Blessed assurance: Religion, anxiety, and tranquility among US adults

Social Science Research

Volumn 38, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 656-667

  Ellison, Christopher G ^a   Burdette, Amy M ^b   Hill, Terrence D ^c  

^a UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN   (United States)

^b MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^c Department of Biology   (United States)

Author keywords

Anxiety; Emotions; Mental health; Religion; Religious beliefs

Indexed keywords

ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR; ADOLESCENT; ADULT; AGED; ANXIETY; ARTICLE; FEMALE; HUMAN; INFORMATION PROCESSING; MALE; MENTAL HEALTH; MENTAL STRESS; MIDDLE AGED; PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT; REGRESSION ANALYSIS; RELIGION; SOCIOECONOMICS; STATISTICS; UNITED STATES;

ADAPTATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL; ADOLESCENT; ADULT; AGED; AGED, 80 AND OVER; ANXIETY; DATA COLLECTION; FEMALE; HUMANS; LEAST-SQUARES ANALYSIS; MALE; MENTAL HEALTH; MIDDLE AGED; RELIGION AND PSYCHOLOGY; SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS; STRESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL; UNITED STATES; YOUNG ADULT;

EID: 70149120508     PISSN: 0049089X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2009.02.002     Document Type: Article

References (95)

1. Aiken L., and West S.G. Multiple Regression: Testing and Interpreting Interactions (1991), Sage Publications, Newbury Park, CA
2. Antonovsky A. Unraveling the Mystery of Health (1987), Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA
3. Barrett A. Marital trajectories and mental health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 41 (2000) 451-464
4. Berger P. The Sacred Canopy (1967), Doubleday, Garden City, NY
5. Black H.K. Poverty and prayer: spiritual narratives of elderly African American women. Review of Religious Research 40 (1999) 359-374
6. Bradley D.E. Religious involvement and social resources: evidence from the dataset 'Americans' changing lives'. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 34 (1995) 259-267
7. Branden N. The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem (1994), Bantam Books, New York
8. Brown W.S. PNI and Western Religious Traditions. In: Koenig H.G., and Cohen H.J. (Eds). The Link Between Religion and Health (2002), Oxford University Press, New York 262-274
9. Chatters L. Religion and health: public health research and practice. Annual Review of Public Health 21 (2000) 335-367
10. Chaves M., and Higgins L.H. Comparing the community involvement of Black and White congregations. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 31 (1992) 425-440
11. Cornwall M. The social bases of religion: a study of the factors influencing religious belief and commitment. Review of Religious Research 29 (1987) 44-56
12. Davis J.A., and Smith T.W. General Social Surveys, 1972-1996: Cumulative Codebook [and MRDF] (1996), National Opinion Research Center, Chicago
13. Drentea P. Age, debt, and anxiety. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 41 (2000) 437-450
14. Ellis, Albert, 1962. Reason and Emotion in Psychotherapy. Citadel Press, Secaucus, NJ.
15. Ellis A. Psychotherapy and atheistic values: a response to A. E. Bergin's "Psychotherapy and Religious Values". Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 48 (1980) 635-639
16. Ellison C.G. Religious involvement and self-perception among Black Americans. Social Forces 71 (1993) 1027-1055
17. Ellison C.G., Boardman J.D., Williams D.R., and Jackson J.S. Religious involvement, stress, and mental health: findings from the 1995 Detroit area study. Social Forces 80 (2001) 215-249
18. Ellison C.G., and George L.K. Religious involvement, social ties, and social support in a southeastern community. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 33 (1994) 46-61
19. Ellison C.G., and Levin J.S. The religion-health connection: evidence, theory, and future directions. Health Education and Behavior 25 (1998) 700-720
20. Ellison C.G., and Taylor R.J. Turning to prayer: social and situational antecedents of religious coping among African Americans. Review of Religious Research 38 (1996) 111-131
