Journal of Religion & Health最新文献

Pregnancy termination is a significant event in women's lives and can be considered a traumatic experience that can assess grief reactions. Couples who accept the decision to have a medical termination due to fetal anomaly face not only anxiety and feelings of loss, but also difficulties adapting to and coping with the termination process. This study aims to examine the relationship between perinatal grief and spiritual well-being in women who experience termination due to fetal anomaly. The study sample consisted of 256 women who had undergone termination during pregnancy. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (percentage, mean, standard deviation), the Mann-Whitney U test for independent samples, the Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses. The participants' mean score on the Perinatal Grief Scale was 112.87 ± 15.04. The spiritual well-being scale subscale scores were 56.13 ± 8.69 for the transcendence subscale, 25.27 ± 2.94 for the harmony with nature subscale, and 26.58 ± 3.18 for the anomie subscale. The correlation between the mean scores of the scales indicated that perinatal grief level was positively and significantly related to both the transcendence (r = 0.454; p < .001) and harmony with nature (r = 0.571; p < .001) subscales, while there was a strong negative correlation between perinatal grief and the anomie subscale (r = -0.762; p < .001). In conclusion, the study results indicate that perinatal grief is significantly related to various dimensions of spiritual well-being. These findings support the idea that supporting spiritual well-being in individuals experiencing perinatal grief can strengthen psychosocial adjustment.

This study explored perceptions of mental illness and mental health programming in Christian places of worship in Accra, Ghana. Interviews were conducted with religious leaders (n=15) and congregants (n=15). Data was analyzed thematically. The results showed that mental illness was conceptualized largely from spiritual perspectives, with a few psychosocial explanations. Churches leveraged both internal and external resources to promote mental health awareness through informational programs, sermons, and counseling services. The implementation of mental health programs was hindered by financial constraints, stigma, confidentiality concerns, and low participation. The findings highlight the critical role of churches in mental health advocacy.

This study adopted a cross-sectional moderation analysis to examine whether religious attendance buffers the negative effects of role overload on caregivers' health. A total of 1455 family caregivers of older persons (mean age = 63.05 years; 67.4% female) drawn from the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC IV) in the United States in 2021 constituted the sample and were measured by the three-item Role Overload Scale, a single-item self-rated health measure, the four-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4), and a six-item physical health scale. Caregivers, on average, reported moderate to high ratings of self-rated health (M = 3.43, SD = 1.03), mental health (M = 13.99, SD = 2.39), and physical health (M = 25.18, SD = 4.55). Additionally, 54% of caregivers had attended religious services in the past month. Regression analyses demonstrated that role overload was a significant negative predictor of self-rated health (B = - 0.188, p < 0.001), mental health (B = - 0.576, p < 0.001), and physical health (B = - 1.075, p < 0.001). Religious attendance significantly moderated the associations between role overload and self-rated health (B = 0.083, p = 0.004) and mental health (B = 0.176, p = 0.009), but not physical health (B = 0.213, p = 0.097). The findings highlight that religious or spiritual engagement may contribute to buffering the health consequences of caregiving-related stress. Health professionals and religious leaders should consider working collaboratively to promote religious involvement, integrate spiritual support into caregiver services, and develop community-based interventions that address both psychological and physical health needs of family caregivers.

This study examined the coping strategies of 40 mothers of children with special needs within Israeli Bedouin society, focusing on the prediction between mothers' narcissistic characteristics and their religious coping. The findings revealed two distinct maternal perspectives on a child's disability: (1) a pessimistic perspective (perceiving the disability as divine punishment), and (2) an optimistic perspective (perceiving the disability as divine gift/opportunity). The pessimistic reactions to the child's diagnosis included shock, fear and sorrow, while the optimistic view included feelings of love, caring and acceptance of the child. Regression analyses indicated that higher levels of narcissism predicted stronger negative religious coping but were unrelated to positive religious coping. Understanding the combination of religious and emotional perspectives contributing to Bedouin mothers' coping may help practitioners design and implement culturally sensitive interventions for a wide range of traditional populations.

The study aimed to determine the relationship between religious coping and the quality of life of hemodialysis patients in Somalia. This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 174 -12 Health Survey hemodialysis patients in April-July 2024 in the hemodialysis unit of a Training and Research Hospital in Somalia. The data were collected using the Patient Identification Form, Religious Coping Scale, and Short Form (SF-12). A significant positive correlation was found between patients' positive religious coping scores (r = 0.270; p < 0.05), physical (r = 0.177; p < 0.05), and mental quality of life and age (r = 0.363; p < 0.05). Additionally, there was a negative correlation between physical quality of life and hemodialysis duration (r =  - 0.170; p < 0.05) and a negative correlation between mental quality of life and age (r =  - 0.231; p < 0.05). In the multiple linear regression analysis, 15.2% of the total variance in physical quality of life was explained by occupation, positive religious coping, and duration of hemodialysis (F = 10.171. p = 0.000. R² = 0.152; R = 0.390). The total variance at the mental quality of life level was explained by living with whom and vascular access with a rate of 13.8% (F = 5.363. p = 0.000. R² = 0.138; R = 0.372). Positive religious coping was associated with improved mental and physical health-related quality of life in hemodialysis patients.

