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Religious Distress and Coping With Stressful Life Events: A Longitudinal Study
Author(s) -
Harris J. Irene,
Erbes Christopher R.,
Engdahl Brian E.,
Ogden Henry,
Olson Raymond H. A.,
Winskowski Ann Marie M.,
Campion Kelsey,
Mataas Saari
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.21900
Subject(s) - distress , psychology , coping (psychology) , clinical psychology , posttraumatic stress , religious life , psychological distress , longitudinal study , psychiatry , mental health , medicine , philosophy , religious studies , pathology
Objective(s) Hypothesis: Religious strain would mediate the relationship between stress symptoms at baseline and stress symptoms 1 year later. Method Seventy‐nine people with a history of stressful life events (55 women, 23 men, one unknown gender, average age 58 years) from community churches reported stressful life events, spiritual adjustment, and posttraumatic stress symptoms at initial assessment and 1‐year follow‐up. Results Religious strain mediated the relationship between baseline and follow‐up posttraumatic stress symptoms. Conclusions Because religious distress contributed to prediction of stress symptoms over time, it appears that religious distress is related to adjustment to stressful life events.