21. Exline J.J. Stumbling blocks on the religious road: fractured relationships, nagging vices, and the inner struggle to believe. Psychological Inquiry 13 (2002) 182-189
22. Farmer, Melissa, Ferraro, Kenneth, 1997. Distress and perceived health: mechanisms of health decline. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 38, 298-311.
23. Flannelly K.J., Koenig H.G., Ellison C.G., Galek K., and Krause N. Belief in life after death and mental health: findings from a national survey. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 194 (2006) 524-529
24. Flannelly K.J., Ellison C.G., Galek K., and Koenig H.G. Beliefs about life-after-death, psychiatric symptomology, and cognitive theories of psychopathology. Journal of Psychology and Theology 36 (2008) 94-103
25. Foley D.P. Eleven interpretations of personal suffering. Journal of Religion and Health 27 (1988) 321-328
26. Grasmick H.G., and Bursik Jr. R.J. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's': religiosity and taxpayers' inclinations to cheat. The Sociological Quarterly 32 (1991) 251-266
27. Greeley A., and Hout M. Americans' increasing belief in life after death: competition and assimilation. American Sociological Review 65 (1999) 813-836
28. Griffith E.E.H., Young J.L., and Smith D.L. An analysis of the therapeutic elements in a Black church service. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 35 (1984) 464-469
29. Hackney C.H., and Sanders G.S. Religiosity and mental health: a meta-analysis of recent studies. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 42 (2003) 43-55
30. Harley B., and Firebaugh G. Americans' belief in an afterlife: trends over the past two decades. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 32 (1993) 269-278
31. Hill T., Burdette A., Ellison C., and Music M. Religious attendance and the health behaviors of Texas adults. Preventive Medicine 42 (2006) 309-312
32. Hill T., Burdette A., Ellison C., and Music M. Religious involvement and healthy lifestyles: evidence from the survey of Texas adults. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 34 (2007) 217-222
33. Hoffmann J.P. Religion and problem gambling in the US. Review of Religious Research 41 (2000) 488-509
34. Holmes D.S. Meditation and somatic arousal reduction: a review of the experimental evidence. American Psychologist 39 (1984) 1-10
35. Idler E.L. Religious involvement and the health of the elderly: some hypotheses and an initial test. Social Forces 66 (1987) 226-238
36. Idler E.L. Religion, health, and nonphysical senses of self. Social Forces 74 (1995) 683-704
37. Idler E.L., and Kasl S.V. Religion, disability, depression, and the timing of death. American Journal of Sociology 97 (1992) 1052-1079
38. Idler E.L., Musick M.A., Ellison C.G., George L.K., Krause N., Levin J.S., Ory M., Pargament K.I., Powell L., Gordon L.U., and Williams D.R. NIA/Fetzer measure of religiousness and spirituality: conceptual background and findings from the 1998 general social survey. Research on Aging 25 (2003) 327-366
39. Jang S.J., and Johnson B.R. Explaining religious effects on distress among African Americans. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 43 (2004) 239-260
40. Jang S.J., and Johnson B.R. Gender, religiosity, and reactions to strain among African Americans. The Sociological Quarterly 46 (2005) 323-357
41. Karren K., Hafen B., Smith L., and Frandsen K. Mind/Body Health: The Effects of Attitudes, Emotions, and Relationships (2002), Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco
42. Kiecolt-Glaser J., McGuire L., Robles T., and Glaser R. Emotions, morbidity, and mortality: new perspectives from psychoneuroimmunology. Annual Review of Psychology 53 (2002) 83-107
43. Kirkpatrick L. Attachment, Evolution, and the Psychology of Religion (2004), Guilford Press, New York
44. Koenig H.G., George L.K., Cohen H.J., Hays J.C., Larson D.B., and Blazer D.G. The relationship between religious activities and cigarette smoking in older adults. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences 53A (1998) M426-M434
45. Koenig H.G., George L.K., Meador K.G., Blazer D.G., and Ford S.M. The relationship between religion and alcoholism in a sample of community-dwelling adults. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 45 (1994) 225-231