Pakistan is a religiously pluralistic society that has been plagued by inter-religious conflict. Given that religious tolerance is key to a progressive and harmonious society, it is essential to understand the impact of engagement with religious texts on the tolerance and mental health of people in the country. This mixed methods study aims to quantitatively identify (i) the relationship between engagement with religious text, religious tolerance, and mental health, and (ii) which religious groups show comparatively better religious tolerance. In the second phase, the study aims to collect qualitative data to understand whether religious texts influence religious groups in Pakistan in terms of inter-religious tolerance and what challenges they face in achieving interfaith harmony. We purposively collected data in Lahore, Pakistan, from graduate degree holders who regularly visit religious centers. Quantitative data revealed that higher engagement with religious texts among educated individuals who read them with a critical understanding is associated with improved religious tolerance and mental health. Qualitative analysis from 289 respondents revealed that religious text from all six groups-Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus, Muslim Sunnis, Muslim Shias, and Sikhs-promotes tolerance, peace, humanitarianism, and service and trade with each other. Challenges to interfaith harmony include fear of misuse of religious misinterpretations and laws, illegitimate scholars, political agents, illiteracy, and unregulated social media. The study concludes with salient recommendations to promote interfaith harmony in the country and support the mental health of religious minorities.

Spirituality and religiosity play an important role in medical practice, helping patients cope with illness and treatment. Despite this relevance, gaps in medical education persist. This study, conducted in Brazil, evaluated the knowledge acquired during medical school and students' perceptions of the importance of spirituality in patient care and psychological well-being. This cross sectional, quantitative, exploratory study used a self-administered 19-item questionnaire developed by the researchers. A total of 300 medical students from the last two years of a six-year program participated. The sample consisted of 205 women and 95 men, with a mean age of 23.9 ± 3.4 years. Most students (84%) recognized the importance of knowledge about spirituality, yet 93% reported no academic exposure to the topic. Just over half (55.7%) felt comfortable obtaining a patient's spiritual history, while 97% agreed that addressing spirituality enhances the doctor-patient relationship, including cultural beliefs and life purposes. A significant sex difference emerged regarding the importance of assisting patients with relaxation and stress-reduction activities (p = 0.017). An exploratory logistic regression analysis examining the perceived importance of knowledge about spirituality indicated that age, gender, and academic cycle were not significantly associated with the outcome (all p > 0.05). In conclusion, integrating spirituality and religiosity into medical education is essential for strengthening the doctor-patient relationship and improving patient follow-up, contributing to better clinical outcomes.

The experience of discrimination is associated with worse health outcomes. Religious attendance associated with positive health is theorized to buffer the harmful effect of stressors (e.g., discrimination). Using data from the 2020 Canadian General Social Survey, we examined whether discrimination moderated the religious attendance-health relationship. The effects of religious attendance on well-being were modest and not uniformly linear. Additionally, the current results did not support that religious service attendance mitigated the adverse impacts of religious discrimination. The results highlight a need to revisit theoretical models of buffering to consider additional factors that influence the R/S-health relationship amid discrimination, including the nature, frequency, and intensity of discrimination experiences.

The purpose of this study is to design and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Ethical-Spiritual Algorithmic Trust Calibration Scale (ES-ATCS) among teachers. The primary aim was to develop a reliable and valid instrument to understand how teachers navigate trust, ethical accountability, and spiritual coherence when engaging with AI-driven educational technologies. The study was conducted in two main phases. Phase 1 comprised item generation, 12 specialist expert reviews (Lawshe CVR cutoff = 0.56), and pilot testing (n = 35 teachers), which reduced the item pool through CVR/I-CVI filtering and impact-score analyses. Phase 2 involved a cross-sectional sample of 666 teachers, which was randomly split into two halves for EFA and CFA. EFA and exploratory graph analysis suggested a coherent six-factor structure accounting for 63.20% of total variance, with the Spiritual Coherence Perception factor explaining 12.26% of the variance. Iterative CFA supported a final 48-item first- and second-order six-factor model with acceptable fit (RMSEA < .08; CFI, TLI > .90; SRMR < .08) and standardized loadings > .40. Measurement invariance was acceptable across gender and teaching experience. Reliability (Cronbach's α .898-.953, McDonald's ω .848-.953, CR .898-.954) and stability were strong: ICCs ranged from .755 to .853. Convergent (AVE .501-.940) and discriminant validity (Fornell-Larcker) were acceptable. Network EGA identified 43 nodes and 209 edges with six communities; centrality indices identified salient items. The 48-item ES-ATCS is culturally sensitive and psychometrically sound for measuring teachers' ethical-spiritual trust in AI.

Existing research examining the relationship between religiosity and organ donation has produced inconsistent results. To address this ambiguity, the current study adopts meta-analysis to synthesize findings from 18 studies examining associations between religiosity and two categories of organ donation variables: psychological indicators (attitudes toward donation and intentions to register) and registration outcomes (actual donor registration status). Two separate random-effects meta-analyses were conducted, indicating that religiosity was not significantly associated with psychological outcomes (k = 15), yet demonstrated a significant negative impact on actual organ donor registration behaviors (k = 5). A random-effects meta-regression further assessed potential moderators including age, gender, country context, and data collection type, none of which meaningfully explained variability in the observed effect sizes. Evidence of publication bias was identified, suggesting the current results may underestimate the negative magnitude of religiosity's impact on organ donation. Our findings underscore the attitude-registration discrepancy, highlighting the importance of clergy clearly communicating guidance regarding organ donation. Further theoretical and practical implications are discussed.