decreased religiosity and religious coping. In the multivariate analysis, QOL remained independently associated with SP (-1.25 [-2.35; to -0.15], p < 0.026), religious coping (11.74 [1.09 to 22.38], p < 0.031), and physical distress (-0.52 [-0.89 to -0.16], p < 0.005). Conclusions: SP is associated with QOL in cancer patients in PC. SP should be regularly assessed to plan for interventions that could impact QOL. More research is needed.

Brooding as moderator of depressive symptoms after a work accident: A longitudinal study.

This study analyzes the relationship between having experienced a work accident and developing depressive symptoms six months later, considering the subjective severity of accidents, the use of both positive and negative religious coping strategies, and brooding as predictors variables. Fifty seven women and 187 men were evaluated during the month following their accident (T1) and six months later (T2). The results show that after controlling for initial depressive symptoms, all predictors showed a statistically significant relationship with depression at six months, including the interaction between brooding and subjective severity of accident. Forty nine percent of resilient participants exhibited low symptoms at T1 and T2, 22% of recovered individuals showed high symptoms at T1 and low symptoms afterwards, 20% of depressive individuals had high symptoms at T1 and T2, and 8% exhibited high symptoms only at T2. High severity, brooding and religious coping at T1 differentiated those who exhibited stable symptoms from those who were resilient. Resilience was specifically predicted with a negative coefficient by the interaction of brooding with subjective severity of accident. We conclude that brooding is a variable that moderates the relationship between subjective severity of accident and the development and maintenance of depressive symptoms. Subjective severity of accident, brooding and negative religious coping are risk factors, while positive religious coping is not a sufficient protection factor.

Religious coping and religiosity in patients with COPD following pulmonary rehabilitation.

Background: Religious coping (RC) is defined as the use of behavioral and cognitive techniques in stressful life events in a multidimensional construct with positive and negative effects on outcomes, while religiosity is considered a use of individual beliefs, values, practices, and rituals related to faith. There is no evidence for the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in RC and religiosity in patients with COPD. The aims of this study were 1) to compare RC and religiosity in patients with COPD following PR and 2) to investigate associations between changes in RC, religiosity and exercise capacity, quality of life (QoL), anxiety, depression, and dyspnea. Methods: Seventy-four patients were enrolled in this study including 38 patients in the PR group and 36 patients in the control group. PR protocol was composed of a 12-week (three sessions per week, 60 min per day) outpatient comprehensive program, and the control group was composed of patients in a waiting list for admission to PR program. RC, religiosity, exercise capacity, QoL, anxiety, depression, and dyspnea were measured before and after the study protocol. Results: Positive religious coping and organizational religious activities increased (p=0.01; p<0.001, respectively), while negative religious coping decreased (p=0.03) after 12 weeks in the PR group (p<0.001). Significant associations were observed between changes in RC, organizational religiosity with exercise capacity, and QoL following PR. No differences were found in the control group. Conclusion: PR improves RC and organizational religiosity in patients with COPD, and these improvements are related to increases in exercise capacity and QoL.

Association of spiritual/religious coping with depressive symptoms in high- and low-risk pregnant women.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of spiritual/religious coping (SRC) on depressive symptoms in high- and low-risk pregnant women. BACKGROUND: Spiritual/religious coping is associated with physical and mental health outcomes. However, only few studies investigated the role of these strategies during pregnancy and whether low- and high-risk pregnant women have different coping mechanisms. DESIGN: This study is a cross-sectional comparative study. METHODS: This study included a total of 160 pregnant women, 80 with low-risk pregnancy and 80 with high-risk pregnancy. The Beck Depression Inventory, the brief SRC scale and a structured questionnaire on sociodemographic and obstetric aspects were used. General linear model regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with positive and negative SRC strategies in both groups of pregnant women. RESULTS: Positive SRC use was high, whereas negative SRC use was low in both groups. Although we found no difference in SRC strategies between the two groups, negative SRC was associated with depression in women with high-risk pregnancy, but not in those with low-risk pregnancy. Furthermore, positive SRC was not associated with depressive symptoms in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that only the negative SRC strategies of Brazilian women with high-risk pregnancies were associated with worsened mental health outcomes. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Healthcare professionals, obstetricians and nurse midwives should focus on the use of negative SRC strategies in their pregnant patients.