46. Koenig H.G., George L.K., and Siegler I.C. The use of religion and other emotion-regulating coping strategies among older adults. The Gerontologist 28 (1988) 303-310
47. Koenig H.G., McCullough M., and Larson D.B. Handbook of Religion and Health (2001), Oxford University Press, New York
48. Krause N. Religiosity and self-esteem among older adults. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences 50 (1995) P236-P246
49. Krause N. Exploring race differences in a comprehensive battery of church-based social support measures. Review of Religious Research 44 (2002) 126-149
50. Krause N. Church-based social support and health in old age: exploring variations by race. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences 57B (2002) S332-S348
51. Krause N. Assessing the relationships among prayer expectancies, race, and self-esteem in late life. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 43 (2004) 393-406
52. Krause N. God-mediated control and psychological well-being in late life. Research on Aging 27 (2005) 136-164
53. Krause N., and Ellison C.G. Forgiveness by god, forgiveness of others, and psychological well-being in late life. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 42 (2003) 77-93
54. Krause N., Ellison C.G., Shaw B.A., Marcum J.P., and Boardman J.D. Church-based social support and religious coping. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 40 (2001) 637-656
55. Krause N., Ingersoll-Dayton B., Ellison C.G., and Wulff K.H. Aging, religious doubt, and psychological well-being. The Gerontologist 39 (1999) 525-533
56. Krause N., Morgan D.L., Chatters L.M., and Tina M. Using focus groups to explore the nature of prayer in late life. Journal of Aging Studies 14 (2000) 191-212
57. Levin J.S., and Chatters L.M. Research on religion and mental health: a review of empirical findings and theoretical issues. In: Koenig H.G. (Ed). Handbook of Religion and Mental Health (1998), Academic Press, San Diego, CA 33-50
58. Levin J.S., Taylor R.J., and Chatters L.M. A multidimensional measure of religious involvement for African Americans. The Sociological Quarterly 36 (1995) 157-173
59. McEwen B. Allostasis and allostatic load: implications for neuropsychopharmacology. Neuropsychopharmacology 22 (2000) 108-124
60. McEwen B. The neurobiology of stress: from serendipity to clinical relevance. Brain Research 886 (2000) 172-189
61. Mirowsky J., and Ross C. Social patterns of distress. Annual Review of Sociology 12 (1986) 23-45
62. Mirowsky J., and Ross C. Sex differences in distress: real or artifact?. American Sociological Review 60 (1995) 449-468
63. Mirowsky J., and Ross C. Social Causes of Psychological Distress (2003), Aldine de Gruyter, Hawthorne, NY
64. Musick M.A. Theodicy and life satisfaction among Black and White Americans. Sociology of Religion 61 (2000) 267-287
65. Neighbors H.W., Musick M.A., and Williams D.R. The African American minister as a source of help for serious personal crises: bridge or barrier to mental health care?. Health Education and Behavior 25 (1998) 759-777
66. Nooney J., and Woodrum E. Religious coping and church-based support as predictors of mental health outcomes: testing a conceptual model. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 41 (2002) 359-368
67. Pargament K.I. The Psychology of Religion and Coping (1997), Guilford Press, New York
68. Pargament K.I. The bitter and the sweet: an evaluation of the costs and benefits of religiousness. Psychological Inquiry 13 (2002) 168-181
69. Pargament K.I., Koenig H.G., Tarakeshwar N., and Hahn J. Religious struggle as a predictor of mortality among medically-Ill elderly patients: a two-year longitudinal study. Archives of Internal Medicine 161 (2001) 1881-1885
70. Pargament K.I., Poloma M., and Tarakeshwar N. Spiritual healing, karma, and the bar Mitzvah: methods of coping from the religions of the world. In: Snyder C.R. (Ed). Coping and Copers: Adaptive Process and People (2001), Oxford University Press, New York 259-284
71. Petersen L.A., and Roy A. Religiosity, anxiety, and meaning and purpose: religion's consequences for psychological well-being. Review of Religious Research 27 (1985) 49-62
