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RESEARCH: A Preliminary Construct Validation of the Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousness/Spirituality Instrument: A Study of Southern USA Samples

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Abstract

The Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousness/Spirituality (MMRS) survey was administered to 515 respondents from the southeastern United States, 355 graduate and undergraduate students in Social Work, and 160 clients undergoing alcoholism or drug treatment. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability analyses resulted in retaining 59 of 81 MMRS items measuring 3 primary factors (Meaning, Spirituality, Religious Practices and Organized Religiousness) and 2 secondary factors (Guilt vs. God's Grace, and Loving/Forgiving God). The primary factors were highly internally consistent and showed acceptable stability reliability for a subsample of clients; they also largely replicated intended dimensions of the MMRS. Convergent, discriminant, and theoretical construct validity were generally supported for the factors in correlational analyses, but the Guilt dimension, in particular, should be reevaluated in future research. Various limitations were discussed. It was suggested that the 3 primary factors could be reliably assessed with 10 items, and that this 30-item scale could be a very useful multidimensional research tool.

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... Although the terms religion and spirituality were initially often used interchangeably, there are ongoing efforts to distinguish between them both theoretically and empirically (Harris et al., 2018). Although several studies have suggested that religious and spiritual variables are best conceptualised as a single construct (Handal et al., 2017), other research has consistently distinguished between them in statistical analyses (Cappana et al., 2013;Idler et al., 2003;Johnstone, Yoon, Franklin, et al., 2009;Piedmont et al., 2007;Stewart & Koeske, 2006). However, a review of the literature indicates that the labels used to describe these statistically distinct constructs continue to be ambiguous (e.g., spiritual cognition, non-spiritual religious cognition, religious belief, paranormal belief, daily spiritual experience, value/belief, meaning, religious/spiritual coping, intrinsic religiosity, extrinsic religiosity) making it difficult to determine specific causal mechanisms among religious, spiritual, health, and other outcome variables (Hackney & Sanders, 2003). ...
... A specific goal was to identify those specific religious and spiritual variables that influenced health so that appropriate interventions could be developed, with a particular focus on spiritual dimensions (i.e., daily spiritual experiences, beliefs, meaning, forgiveness, values), private rituals (e.g., prayer), organised practices (e.g., service attendance), and religiously-based social support. To date, although several factor analyses have suggested that religious and spiritual variables are best represented by a singular factor (i.e., an overall religious/spiritual construct), numerous other factor analyses have supported the statistical distinction between religious and spiritual constructs (Idler et al., 2003;Johnstone et al., 2009;Neff, 2006;Piedmont et al., 2007;Stewart & Koeske, 2006). However, in general these factor analyses have failed to provide a taxonomy of constructs that is both theoretically sound and statistically distinct. ...
... However, in general these factor analyses have failed to provide a taxonomy of constructs that is both theoretically sound and statistically distinct. Moreover, the existing factor analyses have also suggested the need for individual subscales of the BMMRS to conceive of spirituality and religion in terms of negative and positive valences, generally identified as belief in a loving versus a punishing God, as well as supportive and non-supportive interactions with religious congregations (Cappana et al., 2013;Idler et al., 2003;Johnstone, Bhushan, et al., 2016;Johnstone, Yoon, Franklin, et al., 2009;Piedmont et al., 2007;Stewart & Koeske, 2006). In fact, many of these earlier studies identified factors that were ascribed vague religious/spiritual terms to identify positive and negative spiritual constructs (e.g., "Guilt vs. God's Grace", "Loving/Forgiving God", and "Spiritual Distress", Piedmont et al., 2007;Stewart & Koeske, 2006). ...
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This study validated previous principal component analyses of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) that have been conducted with persons with diverse medical conditions and traumatic brain injuries from diverse cultures (India, US), ethnicities (African American, Caucasian, South Asian), and religions (Christian, Hindu, Muslim). Participants included 398 healthy undergraduate students who completed the BMMRS online. A principal components factor analysis identified a five factor solution accounting for 64.00% of the variance in scores, labelled as: (1) Positive Spiritual Experience; (2) Negative Spiritual Experience/Congregational Support; (3) Forgiveness; (4) Religious Practices; and (5) Positive Congregational Support. The current analysis is supportive of a conceptual framework in which the BMMRS spiritual and religious variables are best conceptualised in terms of positive/negative psychological processes including: (a) emotional connection with the divine (i.e., spirituality); (b) behavioural rituals/beliefs (i.e., religiosity); and (c) social support (i.e., congregationally based). Implications for psychoneuroimmunological research are discussed.
... Several factor analytic studies of the BMMRS have been completed to date to identify empirically (versus theoretically) derived religious and spiritual constructs, with the vast majority of studies completed with Christian populations in the USA (Idler et al. 2003;Johnstone et al. 2009;Neff 2006;Piedmont et al. 2007;Stewart and Koeske 2006). In general, these studies have consistently indicated that religious and spiritual constructs are distinct, with ''religious'' constructs associated with ritually based behaviors and practices (e.g., prayer, service attendance) and ''spiritual'' constructs associated with emotionally based experiences/beliefs (e.g., connection with a higher power). ...
