Implicit theories of intellectual virtues and vices: A focus on intellectual humility

Psychological science has consistently highlighted links between gratitude and religion, however mediating pathways by which religion relates to gratitude remain ambiguous. Further, it is unclear whether religious gratitude (e.g., gratitude to God) is more related to well-being than general gratitude. To address these gaps, we assessed for both religious and general dimensions of gratitude alongside measures of religious commitment and mental/physical well-being in a diverse sample of n?=?405 adult individuals. Consistent with previous research, gratitude was positively correlated with religious commitment (r?=?0.45, p?<?0.001). This relationship, however, was fully mediated by gratitude towards God. Using hierarchical linear regression, results further found that the interaction of religious commitment and religious gratitude added unique variance in predicting mental well-being, over and above general gratitude. This suggests that being grateful to God enhances the psychological benefits of gratitude in accordance with one's level of religious commitment.     

Spirituality in Older Adults: A Cross-Cultural and Interfaith Perspective

The definition of spirituality poses a variety of problems for the development of theory and research, as well as practical problems for persons interested in promoting the spiritual well-being of older adults. Although any definition of spirituality is problematic, a definition is proposed that comes out of the writer's clinical experience and is relevant to his understanding of the aging process in different cultural and religious contexts. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the relevance of the definition to the experience of older persons from different cultural and religious backgrounds. Reflections on the case studies suggest ways that an appropriately trained advocate might have helped the persons in these illustrations make changes in their situations that might have improved the quality of their lives. Material from the case studies is also used to clarify differences among terms such as spirituality, religion, religiosity, and piety. The paper proposes to be a contribution to a theoretical foundation for studying and working with spirituality in older adults.     

Religion, Spirituality, and Health Service Use by Older Hospitalized Patients

Background: Religious and spiritual beliefs and practices are common among medical inpatients, and may impact length of hospital stay (LOS) and other health services (HSU) during hospitalization. Methods: 812 consecutively admitted patients age 50 or over to Duke University Medical Center were assessed. Measures of religiousness and spirituality included religious TV/radio (RTV), self-rated religiousness (SRR), observer-rated spirituality (ORS), and daily spiritual experiences (DSE). The primary outcome was LOS. Results: RTV and SRR predicted longer LOS, whereas ORS and DSE predicted shorter LOS (p 0.05). Effects of RTV onLOS were stronger among women, but explained by worse health status. The effects of DSE on LOS were stronger among non-whites. Among those reporting high DSE, diagnostic tests and total procedures also tended to be less common. Conclusions: Religious activities, attitudes, and spiritual experiences are weak predictors of LOS and HSU during hospitalization. Whether the prediction is positive or negative depends on the religious or spiritual characteristic.     

Religious Addiction: Obsession with Spirituality

Religious addiction is a disease only recently recognized; however, it has been with humanity throughout the ages. This obsession with spirituality not only has harmful effects for the individual but also a devastating effect on his/her family. As with any addiction, recovery is possible. This article covers the history of religious addiction, its symptoms and characteristics, and also its downward spiral. The effects on the addict, the codependent spouse, and children are discussed. Recovery, including intervention and treatment, is also covered.     

Theobiology: An Analysis of Spirituality, Cardiovascular Responses, Stress, Mood, and Physical Health

The relationships of spirituality and religion to acute cardiovascular responses, physical symptoms of illness, stress and psychological mood were assessed in a community sample of adults. Nineteen men and 61 women participated in a betrayal interview, while their blood pressure and heart rate were monitored. Religious affiliation, frequency of attendance at worship and religiousness were associated with resting diastolic and mean arterial pressure. Spirituality, especially as assessed by the existential scale of the Spiritual Well-being Scale, was related to symptoms of illness, medication use, stress and negative mood states. Spirituality and involvement in organized religion may represent a means to increase the sense of purpose and meaning in life, which is related to greater resiliency and resistance to stress-related illness.     

Occupational Choices for People with Psychiatric Disabilities: Comparing Attendees and Non-Attendees at Community-Based Day Centers

Research has shown that people with psychiatric disabilities who attend a day center rate their satisfaction with daily occupations equally in comparison with non-attendees. The current study investigates which occupations the target group performs and also differences in occupational choices between attendees and non-attendees. Reported occupations were analyzed with content analysis. Day center attendees reported more productive occupations, while non-attendees reported more recreational occupations and a greater breadth of occupations. This implies that non-attendees might compensate a lack of work-like occupations at a day center with satisfying recreational occupations. The results can guide development of psychiatric occupational-based rehabilitation.     

