The many faces of religious coping in late life: Conceptualization, measurement, and links to well-being

Abstract

Most older adults report using religion as a resource in coping with the many challenges of late life. Until recently, our understanding of religion in coping was limited by studies utilizing unidimensional measures of religion, which did little to explain the power that religion seems to have for so many people. More recently, multiple facets of religious coping have been explored, along with the implications of their use for many populations, including older adults. In this paper, we examine approaches to conceptualization and measurement of religious coping as they relate to the challenges of late life. We consider some of the social, situational, and personal factors that shape the character of religious coping. We also review the literature on links between forms of religious coping and measures of health and well-being for older adults. Finally, we review recent efforts to incorporate religion and spirituality into psychological interventions, and discuss implications of religious factors in late life for a variety of professionals in gerontology.Whether they follow a life-long pattern of religiousness or move toward religion in late life, the large majority of older adults incorporate religion and/ or spirituality into their coping repertoire (Koenig, 1990). Perhaps this should not be altogether surprising, for many of the unique challenges of late life lend themselves to religious coping. And, although some religious coping strategies lead to poorer outcomes, most older adults find strength and solace in religion (Koenig, 1990). In this paper, we explore religious coping as a resource for the elderly. We examine the ways religious coping is conceptualized and measured and, in the process, challenge stereotypes of religion as a unidimensional phenomena. We briefly consider some of the social, situational, and personal factors that shape religious coping, and present studies that demonstrate links between religious coping and health and well-being in later life.

Body Image in Older Adults: Links with Religion and Gender

“…It is axiomatic that young women experience intense pressure regarding their looks, weight, and appearance, a worry felt as normative discontent (Rodin et al 1985) tantamount to a chronic crisis of self-doubt (Crisp 1980). For many people religion provides resources for coping with difficult situations (Emery and Pargament 2004), and young women higher in religiosity seem to cope better with the challenge of accepting their bodies in a culture that upholds narrow and unattainable body norms. In contrast to these psychological dynamics in young women, we speculate that after decades of normative dissatisfaction most older women (our sample averaged 74 years of age) have assimilated their body shape into their identity such that body dissatisfaction no longer constitutes as much of a crisis (Whitbourne and Skultety 2002).…”

“…The reassurance provided by one's personal religiosity may be most potent when there is a discrepancy between broader cultural standards of attractiveness and one's own identity as an aging adult. Emery and Pargament (2004) have suggested that religion provides the aging individual with an identity that perseveres even when physical appearance or external circumstances change. More broadly, Masters (2008) has asserted that religions provide the faithful with something of a ''stress management program'' that reduces psychological stress and anxiety (Masters 2008, p. 106).…”

Religious and Spiritual Beliefs: An Avenue to Explore End-of-Life Issues

“…According to Hill and Pargament, although support networks, including family, can change over time, a religious convoy is a stable support. A similar idea was expressed by Emery and Pargament (2004) and Dillon, Wink, and Fay (2003), who were influenced by Iannaconne' s (1990) idea of religious human capital. Iannaconne proposed that a person invests in religion across the life span and, therefore, has more to draw on in later life when coping resources are needed.…”

“…He may cry for rest, peace, and dignity, but he will get infusions, transfusions, a heart machine, or tracheotomy if necessary.- Kubler-Ross, 1969, p. 22 According to Burdette, Hill, and Moulton (2005) and Emery and Pargament (2004), religious concerns may be particularly important at the end of life, because it may have an impact on decisions regarding medical treatments. Religious and spiritual beliefs can affect decisions around prolonging life, do-not-resuscitate (DNR) instructions, hospice and palliative care, and physicianassisted suicide (PAS).…”

“…Spiritual interventions are intended to also encompass any religious beliefs that a client may have. Cole and Pargament (1999) developed a spiritually focused group intervention that concentrated on four themes: control, meaning, identity, and relationships (Emery &Pargament, 2004). Miller, Chinball, Videen, andDuckrow (2005) found that patients who received spiritually focused group intervention were less depressed and reported religious and/or spiritual well-being.…”