Trait Courage, Attachment to God, and Mental Well-Being Among U.S. Collegiate Athletes.

In recent decades, scholars and practitioners alike have devoted increased attention to the psychological well-being of student-athletes. However, to date, far less research has examined the role of virtues, religion, and spirituality in contributing to well-being in student-athlete populations. In this study, we attempt to address these gaps by (a) assessing the association between trait courage, an understudied virtue in the sporting realm, and mental well-being, and then (b) considering how student-athletes' attachment to God might moderate the association between trait courage and depressive symptoms. Drawing on a sample of 415 student-athletes from the USA, regression results illustrate that courage was not significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms among student-athletes. However, a secure attachment to God appeared to function as a compensatory resource for student-athletes lacking in courage. On the contrary, athletes with low trait courage but who reported greater avoidant attachment to God reported greater depressive symptoms. Taken together, a more positive relationship with God could help provide athletes with lower trait courage a way to find meaning and strength that helps them with emotion-regulation strategies to deal with the pressures within and beyond their sport. This study clearly shows that greater attention should be paid to the religious and spiritual development of student-athletes.

Attachment to God, Contingent Self-Worth, and Mental Health Outcomes in U.S. Collegiate Athletes.

Scholars and practitioners have recently devoted increased attention to the psychological well-being of student-athletes. However, sparse research has examined the role of religion/spirituality in well-being in athletic populations. In a sample of U.S. collegiate athletes (N = 415), the present study assessed how the divine relationship, measured by attachment style to God, associates with depressive and anxiety symptoms in a sample of collegiate student-athletes, as well as the mediating role of contingent self-worth based on the approval of others in this process. Results show that secure attachment to God is associated with fewer mental illness symptoms, whereas avoidant and anxious attachment to God are associated with greater mental illness symptoms. Contingent self-worth based on others' approval partially mediates each of these associations. Implications for the religion and health literature and sport practitioners are discussed.

The Links Between Insecure Attachment to God, Divine Struggles, and Happiness and Depressive Symptoms Among Muslims and Jews in Israel.

This investigation aimed to explore a theoretical model that examines the relationship between patterns of insecure attachment to God (i.e., anxious, avoidant), God-focused religious coping (i.e., divine struggles, positive religious coping), and mental health and well-being (i.e., happiness, depressive symptoms). The study's participants were 340 Israeli Jewish and Muslim individuals who completed electronic self-report questionnaires to assess the main variables of the study. The theoretical model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling. The analysis' findings indicated that there were no direct links between both patterns of insecure attachment to God and both happiness and depressive symptoms. Additionally, both anxious and avoidant attachment to God were found to be positively associated with divine struggles, and the latter mediated the relationship between both anxious and avoidant attachment to God and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, there were no significant associations between positive religious coping and any of the other variables in the study. Moreover, a comparative analysis revealed that the pattern of associations between the variables in the study was not dependent on gender or religious affiliation. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Perceptions of Dignity, Attachment to God, and Mental Health in a National US Sample.

Dignity is a human characteristic equated with real worth, a sense of moral and social personhood, and should have clear links to mental well-being. Empirical work on perceived dignity is relatively scant, but it stands to reason that one source of dignity might be gathered through religion/spirituality, especially through one's relationship with God or a divine power. In this study, we test whether attachment to God may protect against the hypothesized negative mental health consequences of having low perceptions of dignity. Using nationally representative data from the 2017 Baylor Religion Survey (N = 1375), we find that lower perceptions of dignity were associated with higher depression and anxiety. We found that for respondents with low self-perceptions of dignity, stronger feelings of secure attachment to God attenuated (weakened) the otherwise positive association between low dignity and greater depression and anxiety. Taken together, a secure attachment to God could lead believers to confront challenges and problems, including one's dignity being undermined, with confidence and security. We offer future directions for research on an understudied concept in the religion and health literature.

Development and Validation of Tawakkul Scale for Muslim Adults in Pakistan.

As a fundamental value in the Islamic belief system, tawakkul is defined as the belief in the sufficiency of God that involves positive efforts to achieve one's goals while accepting the outcomes unconditionally. The present research intended to develop a psychometrically sound measure of tawakkul and it comprised two studies. In study I, an initial item pool of 60 items was developed based on the content analyses of Quranic verses with the root word 'w-k-l' and the findings of two focus group discussions with psychologists, Islamic scholars, and common Muslim adults. This item pool was reviewed by a committee of experts resulting in a 40-item initial draft of the Tawakkul Scale, which was administered on a purposive sample of (N = 300) Pakistani Muslim adults. The findings of the exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure (loadings ranged from .56 to .96) of the Tawakkul Scale that cumulatively explained 76.67% variance. The factors included belief in the sufficiency of God (11 items), unconditional acceptance of God's will (6 items), efforts (4 items), and annihilation of one's own will (3 items). All factors were moderately related to each other with good values of Cronbach's alpha (α ≥ .83). Study II replicated the factorial structure of the Tawakkul Scale through confirmatory factor analysis and established its construct validity in an independent sample of (N = 350) Pakistani Muslim adults. Tawakkul had a positive relationship with secure attachment to God and a negative relationship with insecure attachment to God that affirmed its construct validity. Overall, the findings indicated that the Tawakkul Scale is a psychometrically sound measure that needs to be further studied in Muslim populations across the globe.