Religion and Family Relational Health: An Overview and Conceptual Model

This paper presents a review of research addressing religion and family relational health. Strengths of the extant data include the correlation of three dimensions of religious experience (religious practices, religious beliefs, and religious community) with certain aspects of mother–child, father–child, and marital relationships and specific connections between the three dimensions of religious experience and family relationships are identified. Key weaknesses in the research at present include a paucity of research examining the hows, whys, and processes involved behind identified religion–family correlations and a lack of data on non-nuclear families, families of color, interfaith families, and non-Christian religions including Judaism and Islam. Implications for clinical practice and recommendations for future research are offered. Loren Marks is an Assistant Professor of Family, Child, and Consumer Sciences in the School of Human Ecology at Louisiana State University. He and his research collaborator, David Dollahite of BYU, have conducted extensive qualitative research with over 125 Christian, Jewish, Mormon, and Muslim families to examine the interfaces between religion, individual development, and family relationships.     

Religion,Spirituality, and Alternative Health Practices: The Baby Boomer and Cold War Cohorts

Research in religion and health has suggested positive relationships, and most recently has concentrated on the experience of religion, or spirituality. Currently, cohort studies have shown that the baby boomers differ significantly from their elders in their approach to religion, preferring to explore spirituality rather than the religious doctrine of their elders. They also differ in their approaches to health, including greater acceptance and use of alternative health practices. This study isolates the baby boomer and cold war cohorts in order to explore differences in religion, spirituality and alternative health practices. Findings indicate that, for boomers, increased spirituality is significantly related to increased positive health perceptions, while their elders' health perceptions are related to increased religiosity. Alternative health practices and spirituality, however, are not related for either cohort. However, this study does identify important distinctions between the two cohorts. Future studies must recognize differing cohort constructions of reality concerning the meanings of health, spirituality and religion.     

Fearfully Wonderfully Made: The Interconnectedness of Body-Mind-Spirit

This article describes the interconnection of body-mind, mind-spirit, and body-spirit from scientific, theological, and pastoral perspectives, and also from a Christian viewpoint, as exemplified in the words and actions of Jesus Christ. Using this background, the author, a physician, theologian, and lay pastoral minister, describes a course which she has developed for the ecumenical evening session of a local seminary.     

Spirituality and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors: Stress Counter-balancing Effects on the Well-being of Older Adults

The goal of this study was to examine stress-ameliorating effects of religiosity, spirituality, and healthy lifestyle behaviors on the stressful relationship of chronic illness and the subjective physical well-being of 221 older adults. We also investigated whether the intervening variables functioned as coping behaviors and orientations or as adaptations in late life. Guided by the stress paradigm, path analysis was used to assess these relationships in a stress suppressor model and a distress deterrent model. No suppressor effects were found; however a number of distress deterrent relationships were detected. Spirituality, physical activities, and healthy diet all contributed to higher subjective physical well-being, as counter-balancing effects, in the distress deterrent model. The findings have implications for future research on the role of spirituality, religiosity and lifestyle behaviors on the well-being of chronically ill older adults. Findings also support the need for studying different dimensions of religiosity and spirituality in an effort to understand coping versus adaptation in behaviors and orientations. Gracie H. Boswell, Ph.D., M.Ed. (Case Western Reserve University) and (M. Ed.- Kent State University). She is a Carolina Program in Health and Aging Research Scientist at the Institute on Aging- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research interests have been social gerontology and quality of life, emphasizing religiosity/spirituality. Eva Kahana, Ph.D. (University of Chicago) is Pierce T. and Elizabeth D. Robson Professor of Humanities and Director of the Elderly Care Research Center- Case Western Reserve University. Her research concentration has been the sociology of aging (coping & stress and institutionalization). Peggye Dilworth-Anderson, Ph.D. (Northwestern University) is Director- Center for Aging and Diversity, Institute on Aging, Professor- School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Administration at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research interests have been caregiving and minority health disparities.     

Psychological Care Provided by the Church: Perceptions of Christian Church Members

Spirituality and religion are integral parts of a person's belief system and support network. Although there are many avenues a person can take when seeking mental health care, conservative Protestant clients have a tendency to seek assistance through their church. There is a paucity of literature about conservative Protestant church members’ perceptions of mental health care. The authors used phenomenology to understand participants’ perceptions of mental health care provided by the church. Themes found within participants’ stories included the importance of the relationship when seeking care, the use of knowledgeable practitioners, and the use of religious practices in counseling.     

