Coping Functions of Prayer and Posttraumatic Growth

Research on prayer and posttraumatic growth (PTG) indicates that those who pray report more PTG. Research is beginning to identify which types of prayer may be operating in this relationship. We sought to identify specific prayer functions related to PTG while considering differences due to the types of trauma experienced. Participants were trauma survivors from diverse, Midwestern Christian churches (N = 327). Participants completed questionnaires assessing trauma history, prayer coping functions, and PTG. Multiple linear regression analyses found that praying for calm and focus was independently related to higher levels of PTG. When considering all variables in the model, the relationship between prayer for calm and focus and PTG was not significant for those whose most significant trauma was interpersonal in nature, but significant for those with noninterpersonal trauma.     

The Ways in Which Adolescents Cope and their Relationship to Age,Gender and Specific Religious Variables

This study investigated the roles of age, gender, the importance of religion/spirituality, attending church activities and frequency of prayer on the types of adolescents’ coping strategies. Participants were drawn from ten public high schools. Data on coping strategies, personal variables and religiosity and spirituality were collected using the Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences (A-COPE) coping inventory. Scheffé posthoc tests were used to evaluate associations between the coping strategies used by adolescents and the identified personal and faith-oriented variables. Gender and age explained some differences in types of coping strategies preferred. Specifically, females used the developing social support coping strategy more than males; older adolescents used the avoiding problems coping strategy more than younger adolescents. Adolescents for whom religion/spirituality is of lesser importance, obtained a significantly higher mean score for the avoiding problems subscale. Both personal variables (age and gender) as well as one of the faith-oriented variables (importance of religion) were identified as important role players in using developing social support and avoiding problems as coping strategies by adolescents.     

Prayer Coping,Disclosure of Trauma,and Mental Health Symptoms Among Recently Deployed United States Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts

U.S. military veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are at risk for developing adverse mental health symptoms. This study was conducted to examine the associations between prayer coping, attitudes toward trauma disclosure, and mental health symptoms (posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] and depression) among 110 U.S. veterans who had returned from deployments in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom within the previous 6 months. Bivariate analyses revealed that prayer coping was positively correlated with an urge to talk about potentially traumatic experiences. When controlling for combat exposure, social support, and disclosure attitudes, multivariate regression analyses indicated that two of the prayer functions—praying for assistance and for calm and focus—were each uniquely linked with less PTSD and depressive symptomatology. In addition, a reliance on avoidant prayer was uniquely correlated with greater depressive symptomatology. These findings support emerging ideas about prayer as a form of trauma disclosure and highlight the relevance of this approach to coping for veterans as they readjust to civilian life.     

Religious Belief and Mental Health in Lay and Consecrated Italian Teachers

There is compelling evidence that teachers and clergy are stressful occupations. This study aimed to compare the rate of job strain and burnout among lay and consecrated teachers and to study the effect of religious coping on the mental health of these two groups. A cross-sectional survey study was carried out in Catholic kindergarten, preschool and primary schools of an Italian Congregation of nuns, in South Italy. The Italian versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator Survey (MBI-ES) scale, of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and a study-specific questionnaire with sociodemographic variables and indicators of subjective (self-reported religiosity) and objective (prayer personal and church attendance) religiousness were used. Data were analyzed according to the guidelines for data processing and an analysis of the scales used. The participation rate of this study was 88 %. There was a significant difference between two groups in religiousness and job strain/burnout scores (lay teachers were the most affected group). Moreover, religiousness scores had a positive correlation with personal accomplishment, job satisfaction and perceived performance and a negative correlation with emotional exhaustion, turnover intention and morbidity psychiatric. Therefore, according to religious coping’s research, prayer personal and church attendance can be recommended as two of the ways to prevent job strain and burnout in the teacher work.     

Wartime faith-based reactions among traumatized Kosovar and Bosnian refugees in the United States

In William James' view, one function of prayer is a faith-based, conscious approach to a higher power when in distress. Accordingly, this study investigates the use of private prayer among Muslim war refugees from Kosovo and Bosnia (N?=?138). Results show that these refugees were highly traumatized and most counted on private prayer for coping with their wartime difficulties. Four major types of prayer familiar to Americans were employed by roughly two-thirds to 86% of this sample. As expected, most types of prayer were associated with both wartime traumatic distress and greater religiousness. Also, 77% used prayer so that their enemies would “pay for what they have done.” However, this type of prayer was predicted only by higher levels of education and not by religiousness or traumatization. The need for examining the general and specific social contexts of prayer, such as war and terror, and prayer itself, perceived as a common human experience, are discussed. A structural equation model indicated that war-related trauma was associated directly only with negative religious coping but indirectly with positive coping, mediated by levels of emotional distress. Religiousness was related directly only to positive coping. These findings are discussed with respect to their theoretical and clinical implications.     

Can Prayer Increase Charitable Giving? Examining the Effects of Intercessory Prayer,Moral Intuitions,and Theological Orientation on Generous Behavior

This study was designed to investigate the effects of intercessory prayer, moral intuitions, God concept, and theological orientation on generous behavior in the form of charitable giving. Christian participants (N = 313) were assigned to engage in either intercessory prayer or a secular reflection over a 2-week period on the hardships faced by either Christians (religious ingroup) or Muslims (religious outgroup) in Myanmar/Burma being persecuted by the Buddhist majority. Contrary to hypotheses and previous research, multiple regression analyses revealed that the prayer condition was associated with less monetary generosity than a nonreligious control condition. Ingroup versus outgroup status of the target of prayer/reflections was not a significant predictor of charitable giving. Moral intuitions related to the harm/care and fairness/reciprocity foundations as well as traditional God concept moderated the effects of prayer.     

新冠肺炎疫情下的评估、应对与抑郁和焦虑的关系：多元多重中介模型

作为全球性公共卫生事件,新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情成为潜在心理应激事件。本研究以线上调研形式在疫情爆发上升期考察了民众对疫情的可控性评估、应对方式和抑郁焦虑水平。结果表明：自控性显著负向预测抑郁焦虑,他控性对抑郁焦虑无显著预测作用;前行应对显著负向预测抑郁焦虑,创伤应对显著正向预测抑郁焦虑;前行应对在自控性与抑郁焦虑间起中介作用,即自控性通过正向预测前行应对进而负向预测抑郁焦虑;前行应对在他控性与抑郁焦虑间起中介作用,即他控性通过正向预测前行应对进而负向预测抑郁焦虑;创伤应对亦在他控性与抑郁焦虑间起中介作用,即他控性通过正向预测创伤应对进而正向预测抑郁焦虑。本研究对可控性评估与应对方式对抑郁焦虑的影响及其间中介路径进行了探讨。     

Prayer Utterances as Aligning Actions

Social actors use prayer utterances (e.g., statements such as “prayed over,”“prayed about,” or “spent time in prayer”) as aligning actions that justify problematic or questionable courses of action and prevent possible negative characterizations. The prayer utterance functions as an aligning action in American society because of Americans’ beliefs and actions concerning the efficacy of prayer in solving problems and because prayer is viewed as a sign of personal morality and trustworthiness. Three examples of individuals who use the prayer utterance as an aligning action serve as illustrations of this argument (Oprah Winfrey, Alabama State Supreme Court Justice Sue Bell Cobb, and President Barack Obama). Scholars should investigate the uses and functions of prayer utterances in social life and should also investigate the possible uses of other religious talk as aligning actions.     

Responses of Clergy to 9/11: Posttraumatic Stress, Coping, and Religious Outcomes

This study examines posttraumatic stress, religious coping, and nonreligious coping in relation to positive religious outcomes following the tragedies of 9/11. In November 2001, a mailed survey of 814 active, ordained ministers in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) measured posttraumatic stress, perceived threat, coping activities, positive and negative religious coping, positive religious outcomes, and perceived congregational responses. A majority of the respondents (75 percent) experienced some posttraumatic stress symptoms, with 63 percent feeling threatened for their personal safety. Nonreligious coping behaviors included contributing money (60 percent) and displaying the flag (56 percent). Looking to God for strength, support, and guidance was the most frequently used strategy; increased prayer was second. High stress was associated with higher frequency of coping strategies, both religious and nonreligious. More frequent positive religious coping was related to less severe stress symptoms of numbness and avoidance, and higher positive religious outcomes. Although religion failed to provide protection against stress in a population of religiously dedicated individuals, it provided a pathway for positive and effective coping strategies that resulted in positive religious outcomes .     

Nursing Home Residents' Perception of the “Good Death”

ABSTRACT

Little is known about the concept of the “good death” and its relationship to formal Christian religious belief. In this research, 15 nursing home residents participated in a semi-structured open-ended interview in which they were asked to describe their beliefs about the good death experience. This paper summarizes the most distinctive themes of one study of the impact, of formal religious belief on attitudes regarding the good death. The majority of interviewees defined a good death in terms of freedom from pain and suffering, and indicated that religious faith and prayer were important to them in coping with death and dying.     

Written prayers and religious coping in a paediatric hospital setting

Hospitalised children represent a threatened future to parents. Such stressors call forth people's coping styles. Some individuals cope religiously or spiritually, and religious coping through prayer may be utilised. A sample of prayers written in a paediatric hospital chapel was coded by styles of religious coping evident within them. Styles associated with coping to gain control of their situation and with coping by seeking comfort from God were present. Seeking to cope for gaining control of a situation was more common than seeking comfort from God during the event. Written prayers did not contain evidence of coping by making meaning. Regression analysis showed that the probability of writing a prayer to gain control decreased over time and a trend towards increasing probability of writing a prayer expressing coping by seeking God's comfort. Clinical implications are discussed. Future research should include a larger sample and cognitive interviews with prayer writers.     

Personality,prayer and church attendance among a sample of 11 to 18 year olds in Norway

A series of recent studies has employed various measures of Eysenck's dimensional model of personality alongside questions of frequency of personal prayer and church attendance. The consensus from these studies suggests it is psychoticism, rather than extraversion or neuroticism that is fundamental to a greater frequency of personal prayer and church attendance. The present study tested the generalizability of these findings by examining the association between measure of personal prayer and church attendance and the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire among a sample of 479 11- to 18-year-old Norwegian school children. For the total sample a significant association was found between a greater frequency of both personal prayer and church attendance and lower psychoticism scores. These findings are consistent with previous research and with Eysenck's theory regarding individual differences in social attitudes.     

Using Prayer as an Intervention With Clients Who Are Substance Abusing and Addicted and Who Self‐Identify Personal Faith in God and Prayer as Recovery Resources

This article describes how the authors use prayer with clients who self‐identify their personal faith in God and who have used prayer as a helpful recovery agent or who believe prayer would be helpful to their personal recovery.     

对中学生的人格建构与学校适应的相关分析

以乔治·凯利(George Kelley)的个人建构理论为基础,采用他发明的角色建构库测验,辅以学生学习适应性测验、压力应对测验并收集学生学习成绩,考察中学生人格建构复杂性与学校适应的关系,研究对象为从初一到高三的512名中学生。结果发现：(1) 中学生人格建构复杂性与学习成绩、学习适应性和压力应对存在显著相关。人格建构复杂性高的学生,学业成绩较好,适应学校生活的能力比较强;人格建构复杂性低的学生易采取“幻想”、“逃避”等消极压力应对方式。(2) 多元分析证明,在同时考虑到年级、性别、学习适应性和人格建构复杂性等因素时,人格建构复杂性对学习成绩的贡献大约为2.8%。(3) 中学生人格建构复杂性通过三种途径对学习成绩产生影响：其一,人格建构复杂性直接影响中学生的学习成绩;其二,以学习适应性为中介间接影响学习成绩;其三,以消极压力应对、学习适应性为中介变量,间接影响学习成绩     

A factor analytic investigation of children's nighttime fear and coping responses

Checklists of children's nighttime fears and nighttime coping responses, completed by 178 8- to 13-year-old children and one of their parents, were factor analyzed. The resulting factors from each checklist were comparable for children and parents. The nighttime fear categories consisted of content around security either for one's personal life, loss, or safety or for others' safety and continued presence; imaginal-numinous concerns; and characteristics inherent in a nighttime situation. The coping categories consisted of responses related to internal self-control, social support, support from inanimate objects, prayer, and avoidance or escape either by controlling the inanimate environment or by controlling others.     

An Islamic Perspective on Coping with Life Stressors

There is growing popularity among researchers, human-resource managers, and policy makers concerning the efficacy of coping strategies on employee well-being and work-family conflict. The role of religious belief and spiritual support mechanisms in maintaining effective well-being remains understudied. This research explores the Islamic concept and categories of coping strategies, and discusses the role they play in promoting the well-being of Muslim employees in general. We further examine various religious strategies that Muslims often use to cope with life stressors including religiosity, belief, trust in God, prayer, forbearance, supplication, recitation of the Qur’an, remembrance of God, patience and thankfulness; all of which serve as effective coping strategies and mechanisms in the face of life stressors.     

CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE, CULTURE, AND COPING: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF LATINAS

The purpose of this study was to articulate a model of how Latinas cope with childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and the ways in which personal and cultural variables influence their coping strategies. Nine women who identified as Latina and as survivors of CSA participated in an in-depth interview. The data were analyzed using a grounded theory methodology. Results suggested that participants' coping efforts were influenced by a variety of cultural factors and that they engaged in a wide range of coping behaviors, all of which served two main functions: (1) seeking relief from negative emotions and (2) protecting one's self from further abuse.     

Psychology,Religion, and Spirituality

This study focused on the relation between the manner in which pray-ers perceive God (God concept) and their tendencies to choose various prayer types. A sample of 114 Jewish Israeli religious men responded to multidimensional measures of God concept (Benevolent, Evaluation, Omniness, Guiding, and Deisticness) and of prayer type (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication, Reception). Canonical correlation analysis uncovered a significant canonical model. Two canonical functions, explaining a total of 36.5% of the variance, were selected for interpretation. Function 1 indicated a perception of God as a benevolent and guiding God together with supplicative prayer. Function 2 indicated a perception of God as a meaningful and close God with active thanksgiving prayer. These results provide support for the notion that the manner in which an individual perceives God and the manner in which that individual chooses to pray to God are indeed related.