Does the Belief in Biblical Literalism Matter for Mental Health? Assessing Variations by Gender and Dimensions of Religiosity.

Although biblical literalism is one of the most powerful ideological indicators of religiousness in the sociological study of religion, we know very little about its role vis-à-vis mental health. This is a surprising oversight, given the centrality of the Bible to both public and private religious practice in the USA. This study considers whether the belief in biblical literalism is associated with general mental health and anxiety, and whether this relationship is moderated by gender and two dimensions of religiosity: attendance and attachment to God. Data are drawn from the 2010 Baylor Religion Survey (N = 1360). Regression results suggest that stronger beliefs in biblical literalism are associated with better mental health and lower anxiety, but only among women who attend religious services weekly. However, women holding strong literalist views but falling short of weekly attendance norms reported worse mental health. There was no evidence that the relationship between biblical literalism and mental health differed by attachment to God. The implications of these results for the broader study of religion and health are discussed in light of prior research on the "dark side" of religion, recognizing that causal claims cannot be made due to the cross-sectional nature of the data.

Women in Christian Substance Abuse Treatment; Forgiveness, Attachment Styles, and Improvements in Co-occurring Mental Health Symptoms.

The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of The Recovery Center at Shalom House Ministries and examine the relationship(s) between forgiveness, attachment styles, drug and alcohol abuse, self-reported mental health symptoms, and cognitive functioning. Participants (N = 118 women) attended Shalom Recovery (2016-2018). Statistically significant improvement was found between entrance and the 3-month mark on all measures, with 67.9% completing the program. Findings indicated that the revenge motivations correlated with depression, self-esteem, anxiety, and avoidance of intimacy with God, but only this latter scale contributed to a multiple regression model on revenge motivations at program entry.

Do Religious Coping and Attachment to God Affect Perceived Pain? Study of the Elderly with Chronic Back Pain in Iran.

Religious Coping (RC) refers to the individual's ability to understand and cope with the stress in life. Attachment is a God relatively stable emotional bond that forms through continuous communication and requires interaction, pleasure and relaxation. Considering the increasing population of the elderly and the role of pain in their health status, the present study was conducted aimed to determine the relationship between RC and attachment to God with perceived pain in the elderly with chronic low back pain (CLBP) in Ilam in Iran. The present study is a descriptive cross-sectional one in the elderly group with chronic low back pain in 2018. A total of 300 elderly patients with chronic low back pain were enrolled using convenience sampling. The tools used included demographic characteristics form, religious coping questionnaire, attachment to God's questionnaire and perceived pain intensity questionnaire. The findings indicated that the mean (SD) of the total score of attachment to God variables was 65.71 (2.64), religious coping was 20.67 (2.59), chronic pain acceptance was 17.29 (6.66), and perceived pain was 5.81 (2.65). Also, there was a meaningful correlation between the intensity of the pain and the level of attachment to God and religious coping. Therefore, it is suggested that appropriate religious interventions for elderly patients with chronic pain should be undertaken to reduce their pain status in order to help improve their quality of life.

Attachment to God and Psychological Adjustment: God's Responses and Our Coping Strategies.

An outgrowth of research has established an association between attachment to God dimensions and psychosocial indices. There has been a dearth of studies, however, examining variables that mediate these relationships. This study examined three categories of coping strategies (emotion-focused, problem-focused, and dysfunctional) as mediators in the relationship between attachment to God dimensions and psychological adjustment. This study employed a cross-sectional design to examine the association among attachment to God dimensions, coping strategies, and psychological adjustment among 315 undergraduate students at a midsize southeastern university. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Attachment to God Inventory, the Brief COPE, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Structural equation modeling was used to examine direct and indirect effects. Analyses revealed an indirect influence of secure God attachment on positive affect via emotion-focused coping, as well as an indirect influence of secure God attachment on all three mental health indices-positive and negative affect and depression-via dysfunctional coping. Analyses also revealed an indirect influence of avoidant God attachment on depression and both positive and negative affect via dysfunctional coping, as well as an indirect influence of ambivalent God attachment on depression and both positive and negative affect via dysfunctional coping. Although causality cannot be established, results suggest that attachment to God dimensions are associated with psychological adjustment through the use of specific coping strategies. Future research should employ longitudinal designs in order to identify temporal influences among attachment to God dimensions, coping styles, and psychological indices.