Handling Spirituality/Religion in Professional Training: Experiences of a Sample of Muslim Psychology Students

With increasing research interest in the relationship between spirituality/religion and mental health, the present study uses semi-structured interviews on a select group of Muslim students to explore their understanding and handling of spirituality in a secular training programme. Their understanding of spirituality, its perceived role in therapy and their training experiences are subjected to qualitative analysis using the framework approach (Ritchie & Spencer, 1994. In A. Bryman & R.G. Burgess (Eds), Analysing Qualitative Data. London: Routledge). All five participants perceived spirituality as central to human functioning. Probes into their training experience uncovered issues of bias against religious applicants, apprehension about demonstrating religious commitment, fear of punishment for compromising religious integrity, better rapport with Muslim patients but general uncertainty about handling spiritual issues in therapy, and a strong desire for the integration of spirituality/religion in the program.Cynthia Joan Patel, M.A., is a Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Kwazulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa. She is a Registered Counselling and Research Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa). Her research interests include women and religion, attitudes toward abortion, and the meaning of work in women’s lives. Armas E. E. Shikongo, M.A., is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Namibia. His research area is the psychology of spirituality.     

Mental Health,Culture and Spirituality: Implications for the Effective Psychotherapeutic Care of Australia's Ageing Migrant Populations

SUMMARY

In this essay, attention is given to discussing the notions of and influences of culture, mental health and spirituality. Research shows that people who came to Australia either as immigrants or refugees are at risk of suffering a disproportionate incidence of mental problems relative to the rest of the Australian population. Older male immigrants are particularly at risk. A key variable influencing the mental health of immigrants/refugees in Australia is the social conditions in which they live. Another largely unrecognised variable influencing mental health is spirituality. The extent to which the expression of spirituality promotes mental health and healing, however, will depend on cross-cultural perceptions of what spirituality is, and how it influences mental health, illness and recovery. Whatever the perceptions of spirituality, it is important to understand that its roots are cultural, and its influence is on meaning construction. Meaning construction, in turn, is itself culturally mediated and framed. Given this, it is crucial that culture-what it is and how it influences human experience-is understood by health professionals if they are to be able to provide meaningful and therapeutically effective care to culturally diverse people and their mental health problems. A central aim of this essay is to facilitate this understanding.     

Sustaining our Spirits: Spiritual Study/Discussion Groups For Coping with Medical Illness

Illness is a universal experience that evokes a range of difficult emotions and tough spiritual questions, often without satisfying answers. Illness can be alienating and isolating. Sustaining ones spirits and preserving identity in the face of illness is a challenge for patients, family members, and caregivers. This paper introduces Spiritual study/discussion groups to strengthen patients perceived coping with illness. The groups introduce a spiritual perspective, provide emotional support, and offer a variety of spiritual coping tools, utilizing traditional and contemporary resources. Preliminary evaluations suggest that a healing time and space is created through the provision of comfort, connection, support, and inspiration.     

Reflections on Religion and Health Research: An Interview with Dr. Harold G. Koenig

In this interview renowned researcher Harold G. Koenig, MD, MHSc shares his perspective on religion and health research, drawing from his experiences as a researcher, educator and practitioner. Throughout the interview, he highlights significant advances and discusses the gaps and potential weaknesses in the current body of religion and health literature. He also outlines recommendations for the continued advancement of religion and health research. Guidelines are given to guide new investigators interested in becoming religion and health researchers.     

Self-Discrepancy and Mental Health in Older Women with Chronic Illnesses

Self-discrepancy was investigated as a self-enhancing mechanism by which older women maintain their mental health and psychological well-being while coping with declines in physical health. In this 6-year longitudinal study, the mediating and moderating effects of self-discrepancy on mental health outcomes in older women with chronic health problems were tested. Participants were 103 community-dwelling older women who completed multiple, self-report measures of physical and mental health and self-discrepancy. There was a decline in physical health over time but an improvement in self-discrepancies. Low self-discrepancy (i.e., little discrepancy between the actual and ideal self) mediated and moderated the effects of physical health decline on mental health and psychological well-being. Thus, self-discrepancy appears to play a significant role in maintaining mental health in the face of declining physical health in older women.