... However, the factor analytic studies to date have generally not supported the originally proposed BMMRS religious and spiritual dimensions. For example, studies have indicated that Private Religious Practices and Organizational Religiousness may be best conceptualized as one general religious factor (Cappana et al. 2013;Idler et al. 2003;Johnstone et al. 2009;Piedmont et al. 2007;Stewart and Koeske 2006). In addition, contrary to initially proposed dimensions, studies have consistently identified positive and negative aspects of spirituality distinguishing beliefs in a loving, supportive God versus a punishing, and abandoning God (Cappana et al. 2013;Idler et al. 2003;Johnstone et al. 2009;Piedmont et al. 2007;Stewart and Koeske 2006). ...
... For example, studies have indicated that Private Religious Practices and Organizational Religiousness may be best conceptualized as one general religious factor (Cappana et al. 2013;Idler et al. 2003;Johnstone et al. 2009;Piedmont et al. 2007;Stewart and Koeske 2006). In addition, contrary to initially proposed dimensions, studies have consistently identified positive and negative aspects of spirituality distinguishing beliefs in a loving, supportive God versus a punishing, and abandoning God (Cappana et al. 2013;Idler et al. 2003;Johnstone et al. 2009;Piedmont et al. 2007;Stewart and Koeske 2006). Different studies have also inconsistently identified other specific BMMRS spiritual subscales, including Forgiveness (Idler et al. 2003;Johnstone et al. 2009;Neff 2006), Meaning (Neff 2006;Stewart and Koeske 2006), and Commitment, Belief, and Daily Spiritual Experiences (Idler et al. 2003). ...
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The aim of this paper was to determine the factor structure of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) based on a sample of individuals from diverse cultures (i.e., USA, India), ethnicities (i.e., Caucasian, African-American, South Asian), and religions (i.e., Christian, Muslim, Hindu). A total of 109 individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) were included. Participants completed the BMMRS as part of a broader study on spirituality, religion, prosocial behaviors, and neuropsychological function. A principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation and Kaiser normalization identified a six-factor solution accounting for 72 % of the variance in scores. Five of the factors were deemed to be interpretable and were labeled based on face validity as: (1) Positive Spirituality/Religious Practices; (2) Positive Congregational Support; (3) Negative Spirituality/Negative Congregational Support; (4) Organizational Religion; and (5) Forgiveness. The results were generally consistent with previous studies, suggesting the existence of universal religious, spiritual, and congregational support factors across different cultures and faith traditions. For health outcomes research, it is suggested that the BMMRS factors may be best conceptualized as measuring the following general domains: (a) emotional connectedness with a higher power (i.e., spirituality, positive/negative); (b) culturally based behavioral practices (i.e., religion); and (c) social support (i.e., positive/negative). The results indicate that factor relationships may differ among spiritual, religious, and congregational support variables according to culture and/or religious tradition.
... Several factor analyses of the BMMRS have been completed and confirmed the existence of distinct religious and spiritual factors, but the number and type of specific constructs has varied between studies (Neff, 2006;Stewart and Koeske, 2006;Piedmont et al, 2007;Johnstone, 2009b). For example, Neff (2006) identified a 'global spirituality' factor that combined the BMMRS daily spiritual experiences and values/ beliefs scales. ...
... For example, Neff (2006) identified a 'global spirituality' factor that combined the BMMRS daily spiritual experiences and values/ beliefs scales. Stewart and Koeske (2006) identified five primary and secondary BMMRS factors that measured meaning, spirituality, religious practices, guilt versus God's grace, and a loving/ forgiving god. Similarly, Piedmont et al (2007) identified the BMMRS as measuring spirituality, religiosity and spiritual distress. ...
... Unfortunately, the factor structure of the BMMRS in culturally diverse populations remains unknown as all cited studies have included primarily Caucasian populations living in the US. As the exception, one study (Neff, 2006) specifically compared the factor structure of the Fetzer Multidimensional Measure (the precursor to the BMMRS) (Stewart, and Koeske, 2006) in non-Hispanic whites (n=1 012) and African Americans (n=188), using exploratory and confirmatory analyses. The results suggested there could be slight racial differences, particularly with respect to the forgiveness factor; loadings were higher for 'forgiveness by God' versus 'forgiveness of others' for Caucasians, while the reverse was true for African Americans. ...
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Background/Aim The relationship between increased spirituality and better health has been consistently demonstrated in the US. The Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) is one of the most commonly used measures in the US used to assess the spirituality and religiosity of people with disabilities, but it has not been validated for use with other international populations. This study was carried out to validate the factor structure of the BMMRS with an Irish population so that future research can be carried in spirituality and health research with Irish populations with disabilities. Methods Based on 180 Irish undergraduate students, a principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation and Kaiser normalisation was completed. Results Four factors with extraction eigenvalues greater than 1.0 (4.50, 3.12, 2.56, and 1.90) were identified, and explained a cumulative total of 63.56% of the variance. Based on face validity of the items from each factor, they were labelled as: spiritual coping (eight items: α=0.89); spiritual beliefs (five items: α=0.80); religious practices (three items: α=0.68); and spiritual connectedness (three items: α=0.70). Conclusion The BMMRS measures distinct dimensions of religion and spirituality in Irish populations similar to those identified with US populations, and appears appropriate for comparative international research.
... Reliability analyses have shown that the instrument has acceptable stability and moderate to good internal consistency (alphas > .70) (Neff, 2006;Stewart & Koeske, 2006). ...
... During counseling sessions, which of the following topics do you discuss with the majority (>50%) of your clients as being a potential health benefit of religious and/or spiritual involvement? (check all that apply)10. How confident are you in your ability to do the following actions with your clients? ...
Thesis
This study assessed the perceptions and practices of mental health professionals at university counseling centers regarding their provision of guidance on the health effects of religious/spiritual involvement. The membership of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors was used to identify a national cross-section of university counseling centers. One licensed psychologist, professional counselor, or social worker from each counseling center was selected to survey (N = 623). A valid and reliable survey instrument was developed, and a three-wave postal mailing procedure was used to maximize the return rate. A total of 306 university counseling professionals (58%) responded. They agreed that religious/spiritual involvement has a positive influence on the health and well-being of college students (77%), but were unsure or disagreed (66%) that university counseling iii professionals should advise clients as such. Approximately one-third (31%) had never seriously thought about doing so. The respondents were predominantly (52%) “unsure” that guidance on the health effects of religious/spiritual involvement would result in lower health risks; however, nearly half (48%) indicated that such guidance would promote recovery among their clients. Although slightly more than half (54%) of the responding university counseling professionals discussed the salutary influence of religiosity/spirituality with the majority of their clients (e.g., provides a means of coping with stress, offers social support, contributes to a sense of well-being), relatively few (21%) discussed the physical health effects of religious/spiritual involvement. The most frequently endorsed perceived barrier was that discussions of religiosity/spirituality and health “should occur only with clients who indicate that religion/spirituality is important to them” (67%). A plurality (35%) of the respondents had received no formal training in this area. Respondents who had received information/training from at least one source, as well as those who indicated higher levels of personal religiosity/spirituality, were significantly more likely to be in the action or maintenance stage and to report higher efficacy expectations and more positive outcome expectations regarding the provision of guidance on the health effects of religious/spiritual involvement. Implications and recommendations for clinical training, university counseling centers, and future research are discussed.
... In order to replicate similar studies that suggest that decreased RPL functioning is associated with increased spiritual transcendence (Johnstone & Glass, 2008;Johnstone et al., 2012;Johnstone et al., 2014), the current study again used the BMMRS (Fetzer, 1999). The BMMRS assesses both religious and spiritual constructs, the distinct nature of both which have been supported by several factor analyses (Cappana, Stratta, Collazzoni, & Rossi, 2013;Idler et al., 2003;Johnstone, Yoon, Franklin, Schopp, & Hinkebein, 2009;Neff, 2006;Piedmont, Mapa, & Williams, 2007;Stewart & Koeske, 2006). In general, the BMMRS "religious" scales measure those beliefs/rituals associated with specific culturally based creeds, while BMMRS "spiritual" scales generally measure what can be described as the emotional experiences associated with connection to the divine, however so conceptualised. ...
... Given the focus on relationships among neuropsychological functions and spiritual experiences, only BMMRS spiritual subscales were utilised in this study. Given previous factor analyses of the BMMRS that suggest that the individual spirituality subscales load on one general spirituality factor (Cappana et al., 2013;Idler et al., 2003;Johnstone et al., 2009;Neff, 2006;Piedmont et al., 2007;Stewart & Koeske, 2006), the following scales were conceptualised as generally measuring "spiritual transcendence". ...
Article
Research with US and European Christians has shown that increased spiritual transcendence is related to decreased right hemisphere/right parietal lobe (RH/RPL) functioning, which has been inferred as relating to increased “selflessness”. To determine if RH/RPL selflessness is a universal neuropsychological foundation for spiritual transcendence across cultures and religions, this study evaluated 109 individuals with traumatic brain injury from the US and India, including Christians, Hindus, and Muslims. Participants completed measures of spiritual transcendence and spatial perception as an index of the functional integrity of the RH/RPL. Spearman correlations indicated that decreased RH/RPL functioning is significantly associated with increased spiritual transcendence for the entire sample, but not for different cultures or religions, likely due to decreased statistical power. The results suggest that decreased RH/RPL-related selflessness is a universal neuropsychological foundation for spiritual transcendence across cultures and faith traditions, which is interpreted individually based on cultural and religious background (e.g., closeness to God, Allah, and Brahman).
... Two of the dimensions we obtained (R/S Involvement and SWB) resemble dimensions reported by MacDonald (2000), i.e., Religiousness and Existential Well-Being. Our R/S Involvement dimension corresponds to a combination of the Spirituality and Religious Practices and Organized Religiousness dimensions reported by Stewart and Koeske (2006), while their Guilt and our Religious Struggle factors are based on Pargament's (1999a) Negative Religious Coping scale. Finally, the constructs represented by our factors resemble constructs that have been addressed in the theoretical and research literatures. ...
... However, one rationale for the development of multidimensional measures is the potential to separate effects associated with different aspects of R/S involvement (e.g., effects of prayer vs. effects of service attendance). Our results and those reported by Idler et al. (2003) and Stewart and Koeske (2006) suggest that some distinctions, such as between public and private religiousness, cannot always be made, due to threat of multicolinearity problems. Nonetheless, there may still be value to including multiple indicators of R/S involvement. ...
Article
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Numerous measures of Religiousness and Spirituality (R/S) exist, but the number and type of dimensions represented by these measures remain unclear. We used exploratory and confirmatory analyses in two U.S. college-student samples to identify five dimensions of R/S: Religious/Spiritual Involvement, Search for Meaning, Religious Struggle, Quest, and Spiritual Well-Being. Over half of the measures loaded on the first factor (Religious/Spiritual Involvement). In bivariate and multivariate analyses, the factors had unique patterns of relationships with each other, with alcohol use and problems, and with measures of affect and personality. Although this study utilized a college-student sample, the factors obtained are similar to those found in studies using other samples. While R/S can be represented as a global characteristic, additional dimensions also exist and may have significance for understanding how R/S are related to health and well-being.