Humility, Relational Spirituality, and Well-being among Religious Leaders: A Moderated Mediation Model.

Prior research has demonstrated positive associations between general humility and well-being, and posited a protective effect for intellectual humility against maladjustment among religious leaders. We tested a model that extended findings on general humility to include intellectual humility among religious leaders (N = 258; M age = 42.31; 43% female; 63.7% White; 91.9% Christian affiliation). We observed a positive general humility-well-being association. Contrary to expectations, we observed risk effects for religion-specific intellectual humility. Our findings also point to the possibility that these risk effects might be attenuated by the integration of high levels of general and intellectual humility.

'Someone to hold the hand over me': the significance of transpersonal 'attachment' relationships of Danish cancer survivors.

The aim of this article is to present findings about self-reported spirituality of a group of Danish cancer survivors. The findings derive from a qualitative study that was carried out during rehabilitation week courses at a Danish rehabilitation centre. Methods comprised participant observation, semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews. Employing interpretative phenomenological analysis as analytical strategy, a prominent part of the informants' self-reported spirituality was found to centre around a perceived sense of relatedness to a transpersonal entity that transcends the self and extends beyond spatial-temporal boundaries. Three transpersonal entities were identified: 'God', a 'guardian angel' and a 'deceased family member'. The key findings of the study demonstrate that the transpersonal entities were experienced as empowering and supportive resources during cancer treatment and rehabilitation and that they were furthermore perceived as responsible for the informants' healing and survival. These findings are interpreted through the lenses of two interrelated theoretical frameworks: Hay and Nye's approach to spirituality as 'relational consciousness' and Kirkpatrick and colleagues' understanding of religion and/or spirituality as attachment relationships. These two theoretical understandings are suggested as useful frameworks for capturing spiritual dimensions of cancer survivors' meaning making and coping in a secular society.

[Impact of attachment to God and religious coping on life satisfaction]. / Az Istenhez való kötodés és a vallásos megküzdés szerepe az élettel való elégedettségben.

INTRODUCTION: Effects of religiosity on satisfaction with life, mental and physical health are highly favored topics of psychology. At the same time, less attention has been directed to how individual differences in religiosity affect believers' satisfaction with life. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between attachment to God, religious coping and satisfaction with life. METHOD: A group of Roman Catholics (n = 94; 49 women and 45 men; age, 30.8±6.2 years) filled in our the survey package. The survey package contained the following measures: Attachment to God Inventory, Brief Religious Coping Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. RESULTS: Negative religious coping and anxious attachment to God predicted lower satisfaction with life, even if demographic variables were controlled for. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that negative image of God is an important predictor of low satisfaction with life, which in turn can have negative impact on believers' mental and physical health. Orv. Hetil., 154(46), 1843-1847.

Age Differences in Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Assessing the Moderating Role of Attachment to God.

Objectives: This study examined age differences in mental health problems (depression and anxiety) during the COVID-19 pandemic using nationally representative data from the United States. Drawing from a life course perspective, we also assessed if a secure attachment to God conditioned the relationship between age and mental health. Methods: Data were from the 2021 Values and Beliefs of the American Public Study (N = 1168), collected roughly 1 year into the pandemic. Results: Older adults (61 years and over) reported lower depression and anxiety than respondents 18-30 years of age. However, stronger perceptions of attachment to God significantly closed the age gap in anxiety between these age groups. Discussion: Though absolute levels of religiosity tend to be higher for older adults, secure attachment to God was more protective of the mental health of younger adults during the pandemic. We reflect on our findings through a life course lens.

Psychological Wellbeing and Psychological Distress in the Elderly during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The elderly population is deemed to be the most vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 2020 to April 2022, the implementation of psychological distancing is still being applied in Indonesia. In the light of the pandemic, mental health problems among the elderly require further exploration. This study examines the mental health status of the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia and the factors that affect their mental health, such as loneliness and attachment to God. METHODS: A sequential explanatory type of the mixed-method approach was adopted for the purposes of this study. In particular, the researchers first conducted a quantitative survey, analyzed its results, and then explained them in more detail using qualitative research. RESULTS: The results show that loneliness is a predictor of mental health in the elderly, while attachment to God does not correlate with mental health. More specifically, we described that minimal activity, inability to meet children and grandchildren, and inability to recite the Qur'an were the main factors triggering sadness among the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, we defined that elderly people use productive and religious activities, and communication as main coping strategies. CONCLUSION: Loneliness has been a serious problem for the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting their mental health. The findings of this research can be used as a basis or reference for maintaining the mental health of the elderly during the pandemic.