72. Poindexter C.C., Linsk N.L., and Stephen Warner R. 'He Listens... and Never Gossips': spiritual coping without church support among older, predominantly African American caregivers of persons with HIV. Review of Religious Research 40 (1999) 230-243
73. Pollner M. Divine relations, social relations, and well-being. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 30 (1989) 92-104
74. Poloma M., and Gallup Jr. G. Varieties of Prayer: A Survey Report (1991), Trinity Press International, Philadelphia
75. Ross C., and Van Willigen M. Education and the subjective quality of life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 38 (1997) 275-297
76. Schieman S.H., Nguyen K., and Elliot D. Religiosity, socioeconomic status, and the sense of mastery. Social Psychology Quarterly 66 (2003) 202-221
77. Schieman S., Pudrovska T., and Milkie M. The sense of divine control and the self-concept: a study of race differences in late-life. Research on Aging 27 (2005) 165-196
78. Schieman S.H., Pudrovska T., Pearlin L.I., and Ellison C.G. The sense of divine control and mental health in late life: moderating effects of race and socioeconomic status. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 45 (2006) 529-549
79. Schieman S., Van Gundy K., and Taylor J. Status, role and resource explanations for age patterns in psychological distress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 42 (2001) 80-96
80. Schnittker J. When is faith enough? The effects of religious involvement on depression. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 40 (2001) 393-412
81. Seeman T., Burton S., John R., Ralph H., and Bruce M. Price of adaptation-allostatic load and its health consequences: MacArthur studies of successful aging. Archives of Internal Medicine 157 (1997) 2259-2269
82. Shreve-Neiger A.K., and Edelstein B.A. Religion and anxiety: a critical review of the literature. Clinical Psychology Review 24 (2004) 379-397
83. Stark R., and Bainbridge W.S. A theory of religion (1996), Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, NJ
84. Stark R., and Glock C. American Piety (1968), University of California Press, Berkeley
85. Tarakeshwar N., Pargament K.I., and Annette M. Measures of Hindu pathways: development and preliminary evidence of reliability and validity. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 9 (2003) 316-332
86. Taylor R.J., and Chatters L.M. Church members as a source of informal social support. Review of Religious Research 30 (1988) 193-203
87. Thoits, Peggy, 1995. Stress, coping, and social support processes: where are we? What next? Journal of Health and Social Behavior 35 (Extra Issue), 53-79.
88. Thoresen C.A., Harris A.H.S., and Luskin F. Forgiveness and health: an unanswered question. In: McCullough M., Pargament K., and Thoresen C. (Eds). Forgiveness: Theory, Research, and Practice (2000), Guilford, New York 254-280
89. Tsitsos W. Race differences in congregational social service activity. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 42 (2001) 205-215
90. Watson P.J., Morris R.J., and Hood R.W. Sin and self-functioning. Part I: Grace, guilt, and self-consciousness. Journal of Psychology and Theology 16 (1988) 254-269
91. Watson P.J., Morris R.J., and Hood R.W. Sin and self-functioning. Part III: The psychology and ideology of irrational beliefs. Journal of Psychology and Theology 16 (1988) 348-361
92. Watters W.W. Deadly doctrine: Health, Illness, and Christian God-Talk (1992), Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY
93. Williams A., Ware J., and Donald C. A model of mental health, life events, and social supports applicable to general populations. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 22 (1981) 324-336
94. Williams D.R. The measurement of religion in epidemiologic studies: problems and prospects. In: Levin J.S. (Ed). Religion in Aging and Health: Theoretical Foundations and Methodological Frontiers (1994), Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA 125-148
95. In: Wuthnow R. (Ed). I Come Away Stronger: How Small Groups are Shaping American Religion (1994), Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI