Religious and spiritual struggles are typically assessed by self-report scales using closed-ended items, yet nascent research suggests that using open-ended interviews and prompts may complement and advance assessment and theories. In the current mixed-methods study, undergraduate participants (N = 976) completed open-ended descriptions of their religious and spiritual struggles, the Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale (RSS), and a quantitative measure of religious belief salience. Qualitative description showed that the themes emerging from open-ended descriptions generally fell within the broad domains of the RSS though some descriptions reflected more contextualized struggles. Scores derived from the open-ended responses to assess RSS domains achieved evidence of reliability, and quantitative correlational analyses provided support for convergent and discriminant validity with the RSS. Correlations revealed a mix of similar and divergent associations between methods of assessing religious and spiritual struggles and religious belief salience. Open-ended descriptions of religious and spiritual struggles may yield reliable and valid information that is related to but distinct from assessments relying on closed-ended items.

Religious and spiritual struggles are typically assessed by self-report scales using closed-ended items, yet nascent research suggests that using open-ended items may complement and advance assessment. In the current study, undergraduate participants (N = 976) completed open-ended descriptions of their religious and spiritual struggles, the Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale (RSS), and a standardized measures of religious belief salience. Qualitative coding showed that the themes emerging from open-ended descriptions generally fell within the broad domains of the RSS though some descriptions reflected more contextualized struggles. Scores derived from the open-ended responses to assess RSS domains achieved evidence of reliability as well as convergent and discriminant validity with the RSS . Correlations revealed a mix of similar and divergent associations between methods of assessing religious and spiritual struggles and religious belief salience. Open-ended descriptions of religious and spiritual struggles may yield reliable and valid information that is related to but distinct from assessments relying on closed-ended items.

Religious and spiritual (r/s) struggles pertain to matters of ultimate significance, such as moral dilemmas, religious doubts, and perceived conflict with God. Because people cannot offer absolute or objective solutions to such struggles, some turn to God for guidance and support. In a mixed-methods study of undergraduates from three U.S. universities (N = 976), we examined open-ended descriptions of imagined conversations with God during r/s struggles, and we tested whether conversation patterns differed for people focusing on divine struggles (n = 290) versus nondivine struggles (n = 680). Qualitative coding suggested that a variety of positive themes were common in expressions to God (e.g., gratitude) and imagined responses from God (e.g., unconditional love), whereas negative themes (e.g., questions about suffering; imagined abandonment) were uncommon. Examples of themes and conversation patterns are provided and interpreted. Scores derived from qualitative codes achieved evidence of reliability, and quantitative correlational analyses showed that more positive expressions generally associated with more positive imagined responses; however, people focused on divine struggles had more negative conversation patterns than those focused on nondivine struggles. In all, conversation themes and patterns were consistent with the view that people perceive God in relational terms and that one’s perceived relationship with God may be disrupted when focusing on divine struggles. Based on these findings, we suggest that providers working with clients reporting r/s struggles may explore imagined conversations with the divine to obtain potentially useful information about clients’ perceived relationships with God and facilitate greater understanding and resolution of these struggles.

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