... The subscales were designed based on theory and were generally conceptualized as measuring either spiritual or religious aspects. To more clearly delineate specific religious and spiritual factors, several empirical factor analytic studies of the BMMRS have been conducted (Neff, 2006;Piedmont, Mapa, & Williams, 2007;Stewart & Koeske, 2006). The studies have generally confirmed that spiritual and religious scales are statistically distinct, although these studies have been conducted with nonclinical samples (e.g., undergraduate populations), which is problematic given the BMMRS was developed for use with populations who have health disorders. ...
... Previous factor analyses of the BMMRS also indicate a need to differentiate between positive and negative aspects of spiritual experiences. For example, in their factor analysis of the BMMRS, Stewart and Koeske (2006) identified factors they labeled Guilt vs. God's Grace and Loving/Forgiving God, whereas Piedmont et al. (2007) identified factors labeled Spirituality, Religiosity, and Spiritual Distress. Johnstone and colleagues (in press) indicated that the BMMRS assesses positive and negative aspects of spiritual coping as well as positive and negative aspects of congregational support. ...
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This study evaluated the relationships that exist between the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) and the mental health of individuals with heterogeneous medical disorders. The participants were 168 individuals with heterogeneous medical disorders (i.e., 61 brain injury, 32 stroke, 25 spinal cord injury, 25 cancer, 25 primary care). The measures were BMMRS subscales (conceptualized as spiritual experiences, religious practices, and congregational support), Medical Outcomes Scale–Short Form 36 General Mental Health scale. Pearson correlations indicated that, in general, mental health is positively correlated with positive spiritual experiences and positive congregational support but negatively correlated with negative spiritual coping and negative congregational support. Mental health was not correlated with private religious practices (e.g., prayer). Hierarchical regressions indicated that congregational support was the only BMMRS scale to predict mental health, explaining 6% of the variance beyond the 14% explained by demographic factors. The mental health of individuals with significant medical conditions appears to be primarily related to positive spiritual beliefs and especially congregational support. Mental health does not appear to be related to religious practices such as prayer, which is likely related to the fact that many individuals with serious medical conditions increase prayer with declining mental health status. These results stress the need for active congregational support and spiritual interventions to improve the mental health of persons with serious medical conditions.
... Despite the growing scholarship on religions and spirituality (e.g., Constantine, Miville, Warren, Gainor, & Lewis-Coles, 2006;Dierendonck, 2005;Richards & Bergin, 1997;Rose, Westefeld, & Ansley, 2008), as well as on conceptualization and measurement of religion and spirituality (e.g., Hill & Pargament, 2003;Miovic et al., 2006;Stewart & Koeske, 2006), the main emphasis has remained on a single, dominant tradition of religion and spirituality within the United States, which is, for the most part, mainstream Christian (Fukuyama & Sevig, 1999;Morgan, 2006;Stanard, Sandhu, & Painter, 2000). Because of this emphasis, several researchers have called for greater attention on the measurement of religious and spiritual attitudes and behaviors from the perspectives of non-Christian traditions (Hill et al., 2000;Traphagan, 2005). ...
... The scale's distinct contribution is to provide a measure that specifically assesses adherence to feminist spiritual values or to distinctly nonfeminist ones. Although numerous scales of religion and spirituality have been proposed by social scientists (e.g., Hill & Pargament, 2003;Miovic et al., 2006;Stewart & Koeske, 2006), these scales focus only on the dominant religious or spiritual traditions (i.e., Christianity), and they also lack a distinctly feminist and women-centered approach to measurement of spirituality. Because a large number of women in this country and around the world have embraced a feminist vision of what it means to be religious and spiritual, the WSI may be a useful tool in identifying these women's beliefs as well as exploring their correlates. ...
Article
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This manuscript provides information on the development of a new measure of feminist-oriented spirituality among women, the Women's Spirituality Instrument (WSI). Participants in this study included 428 women, ages 18 to 83. The results of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as well as the validity examination, highlight that the new measure has psychometric strengths. The Cronbach's alpha internal consistency estimate for the final 15-item WSI was .90. Validation of the scale was conducted utilizing a general spirituality measure and a feminist self-identification measure. Suggestions for further validation and future research with this instrument are shared. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
... Extensive empirical evidence of the unique construct of spirituality, comprising features such as meaning or purpose in life, life satisfaction, inner peace, moral values, connection, and transcendent hope, underscores the requisite for trained chaplains and spiritual practitioners to meet the spiritual needs of military personnel (Armstrong, 1995;Bodling et al., 2013;Hall & Edwards, 1996;Hodge, 2003;Jackson-Lowman et al., 1996;Jagers & Smith, 1996;Koenig & Al Zaben, 2021a;Monod et al., 2011;Stewart & Koeske, 2006). As chaplaincy has evolved over the last two decades to incorporate belief systems extending beyond the original Christian model of chaplaincy, so too has research exploring the range of activities conducted by chaplains. ...
Article
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A module to explore perspectives on chaplaincy services was included in an online enterprise survey randomly distributed to members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) during 2021. Up to eight questions were answered by 2783 active military personnel relating to their perception of chaplain activities and the impact of chaplaincy services. Of those military participants answering the question on religious status (n = 1116), a total of 71.6% (n = 799) of respondents identified as non-religious while 28.4% (n = 317) identified as holding a religious affiliation. Approximately 44.2% (n = 1230) of participants had sought support from a chaplain, of which 85.3% (n = 1049) found chaplaincy care to be satisfactory or very satisfactory. While the data suggest there is a lack of clarity around the multiple roles undertaken by chaplaincy, nevertheless respondents were just as likely to prefer chaplains for personal support (24.0%), as they were to seek help from non-chaplaincy personnel such as a non-ADF counsellor (23.2%), their workplace supervisor (23.1%) or a psychologist (21.8%). This evidence affirms that the spiritual care provided by military chaplaincy remains one of several preferred choices and thus a valued part of the holistic care provided by the ADF to support the health and wellbeing of its members.
... The Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS; Fetzer Institute & National Institute on Aging Working Group, 1999) was initially developed to differentiate between the constructs of spirituality and religiosity in health-relevant contexts while being sensitive to their depth and complexity (Fetzer Institute & National Institute on Aging Working Group, 1999). Numerous studies using the BMMRS support the distinction between these constructs, with the general consensus that spirituality is best conceptualized in terms of the emotional experience of connectedness to a higher power; however, it is conceived, whereas religion is best conceptualized in terms of behavioral adherence to a core set of beliefs and rituals (Idler et al., 2003;Johnstone et al., 2009;Neff, 2006;Piedmont et al., 2007;Stewart & Koeske, 2006). ...
Article
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The Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) is regularly used to measure spirituality and religiosity in U.S. Christian populations, although it has not been used for making comparisons with non-Western groups. This study compared BMMRS results for 109 individuals (60 in the U.S. and 49 in India) with traumatic brain injury (TBI) from different cultures (U.S., India), ethnic groups (African American, Caucasian, South Asian), and religions (Christian, Hindu, Muslim). In general, the results indicated that U.S. African Americans and Christians reported being the most spiritual, South Asians and Hindus the least. Groups differed significantly in self-reported spiritual experiences, but less in frequency of religious activities. Results suggest using caution when applying Western-based measures of religion and spirituality in non-Western, non-Christian populations.
... Construct validity, internal reliability, and test-retest reliability have been established among non-clinical and clinical adult samples (Stewart & Koeske, 2006). ...
Thesis
http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98888/1/damiadec.pdf
... The original BMMRS includes 12 domains measuring religiousness (three subscales), spirituality (four subscales), a combination of both (two subscales), as well as background related to religious/spiritual beliefs (three subscales), although these scales are primarily derived based on the theory with limited empirical support (e.g., Pargament et al., 2000;Underwood & Teresi, 2002). However, recent factor analyses using the BMMRS suggest that the theoretical categories of the BMMRS subscales may not adequately capture the underlying processes of religiousness and spirituality (Bodling et al., 2013;Johnstone et al., 2009Johnstone et al., , 2016Stewart & Koeske, 2006). ...
Article
The current study tested the extent to which demographic, personality, spiritual, and religious variables accounted for variance in physical and mental health measures using recently identified psychometrically distinct factors of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality. Based on a non-clinical sample of 249 U.S. undergraduate students, hierarchical multiple regressions were significant for mental, but not physical, health, with 33% of the variance explained by demographic and personality measures and an additional 8% of the variance explained by measures of spirituality (i.e., positive and negative) but not religiosity. The results confirm that spiritual variables are unique predictors of mental health beyond demographics and personality, as well as a need to consider both positive and negative spiritual beliefs when predicting mental health.
... Each question was asked with a preamble: "Because of my religious or spiritual beliefs…". This measure has been validated across multiple locations and settings (Bodling, et al., 2013;Johnstone, et al., 2009;Stewart & Koeske, 2006), and among both adults and adolescents (Harris et al., 2008;Masters et al., 2009) (Cronbach's alpha = 0.68). ...
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We examined three religiously/spiritually motivated forgiveness types, forgiveness of self, others, and divine forgiveness, and their association with depressive symptoms, across adolescent gender and age groups. Twelve- to 18-year-old patients arriving for primary care completed a 3-item Forgiveness measure and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Girls reported a higher tendency to forgive others compared to boys, and self-forgiveness and divine forgiveness tended to decline with age in both genders. We found no significant associations between forgiveness and depression among boys. Among girls, higher self-forgiveness was associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Forgiveness of others was associated with less depression only among 17–18-year-old girls. Divine forgiveness showed no association with depression in either gender. Forgiveness of self and others appears to be protective factors for depression among adolescent girls.
... The baseline survey included global health status and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 24 (higher score, worse status), emotional states 25 34 coping, 35 and additional items constructed to assess specific components of the intervention. 23,[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43] We asked patients to anchor their responses to the most recent postimaging visit. Patients self-identified race. ...
