A Cross-Sectional Survey of Pakistani Muslims Coping with Health Anxiety through Religiosity during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Investigating the role of religiosity in coping with health anxiety during the outbreak of COVID-19 assumes significance given the continued onslaught of the pandemic and the importance of religion in many societies of the world. The aim of this study is to test the relationship between religious coping and health anxiety in Pakistani Muslims. The online survey method was used to collect data from 408 respondents. Structural equational modeling was performed, with results indicating that people who are suffering with health anxiety opt for religious coping (β = .54, R 2 = .29, p < .001). We conclude that it is important to consider the role of religion and spirituality during pandemic-induced anxiety. There are implications for counselors, physicians and researchers to integrate religious coping methods when planning mental health interventions during pandemics and otherwise.

The Role of Spirituality and Religiosity in Healthcare During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Integrative Review of the Scientific Literature

“…However, others such as (Pirutinsky et al, 2021 ) focused their research on the religious needs of people during the COVID-19 pandemic (28%; n = 7), or analyzed both issues (16%; n = 4 studies). When dealing with religiosity, the predominant religion in the selected articles was Islam (Mahamid & Bdier, 2021 ; Mahmood et al, 2021 ; Rababa et al, 2021 ; Thomas & Barbato, 2020 ), followed by Christianity (Fatima et al, 2020 ; Kowalczyk et al, 2020 ; Lucchetti et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Spiritual well-being and positive religious coping also have a great impact on anxiety and fear levels, in the sense that the higher the level of spiritual well-being an older adult has, the lower their level of death anxiety and fear (Durmuş & Durar, 2021 ; Mahmood et al, 2021 ; Rababa et al, 2021 ). According to (Rababa et al, 2021 ), when older adults have good spiritual health, they experience positive feelings about their current situation and a strong inner healing force, identified as a coping strategy to deal with the actual situation.…”

“…These results highlight the importance of public health measures that ensure the continuity of R/S activities during the pandemic and the training of healthcare professionals to address these issues 19.7/22 STROBE Mahamid et al ( 2021 ) To investigate the relationship between positive religious coping, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms in response to the emergence of coronavirus (COVID-19) Cross-sectional study ( n = 400 Palestinian adults) Scales: PSS, PMIR and CES-D-10 Positive religious coping is significantly related to a decrease in depressive symptoms among the sample of Palestinian adults, as well as a decrease in the perceived stress of the participants. Knowing that positive religious strategies can help improve the resilience and well-being of populations affected by the pandemic, it is necessary to carry out interventions that consider the religious and spiritual aspects of people 17.5/22 STROBE Mahmood et al ( 2021 ) To test the relationship between religious coping and health anxiety Cross-sectional study ( n = 408 Pakistani Muslims) SHAI Scale and Religiosity Scale Muslims in Pakistan who suffer from pandemic-induced anxiety use religiosity as a coping strategy to deal with life circumstances 19/22 STROBE Malik et al ( 2020 ) To evaluate the impact of the preventive measures undertaken through Yoga practice Cross-sectional study ( n = 126 people who perform yoga daily for 30 days) Telephonic interview with self-made questionnaires Performing Yoga regularly has improved control of the mind and body and enhances well-being. It also helped in boosting the immune system which can act as a preventive measure to COVID-19 14.5/22 STROBE Nodoushan et al ( 2020 ) To evaluate the physical health with the spiritual and mental health of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic Cross-sectional study ( n = 560 pregnant women) Scales: DASS-21 and self-efficacy The spiritual health of pregnant women decreases when they have high stress levels.…”

Spiritual Coping of Emergency Department Nurses and Emergency Medical Services Staff During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Iran: An Exploratory Study

“…Spiritual coping help to alleviate stress (Eslami Akbar et al, 2015 ; Habibian et al, 2015 ). People who suffer from health anxiety choose religious coping (Mahmood et al, 2021 ). We conclude that it is vital to consider the role of religion and spirituality during epidemic anxiety.…”

Implication of social isolation on mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic: a look at its religious and spiritual coping

“…Eles desempenham um papel significativo para se manterem positivos nos dias de hoje e motivam as pessoas para a positividade. De acordo com esses estudos religiosos e espirituais, os muçulmanos permanecem mais positivos devido à orientação religiosa (MAHMOOD et al, 2021;CHOW et al, 2021;JÚNIOR et al, 2020;RABABA et el., 2020;THOMAS;BARBATO, 2020;TABIK et al, 2020;MAHAMID;BDIER, 2021;DURMUŞ;DURAR, 2021). Seus resultados estão resumidos na Tabela 3 abaixo.…”