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This study examined the role of congregational support as a mechanism by which religious involvement may slow the decline of functional ability during late life. Disability was tracked longitudinally over a 4-year period in a national sample of 805 Black and White older adults from the religion, aging, and health survey. Individuals with more extensive disability reported receiving greater amounts of tangible support from their congregations. However, receiving higher levels of tangible support was also associated with a slower trajectory of increase in disability over time. The relationship between congregational support and disability did not differ significantly between Blacks and Whites. Results support the hypothesis that social support networks based in the religious group are responsible for some of the association between religious involvement and reduced risk of late life disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This longitudinal study addressed the role of spirituality in women's response to breast cancer. Ninety-three women diagnosed with breast cancer were assessed on various measures of image of God, positive attitude, social well-being and emotional distress at pre-diagnosis, 6 months post-surgery and 1 year post-surgery. As compared to women who dropped out of the study, this sample reported religion to be less important in their daily lives. Path analyses showed evidence of direct and indirect effects of positive and negative images of God on emotional distress in cross-sectional but not longitudinal data. A positive image of God was related to greater concurrent distress while a negative image of God was indirectly related to greater distress through the pathways of social well-being and positive attitude. In the longitudinal path model, a pre-diagnosis measure of religious salience was the only aspect of spirituality that predicted an increase in distress at 1 year post-surgery. The cross-sectional analyses provided limited support for the 'religious/spiritual mobilization' hypothesis as put forth by Pargament (The psychology of religion and coping. New York: Guilford Press, 1997). There was also limited support for the mediator variables of positive attitude and social well-being as mechanisms through which spirituality influences adjustment. Finally, there was no support that spirituality acted in a protective manner rather the negative elements of spirituality were more prominent in relation to various aspects of women's adjustment to breast cancer. Such results suggest that women who were less spiritually/religiously involved prior to the onset of breast cancer and who attempt to mobilize these resources under the stress of diagnosis may experience a negative process of spiritual struggle and doubt that, in turn, has implications for their long-term adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable attention has focused on relationships between religious or spiritual coping and health outcomes among cancer patients. However, few studies have differentiated among discrete dimensions of religious coping, and there have been surprisingly few prospective investigations. Negative or conflicted aspects of religious coping, in particular, represent a compelling area for investigation. This prospective study examined negative religious coping, positive religious coping, and general religious orientation among 94 myeloma patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation. Participants were assessed during stem cell collection, and again in the immediate aftermath of transplantation, when risks for morbidity are most elevated. Outcomes included Brief Symptom Inventory anxiety and depression and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant (FACT-BMI) scales. Negative religious coping at baseline predicted worse post-transplant anxiety, depression, emotional well-being, and transplant-related concerns, after controlling for outcome scores at baseline and other significant covariates. Post-transplant physical well-being was predicted by an interaction between baseline positive and negative religious coping. Results suggest that religious struggle may contribute to adverse changes in health outcomes for transplant patients, and highlight the importance of negative or strained religious responses to illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]