Article
PURPOSE Patients with advanced cancer often have a poor understanding of cancer incurability, which correlates with more aggressive treatment near the end of life (EOL). We sought to determine whether training oncologists to elicit patient values for goals-of-care (GoC) discussions will increase and improve these discussions. We explored its impact on use of aggressive care at EOL. METHODS We enrolled and used block randomization to assign 92% of solid tumor oncologists to 2-hour communication skills training and four coaching sessions. We surveyed 265 patient with newly diagnosed advanced cancer with < 2-year life expectancy at baseline and 6 months. We assessed prevalence and quality of GoC communication, change in communication skills, and use of aggressive care in the last month of life. RESULTS Intervention (INT) oncologists’ (n = 11) skill to elicit patient values increased (27%-55%), while usual care (UC) oncologists’ (n = 11) skill did not (9%-0%; P = .01). Forty-eight percent (n = 74) INT v 51% (n = 56) UC patients reported a GoC discussion ( P = .61). There was no difference in the prevalence or quality of GoC communication between groups (global odds ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.57 to 1.23). Within 6 months, there was no difference in deaths (18 INT v 16 UC; P = .51), mean hospitalizations (0.47 INT v 0.42 UC; P = .63), intensive care unit admissions (5% INT v 9% UC; P = .65), or chemotherapy (26% INT v 16% UC; P = .39). CONCLUSION Use of a coaching model focused on teaching oncologists to elicit patient values improved that skill but did not increase prevalence or quality of GoC discussions among patients with advanced cancer. There was no impact on high care utilization at EOL.
... Faith and practice questions were used to gauge how the respondents evaluated their level of religiosity. We also used questions about meaning of life from Stewart and Keoske's Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousness/Spirituality Instrument (Stewart and Koeske 2006). ...
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Abstract The paper explores Islamic morality within labor market realities. It presents Islamic moral axioms that are expected to guide employer–employee relationships. It provides an extensive review of Islamic moral ideas related to fairness in the labor market. Based on survey data from 319 individuals in the Saudi labor market, it tests three hypotheses related to religiosity, secular aspirations, and perception and practice of fairness in the labor market.Using multinomial logistic regression, the findings fromseveral models clearly support all three hypotheses. They show that employers, owners, and senior managers were more likely to consider market reality as their reference for describing fairness. Ideally speaking, the regression resultsconfirm that being religious contributes positively to the sense of fairness even in a secular context. However, they also reveal that secular aspirations override religious ideals when it comes to market realities. In other words, when people place great importance on worldly outcomes, religious ideals have almost no impact on their labor market practices even if they ideally support fair practices. The study concludes that religious morality does matter with regard to fairness in employer–employee relationships only if it is not superseded by secular aspirations. Those who have a high- level of religiosity consider themselves to be fairer. However, if they embrace secular aspirations, they are less likely to practice their moral ideals in the labor market.
... Participants were asked, "Did you ever have a religious or spiritual experience that changed your life?" Participants either responded Yes or No. Respondents were then asked, "If yes, how old were you when this experienced occurred?" The BMMRS is among the most widely used instruments in the scientific study of religion and has been validated for use in a diverse set of populations (Fetzer Institute, 1999;Koenig, 2008;Neff, 2006;Stewart & Koeske, 2006). ...
Article
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Life-changing religious and spiritual experiences shape people’s lives and form a central part of the autobiographical narratives of many Americans. As such, they have been key phenomena of interest among social scientists. However, the likelihood of individuals experiencing life-changing religious or spiritual experience across diverse faith traditions has yet to be studied. The current study explores the incidence of reporting life-changing religious or spiritual experiences among adherents of 6 world religious traditions as well as atheists and agnostics living in the United States (N = 970). We account for subjective religiousness, subjective spirituality, and impression management in our analysis of interfaith differences in rates of life-changing religious and spiritual experience. Findings revealed interreligious differences in the incidence of religious experience, with Protestants and Muslims more likely to report having had a life-changing religious and spiritual experience, and Jews, Catholics, and atheists/agnostics reporting comparatively fewer of these experiences. While religiousness and spirituality were associated with the likelihood of having had a life-changing religious or spiritual experience across religions, impression management was only minimally associated with religious experience. Our results suggest that an individual’s religious culture is strongly related to that person’s likelihood of having a life-changing religious or spiritual experience.
... were excluded from the analysis (Comrey & Lee, 1992;Tabachnick & Fidell, 2001). Stewart and Koeske (2006) used a .40 criterion for factor loading in exploratory factor analysis of the MMRS with a Southern American sample. ...
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The use of dominant group-oriented scales is problematic for Asian-Americans with religious pluralism. To identify constructs of faith, spirituality, and values, an exploratory factor analysis using principal axis factoring with varimax rotation was performed to analyse the 30 items in the Multidimensional Measures of Religion and Spirituality (MMRS). Five primary factors were found for Korean- and Chinese-American older adults (n = 159): (1) religious practice, (2) understanding of the divine, (3) faith-based community as social capital, (4) spiritual coping, and (5) universal values. These empirically derived factors may be a more accurate measure for Korean- and Chinese-Americans who present religious pluralism than the original MMRS Scale.
... In a study by Stewart et al. (2006), age, gender, race, and job setting were determined to be irrelevant to the utilization of religious-based interventions. Religious group membership and measures of spirituality based on the Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousness/ Spirituality (MMRS) survey (also in Stewart & Koeske, 2006b) used in this study predicted the utilization of religious-based interventions. Notably, the Stewart et al. (2006) study indicated that measures of spirituality included a perception of a "spiritual person" as "trying hard to carry the religious beliefs into all my other dealings in life" and identified it "as an intrinsic aspect of religiosity as opposed to participation in church activities and religious practices" (p. ...