Spiritual Resources of Family Members of Patients in Palliative Care in Brazil.

Although religiosity is a strong feature of Brazilian people, the integration of spirituality in palliative care (PC) has been a challenge for health care professionals. In order to evaluate the spiritual resources used by family members of patients in PC, this work presents the results of the research carried out with 50 family members. The Satisfaction with Life Scale, Centrality of Religiosity Scale, Spiritual/Religious Coping Scale, Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale, and Attachment to God Inventory were applied. The prevalence of positive spiritual/religious coping was very high (76%) or high (6%). There was a strong correlation between positive spiritual/religious coping and centrality of religiosity (r = 0.805; SD = 0.87). There was a moderate negative correlation between the avoidant attachment to God and centrality of religiosity (r = -0.611; SD = 1.24) and positive spiritual/religious coping (r = -0.575; SD = 1.37). There was a moderate positive correlation between the anxious attachment to God and spiritual struggles (r = 0.515; SD = 0.76) and negative spiritual/religious coping (r = 0.555; SD = 0.616). These results suggest that spiritual/religious resources are present in family members of patients in PC. These resources have been mostly ignored by the multidisciplinary team. Findings provide an evidence base for training health care professionals to better integrate spirituality in PC settings.

Forgiveness, Attachment to God, and Mental Health Outcomes in Older U.S. Adults: A Longitudinal Study.

We analyze a sample of older U.S. adults with religious backgrounds in order to examine the relationships among two types of divine forgiveness and three indicators of psychological well-being (PWB) as well as the moderating role of attachment to God. Results suggest that (a) feeling forgiven by God and transactional forgiveness from God are not associated with changes in PWB over time, (b) secure attachment to God at baseline is associated with increased optimism and self-esteem, (c) feeling forgiven by God and transactional forgiveness from God are more strongly associated with increased PWB among the securely attached, and (d) among the avoidantly attached, PWB is associated with consistency in one's beliefs, that is, a decreased emphasis on forgiveness from God. Findings underscore the importance of subjective beliefs about God in the lives of many older adults in the United States.

Attachment to God and Death Anxiety in Later Life: Does Race Matter?

Research suggests that religion plays a critical role in individuals' attitudes toward death in later life. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a previously unexamined aspect of religion-secure attachment to God-is associated with death anxiety among U.S. older adults and whether this association varies across race. Using longitudinal data from a representative sample of adults aged 65 and older ( N = 936), the analyses reveal that secure attachment to God is associated with a decrease in death anxiety over time. Furthermore, the negative association between secure attachment to God and change in death anxiety is greater for older Blacks than their White counterparts. These results indicate that religion serves a protective function against death anxiety in later life. Moreover, religion provides greater psychological benefits for older Blacks than older Whites, reinforcing a long-standing claim that religion is particularly valuable for individuals from marginalized backgrounds.

Fathers and Perceptions of God Play an Important Role in Psychological Adjustment Among Emerging Adults in Guatemala and the United States.

Interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory posits that people require parental acceptance in childhood to develop healthy psychological adjustment. People's beliefs about and their relationship with deity also influences their psychological adjustment. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how both perceived parental acceptance and a relationship with deity are related to psychological adjustment for emerging adults in Guatemala and the United States. Participants (N = 189) from Guatemala and the United States completed measures of perceived parental acceptance-rejection, images of God, attachment to God, and psychological adjustment. Results indicate that perceived paternal acceptance-rejection was only a significant predictor of psychological adjustment in U.S. participants, and not in Guatemalan participants. In both samples, images of God did not predict psychological adjustment. However, an anxious attachment with God predicted psychological maladjustment for both groups. The findings suggest that two important factors to be considered by researchers, educators, and mental health professionals are adults' perceptions of their father's level of acceptance-rejection and the amount of anxiety they experience in their relationship with God.

Attachment to God, religious tradition, and firm attributes in workplace commitment.

Research on organizational commitment suggests there is an association between American theists' emotional attachment to God and their emotional commitment to the workplace. A sense of divine calling has been shown to partially mediate this association but, beyond that, little is known. The purpose of this study is to shed further light on the relationship between secure attachment to God and affective organizational commitment. I do so by testing whether the employee's religious tradition is associated with affective organizational commitment and whether the employee's firm attributes moderate the relationship between attachment to God and organizational commitment. Results suggest that: 1) Catholics evince higher levels of organizational commitment than Evangelicals, and 2) firm size significantly moderates the relationship between attachment to God and organizational commitment across religious affiliations.