Guadalupan Devotion as a Moderator of Psychosocial Stress among Mexican Immigrants in the Rural Southern United States.

This study considers how shared devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe among Mexican immigrants in rural Mississippi buffers the effects of immigration stress. Rural destinations lacking social services can quickly compound the already stressful experience of immigration. Guadalupe devotion provides a way of coping with the daily life stressors of immigration. We test the hypothesis that high consonance in the cultural model of Guadalupan devotion will moderate the adverse health effects of immigration stress. Results indicate that as exposure to immigration stressors increased, well-being decreased among those with low consonance, while the effect was eliminated in those with high consonance. Findings demonstrate the advantage of expanding research on coping to incorporate complex models that consider religious and secular elements and also illustrate how a master symbol, characterized as a cultural model of coping with limited local distribution, yields health effects dissimilar to the mediation normally associated with consonance.

Enfrentamento religioso-espiritual de mães com bebê em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal / Mothers' spiritual-religious coping with baby in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit / Afrontamiento religioso y espiritual de las madres con bebé en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales

A Teoria Motivacional do Coping (TMC) define o enfrentamento como a forma com que as pessoas regulam o comportamento, a emoção e a orientação motivacional frente ao estressor. A internação do filho em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal (UTIN) é uma condição estressante, sendo frequente o uso do coping religioso-espiritual. Analisou-se o processo de enfrentamento de 20 mães (17-39 anos), com bebês internados em UTIN (M =10 dias). Foi aplicada a versão brasileira da RCOPE Scale (Religious Coping Questionnaire), denominada Escala de Coping Religioso-Espiritual - CRE (87 itens), organizados em 8 fatores de CREP (positivo) e 4 de CREN (negativo). Analisaram-se suas relações com categorias de enfrentamento adaptativas (Autoconfiança, Busca de suporte, Resolução de problemas, Busca de Informações, Acomodação, Negociação) e mal adaptativas (Delegação, Isolamento, Desamparo, Fuga, Submissão e Oposição). Os índices da Escala CRE ficaram na média, com predomínio de CREN e maior frequência de Posicionamento Negativo frente a Deus, e de estratégias mal adaptativas, como Submissão, Fuga e Oposição. Houve correlações entre CREP e famílias adaptativas; e entre CREN e famílias mal adaptativas. Foi possível identificar o uso do coping religioso-espiritual nesta amostra e analisar suas relações com o processo adaptativo, ampliando as possibilidades de análise da Escala CRE.

The Motivational Theory of Coping (MTC) defines coping as how people regulate behavior, emotion and motivational orientation against the stressor. The child's hospitalization in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) is a stressful condition, with frequent use of spiritual and religious coping. It was analyzed the 20 mothers (17-39 years) coping process with babies admitted to NICU (M = 10 days). The Brazilian version of RCOPE, the Spiritual/Religious Coping Scale (SRCOPE) was applied (87 items), organized into 8 factors of SRCOPE-P (positive) and 4 SRCOPE-N (negative). Their relations with adaptive coping categories (Self-reliance, Support Seeking, Problem Solving, Information Seeking, Accommodation, Negotiation) and maladaptive (Delegation, Isolation, Helplessness, Escape, Submission and Opposition) were analyzed. The indices of SRCOPE were on average, with a predominance of SRCOPE-N and higher frequency of Negative Positioning front of God, and prevalence of maladaptive strategies such as Submission, Escape and Opposition. There were correlations between SRCOPE-P and adaptive families; and between SRCOPE-N and maladaptive families. It was possible identify the use of spiritual and religious coping in this sample, and analyze its relations with adaptive process, expanding the possibilities of analysis of SRCOPE Scale.