Article
With growing recognition of the importance of religious and spiritual concerns in mental health practice, empirical research into spiritually integrated interventions has begun to increase. However, to date, the body of research undertaken in this emerging field has been largely conducted from a Christian perspective. This study aimed to expand the scope of research by exploring the use of spiritually integrated interventions by a cohort of mental health providers who are self-identified members of the Bahá’í Faith, one of the lesser-known but fastest growing religions in the world today. Utilizing online survey research, this first convenience sample (N=105) study of Bahá’í mental health practitioners explored participants’ intrinsic religious motivation as a measure of their religious identity, their use of spiritually integrated interventions, and their beliefs about these interventions as appropriate or inappropriate for mental health practice. Results of this study indicate that Bahá’í mental health practitioners are intrinsically motivated, showing similar results in measures of motivation and direction in life (Pargament, 1997) and perceptions of practicing spiritual beliefs (Stewart, Koeske, & Koeske, 2006) or following a spiritual path in life (Derezotes, 1995). Conceptually, intrinsic motivation seems to project perceptions of spiritual strivings (Baumeister, 1991), concept of meaning and purpose in life (Frankl, 1984), belief in God (Sheridan, Wilmer, and Atcheson, 1994), and measures of religious commitment (Wimberley, 1984). Bahá’í mental health practitioners’ belief in the inherent intrinsic value of a human being (e.g., client) and the synonymous parallelism that all therapeutic work is spiritual in nature were noticeably integrated into their use of spiritually integrated practice. The Bahá’í mental health practitioners’ responses to RSPBQ Index of 29 interventions showed “often” to “very often” utilization of spiritually integrated interventions in contrast with Frazier and Hansen’s (2009) original survey of professional psychologists indicating “infrequent” responses to the same index. They indicate a willingness to use some evidence-based spiritually integrated interventions to their mostly private practices. Responses to open-ended questions show how Bahá’í respondents respect the ethical guidelines for professional practice. An appreciation for the “universality of human beings’ capacities” informs their practice. Viewing the client as “inherently whole and capable” instead of “someone to be fixed, controlled or cured,” the Bahá’í mental health practitioners use spiritually integrated services to achieve a goal of spiritual integration in therapy while fostering “peace and confidence within” instead of adherence to a specific creed, dogma or rituals. Future research should explore other diverse perspectives, such as those of Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Native American, and/or non-religious practitioners. The efficacious use of evidence-based spiritually integrated interventions as alternative ways of coping with mental health problems should also be considered for future examination.
... 39,40 Furthermore, this R/S taxonomy is broadly supported by empirical work on the multidimensionality of R/S, which has identified, through factor analyses, the distinctiveness of several dimensions of R/S, including affective (eg, religious struggle, guilt, spiritual well-being, and existential well-being), behavioral (eg, religious practices and organizational religiousness and religious/spiritual involvement), and cognitive dimensions (eg, meaning, cognitive orientation toward spirituality, and paranormal beliefs). [41][42][43] Finally, the taxonomy has ties to specific operationalizations of the R/S dimensions (described later), which, in structural equation modeling terminology, are latent variables expressed by manifest variables. ...
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A growing body of research shows that a majority of patients with cancer report having religious and spiritual (R/S) beliefs, engaging in R/S behaviors, or deriving comfort from R/S experiences. These studies have been reviewed but not subjected to rigorous critical analysis. A meta-analytic approach is needed to provide a more definitive understanding of the relationships between R/S (affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions) and physical, mental, and social health in all phases of cancer including diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and palliative care. A meta-analysis can quantify the degree of association between R/S dimensions and patient-reported health outcomes and the conditions under which these associations are strengthened or attenuated. Results can, in turn, help focus future work in this area by highlighting key variables for inclusion in studies of R/S and cancer and identifying particular subgroups for whom dimensions of R/S are particularly important to their health. Cancer 2015;000:000-000. © 2015 American Cancer Society. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
... Recientemente, algunos investigadores (e.g. Stewart & Koeske, 2006;Piedmont et al., 2007) han investigado las propiedades psicométricas de las versiones de la medida, utilizando técnicas de análisis factorial y han encontrado una elevada consistencia interna para seis de las ocho escalas originales y en general, el análisis de los componentes con rotación oblicua apoya la existencia de cinco constructos independientes pero relacionados entre sí. ...
Article
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Para este análisis preliminar, los datos son tomados de dos grupos: 100 mujeres sanas y 61 pacientes diagnosticadas con cáncer de seno, las cuales reciben tratamiento en el hospital universitario de la ciudad de Bogotá. Para la medición de las creencias espirituales y religiosas se utilizaron algunas escalas del FETZER y para los niveles de ansiedad y depresión se utilizó el HADS. No se encontraron diferencias significativas en los niveles de ansiedad y depresión entre los dos grupos. Los principales hallazgos se encontraron en cuanto a los valores religiosos y la ansiedad en las pacientes.
... However, several recent factor analytic studies of the BMMRS clearly indicated that distinct negative and positive spirituality constructs exist. For example, Johnstone, Yoon, Franklin, Schopp, and Hinkebein (2009) identified a distinct Negative Spirituality subscale, consistent with the Spiritual Distress factor identified by Piedmont, Mapa, and Williams (2007) and the Guilt Versus God's Grace factor identified by Stewart and Koeske (2006). These results clearly indicate the need to use measures that specifically evaluate negative aspects of religious and spiritual beliefs, or to use revised versions of commonly administered tests that include negative spirituality subscales (e.g., revised versions of the BMMRS). ...
