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Divorce, Religious Coping, and Depressive Symptoms in a Conservative Protestant Religious Group
Author(s) -
Webb Amy Pieper,
Ellison Christopher G.,
McFarland Michael J.,
Lee Jerry W.,
Morton Kelly,
Walters James
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
family relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1741-3729
pISSN - 0197-6664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2010.00622.x
Subject(s) - coping (psychology) , psychology , protestantism , depressive symptoms , clinical psychology , social psychology , psychiatry , anxiety , religious studies , philosophy
A long tradition of research demonstrates that divorce is a risk factor for depressive symptoms. Although a growing literature examines links between religious factors and marital quality and stability, researchers have neglected the role of religion in successful or problematic coping following divorce. Building on Pargament's seminal work on religious coping, we outline relevant theory concerning several specific religious coping styles. Hypotheses are then tested using data from a large sample of members of the Seventh‐day Adventist denomination. Results indicate that several types of religious coping bear a direct inverse association with depressive symptoms and also buffer the deleterious effects of divorce on this outcome. Several promising future directions and suggestions for practitioners are identified.