God and the Search for Meaning Among Hospice Caregivers

Mickley, Jacqueline Ruth

doi:10.1300/j011v13n04_01

Cited by 59 publications

(43 citation statements)

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“…Some individuals may believe that God would not harm them or visit upon them more than they could handle, whereas others may believe that God is trying to communicate something important through the event, or that the event is a punishment from God (Furnham & Brown, 1992). For example, a study of hospice caregivers found that some appraised their situation as part of God's plan or as a means of gaining strength or understanding from God, while others viewed their situation as an unfair punishment or as desertion by God (Mickley, Pargament, Brant, & Hipp, 1998).…”

Section: Religion and Appraised Meaning Of Stressorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Religion as a Meaning‐Making Framework in Coping with Life Stress

Park

2005

Journal of Social Issues

793

608

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This article explores how religion, as a meaning system, influences coping with adversity. First, a model emphasizing the role of meaning making in coping is presented. Next, religion as a meaning system is defined, and theory and research on the role of religion in the coping process are summarized. Results from the author's study of 169 bereaved college students are then presented to illustrate some of the pathways through which religious meaning can influence the coping process in making meaning following loss. Findings indicate that associations between religion and adjustment vary across time since loss, and that these associations are mediated by meaning-making coping. Finally, implications for individual and societal well-being and suggestions for future research are discussed.

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Section: Religion and Appraised Meaning Of Stressorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Religion as a Meaning‐Making Framework in Coping with Life Stress

Park

2005

Journal of Social Issues

793

608

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“…Do various forms of religious coping contribute uniquely to physical and mental health? Mickley, Pargament, Brant, and Hipp (1998) conducted a study in which both religious and nonreligious appraisals of caregivers were assessed. Broadly defined, appraisals refer to people's efforts to make meaning of their circumstances.…”

Section: Religion As a Unique Form Of Copingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Sacred and the Search for Significance: Religion as a Unique Process

Pargäment

Magyar‐Russell

Murray-Swank

2005

Journal of Social Issues

285

204

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Although many social scientists have assumed that religion can be reduced to more basic processes, there may be something unique about religion. By definition, religion has a distinctively meaningful point of reference, the sacred. Empirically, studies also suggest that religion may be a unique: form of motivation; source of value and significance; contributor to mortality and health; source of coping; and source of distress. These findings point to the need for: theory and research on the sacred; attention to the pluralization of religious beliefs and practices; evaluation of individual and social interventions that address spiritual problems and apply spiritual resources to their resolution; and collaboration between psychological and religious groups that draws on their unique identities and strengths.

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“…Positive religious coping represents both a turning to God and a positive faith in God. Positive religious coping has been associated with increased life satisfaction, lower emotional distress, more stress-related growth, and better general and religious outcomes (Mickley et al 1998;Pargament et al 1998;Tix and Frazier 1998). Negative religious coping describes viewing God as punishing, abandoning, or uncaring, or questioning God's existence, and has been found to have different outcomes than positive coping.…”

Section: Background: Stress and Copingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Far more people use positive coping than negative coping. Positive religious coping has been found to provide mental health benefits beyond those of other coping methods, that is, social support, cognitive restructuring, and perceived control (Mickley et al 1998;Pargament et al 1998Pargament et al , 2001Tix and Frazier 1998).…”

Section: Background: Stress and Copingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Meisenhelder¹,

Marcum²

2004

Scientific Study of Religion

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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.The tragic events of September 11, 2001 shocked and stunned the nation. Unlike previous national occurrences, the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon emotionally affected citizens from coast to coast. In a national telephone survey of 560 adults three to five days following these events, 90 percent had one or more symptom of posttraumatic stress, with 44 percent to a substantial degree. These people coped by talking with others (98 percent), seeking religion (90 percent), and making donations (36 percent) (Schuster et al. 2001). The following study builds on such initial findings by exploring the levels of posttraumatic stress, perceived threat, religious and nonreligious coping, and positive religious outcomes in a national, random sample of clergy following the 9/11 events.

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God and the Search for Meaning Among Hospice Caregivers

Cited by 59 publications

References 0 publications

Religion as a Meaning‐Making Framework in Coping with Life Stress

Religion as a Meaning‐Making Framework in Coping with Life Stress

The Sacred and the Search for Significance: Religion as a Unique Process

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

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