Teoría Motivacional de Afrontamiento (TMC) define afrontamiento cómo forma de regular comportamiento, emociones y orientación motivacional frente al factor estresante. La hospitalización de un hijo en la unidad de cuidados intensivos neonatales (UCIN) es una condición estresante, con uso frecuente del afrontamiento religioso-espiritual. Se analizó el proceso de afrontamiento del 20 madres (17-39 años), con bebés hospitalizados en la UCIN (M = 10 días). Se aplicó la Escala de Adaptación Religiosa-Espiritual - CRE (87 ítems), dispuestos en 8 factores de CREP (positivo) y 4 CREN (negativo). Analizamos sus relaciones con categorias adaptativas de afrontamiento (autoconfianza, búsqueda de apoyo, solución de problemas, búsqueda de información, alojamiento, negociación) y desadaptativas (Delegación, aislamiento, desamparo, la fuga, la sumisión y la oposición) propuestas por el TMC. Los índices de Escala CRE eran, en promedio, con un predominio de CREN y mayor frecuencia de posicionamiento negativo delante de Dios, y prevalencia de las estrategias desadaptativas como presentación, Escape y Oposición. Hubo correlaciones entre CREP y familias de adaptación; y entre CREN y familias desadaptativas. Fue posible no solo identificar el uso del afrontamiento religioso y espiritual en esta muestra, pero también analizar sus relaciones con proceso de adaptación, expandiendo las posibilidades de análisis de Escala CRE.

Linking Spiritual and Religious Coping With the Quality of Life of Community-Dwelling Older Adults and Nursing Home Residents.

Objective: This study examined the effect of Positive and Negative Spiritual and Religious Coping (SRC) upon older Brazilian's quality of life (QOL). Method: A secondary analysis of data collected from 77 nursing home residents (NHRs; M age = 76.56) and 326 community-dwelling residents (CDRs; M age = 67.22 years) was conducted. Participants had completed the Brief SRC, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and World Health Organization Quality of Life-OLD (WHOQOL-OLD). A General Linear Model regression analysis was undertaken to assess the effects of SRC upon 10 aspects of participants' QOL. Results: Positive (F = 6.714, df = 10, p < .001) as opposed to Negative (F = 1.194, df = 10, p = .294) SRC was significantly associated with QOL. Positive SRC was more strongly associated with NHR's physical, psychological, and environmental QOL, and their perceived sensory abilities, autonomy, and opportunities for intimacy. Conclusion: Positive SRC behaviors per se were significantly associated with QOL ratings across both study samples. The effect size of Positive SRC was much larger among NHRs across six aspects of QOL. Place of residence (POR) in relation to SRC and QOL in older age warrants further study.

Spiritual Religious Coping is Associated with Quality of Life in Institutionalized Older Adults.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between spiritual/religious coping (SRCOPE) strategies and quality of life (QoL) in institutionalized older adults. This is a cross-sectional, correlational study, with a sample of 77 older adults in Brazil. The present study found long-term care patients use religious and spiritual coping strategies to deal with their chronic health conditions. Positive SRCOPE and Total SRCOPE have positive correlations with most QoL domains from the WHOQOL-OLD and WHOQOL-BREF. On the other hand, Negative SRCOPE strategies correlated negatively with the facets of "death and dying" from the WHOQOL-OLD. These results suggest the need for an integrative approach for long-term care patients, considering the positive and negative aspects of coping.

Religious coping and its influence on psychological distress, medication adherence, and quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease

Objective:Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with elevated levels of anxiety and depression and a reduction in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Nonadherence to treatment is also frequent in IBD and compromises outcomes. Religious coping plays a role in the adaptation to several chronic diseases. However, the influence of religious coping on IBD-related psychological distress, HRQoL, and treatment adherence remains unknown.Method:This cross-sectional study recruited 147 consecutive patients with either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Sociodemographic data, disease-related variables, psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), religious coping (Brief RCOPE Scale), HRQoL (WHOQOL-Bref), and adherence (8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale) were assessed. Hierarchical multiple regression models were used to evaluate the effects of religious coping on IBD-related psychological distress, treatment adherence, and HRQoL.Results:Positive RCOPE was negatively associated with anxiety (b = 0.256; p = 0.007) as well as with overall, physical, and mental health HRQoL. Religious struggle was significantly associated with depression (b = 0.307; p < 0.001) and self-reported adherence (b = 0.258; p = 0.009). Finally, anxiety symptoms fully mediated the effect of positive religious coping on overall HRQoL.Conclusion:Religious coping is significantly associated with psychological distress, HRQoL, and adherence in IBD.