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11 - The Association between Religiousness and Psychological Well-Being among Older Adults
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- By Christopher G. Ellison, University of Texas, Scott Schieman, University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto, Matt Bradshaw, Baylor University
- Edited by Lisa A. Keister, Duke University, North Carolina, Darren E. Sherkat, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
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- Book:
- Religion and Inequality in America
- Published online:
- 05 June 2014
- Print publication:
- 10 July 2014, pp 263-288
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Summary
The past three decades have seen remarkable growth in the study of religion and psychological well-being in the general population and especially among older adults (Koenig, McCullough, and Larson 2001). For the most part, the literature reports salutary associations, suggesting that facets of religious involvement promote mental health (George, Ellison, and Larson 2002; Schieman, Bierman, and Ellison, 2012; Smith, McCullough, and Poll 2003). Much of this research has focused on the role of organizational religious involvement (service attendance, congregational activities), nonorganizational practices (prayer, meditation), and religious motivations (intrinsic vs. extrinsic; Hill and Pargament 2003). Recent work has moved decisively past these generic measures of religiousness by examining religious coping styles (Pargament 1997), congregational support (Krause 2008), and personal experiences with God (sense of divine control, closeness to God; Bradshaw, Ellison, and Marcum 2010; Schieman et al. 2006). At the same time, some observers have noted the detrimental effects of spiritual struggles, such as troubled relationships with God and religious doubts (Ellison and Lee 2010; Pargament 2002).
Although most of this work has examined the direct effects of religiousness on mental health, investigators have also explored subgroup variations. Religion appears to be particularly beneficial for certain segments of the population, including (a) persons experiencing chronic or acute stress (Smith et al. 2003), (b) men (McFarland 2010), and (c) African Americans (Black 1999; Krause 2008). Especially important for the current research is the consistent finding that religion is related to health and well-being among older adults (Koenig 1994a; Dillon and Wink 2007).
12 - Does Believing or Belonging Have a Greater Protective Effect on Stressful Life Events among Young Adults?
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- By Margarita Mooney, Yale University, Lin Wang, Duke University, Jason Freeman, University of North Carolina, Matt Bradshaw, Baylor University
- Edited by Lisa A. Keister, Duke University, North Carolina, Darren E. Sherkat, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
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- Book:
- Religion and Inequality in America
- Published online:
- 05 June 2014
- Print publication:
- 10 July 2014, pp 289-310
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
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Summary
STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS IN YOUNG ADULTHOOD
The stress process model as outlined by Pearlin (1989) and Wheaton (1985) posits that acute stressors such as major traumas or life events (death of a loved one, unemployment) tax the ability of a person to respond and may adversely affect their mental health. Although much research focuses on the mediators or the outcomes of stressors, it is particularly important to study exposure to stressful life events (SLEs) during the transition to adulthood because those events occurring early in life shape resilience or vulnerability later in the life course, and hence have important implications for stratification processes (Hayward and Gorman 2004; Masten 1990). From a life course perspective, the transition to adulthood includes many turning points during which the direction of one's life can change, and those turning points can lead to later resilience or vulnerability (Elder 1999; Elder and Conger 2000). For example, recent research has shown that youth experience higher rates of depressive symptoms than older adults (Adkins et al. 2009) and that the consequences of early life depression can be quite serious for both later life mental health and for various important outcomes related to stratification, such as education and occupational attainment (George 2007). During the transition from adolescence to adulthood, exposure to stressors could mediate the noted relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and mental health. In other words, lower SES may be associated with greater exposure to stressors, hence, explaining part of the SES-mental health association (Gore et al. 2007). As a result, studying which factors increase vulnerability to SLEs or reduce exposure to them is a crucial component of understanding religion and stratification.
Although the stress process model emphasizes that individuals and groups differ in their vulnerability to stressors, most stress research presumes that stressors are exogenous, or out of a person's control. However, as youth move from adolescence to young adulthood, their social context, such as friendships and romantic relationships, is formed to a greater extent by their choices (Harris et al. 2010). In turn, one's social networks and choices regarding friendships, romance, and how to use free time could potentially influence exposure to those SLEs that are partially under one's control (i.e., unwanted pregnancy) compared to those SLEs that are exogenous (such as death of a loved one). Hence, during the transition to adulthood, it is important to examine how people's choices and changing social relations influence SLEs.