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This study determined the degree to which any negative spiritual beliefs, regardless of one’s positive spiritual beliefs, are associated with health outcomes. Participants included 199 individuals with heterogeneous health conditions (i.e., traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, cancer, primary care disorders, healthy). Two groups were identified: a negative spirituality group (n = 61), that self-endorsed any degree of negative spiritual belief (i.e., feeling abandonment/punishment from a higher power) and a no negative spirituality group (n = 138), with no endorsement of any degree of negative spiritual belief. Measures included the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality and the Short-Form 36. Results indicated that the negative spirituality group endorsed significantly worse bodily pain, physical health, and mental health, as well as significantly less positive spirituality, less frequent religious practices, and a lower level of forgiveness. Negative spirituality was also significantly correlated with worse physical health, mental health, and pain, while positive spirituality was significantly correlated only with better mental health. It was concluded that any degree of negative spiritual belief, regardless of positive spiritual beliefs, is associated with worse health outcomes. The need exists to develop targeted interventions to specifically address negative spiritual beliefs, which have been shown to be related to increased pain and physical disability in several studies.
... Érdemes megjegyeznünk, hogy a valláshoz szorosan kötõdõ elhagyatottság érzését, a reményvesztést és a bûntu-dat szerepét több kutató is kiemelten fontosnak tekinti. Stewart és Koeske (2006 (2013) Kapott eredményeink alapján tehát a kérdõív akár az eredeti, akár az új, 3 vagy 4 dimenziós faktorszerkezetnek megfelelõen is alkalmazható. Természete-sen további pszichometriai vizsgálatok szükségesek a dimenzionalitás pontosabb feltárására. ...
Article
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In our paper we present the Hungarian adaptation of a multidimensional religiosity measurement. This questionnaire has been developed by the well known experts of the field (Pargament, Powell and Ellison, among others) for solving methodological problems emerging from the relevant research. Thus, the questionnaire (BMMRS, Brief Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousity and Spirituality) has been created on a consensual basis as a short, but highly dimensional tool, containing 40 items and 12 subscales. In this study, questionnaires taken from 529 (Mage = 20 year, SDage = 2.3) young adults were subjected to detailed psychometric analyses. Beside the BMMRS tool, in a smaller set of samples we also applied Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), the Big Five Inventory (BFI), and the Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS). The Cronbach's alpha values — calculated for assessing subscale reliability — generally fell within the acceptable range with consistence values >0.75 for subscales with four or more items. The factor analysis differentiated four dimensions. Well in line with the relevant literature, religious faith and spirituality were also clearly separated in our results. Moreover, elements of ‘religious practices’ and ‘negative religious effects’ were separated as additional dimensions. Compared with other pesonality constructs (TCI, BFI, STS), our questionnaire-based data exhibited patterns consistent with our expectations and the data of the relevant literature of the field. Altogether, we conclude that, on the basis of the reliability and both construct and criterion validity of the questionnaire, the adapted BMMRS proved to be a practical and stable tool for the measurement of religiosity and spirituality.
... It was constructed to be one module in a multidimensional measure of religiousness/ spirituality, funded by the National Institute on Aging and the Fetzer Institute, to assess the health implications of religiousness and spirituality (Idler et al., 2003). Subsequent analysis has found that the DSES forms a useful and psychometrically valid single factor within the larger Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousness/Spirituality (Stewart & Koeske, 2006). ...
Article
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People who have near-death experiences (NDEs) often report a subsequently increased sense of spirituality and a connection with their inner self and the world around them. In this study, we examined daily spiritual experiences, using Underwood and Teresi's (2002) Daily Spiritual Experience Scale, among 229 persons who had come close to death. Frequency of daily spiritual experiences before the close brush with death did not differentiate participants who had NDEs (n = 204) from those who did not (n = 25). However, participants who described having had NDEs reported more daily spiritual experiences after their brush with death than those who did not, and frequency of daily spiritual experiences after the brush with death was positively correlated with depth of NDE. We discussed the implications of these findings in light of other reported aftereffects of NDEs and of daily spiritual experiences among other populations.
... The Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousness/Spirituality -59 items has been used in religion/spirituality research, and demonstrated good reliability and validity in assessing three primary factors (meaning, spirituality and religious practices), and two secondary factors (guilt vs God's grace and loving/forgiving God). Stewart and Koeske and Underwood and Teresi reported on the reliability and validity of the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale, with internal consistency greater than 0.9 [151,152]. ...
Article
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Interest in spirituality and aging has increased recently, owing to overwhelming evidence of positive health outcomes linked to spirituality and religious participation. Increasing longevity in modern society puts spiritual needs of older adults at the forefront of societal priorities. Understanding individual spiritual perspectives becomes increasingly important, given the issues of loss, physical illness and mortality that are confronted in old age. There are multiple barriers to the proper assessment of spirituality in clinical practice and research (e.g., the lack of professional training for healthcare professionals, shortage of time and comfort for healthcare providers when discussing spiritual issues and needs). Integrating an individuals spiritual practice into their healthcare can help shape personalized medical care for older adults and improve health outcomes. This article reviews literature and research on spirituality, as well as spiritual interventions and their putative neurobiological mechanisms in relation to aging, mental and physical health, and coping with death and dying.
... The advantages of BMMRS include its shortness, ease of application and number of subscales. This instrument has been used in several studies worldwide, and it has been validated into many different populations, including US adolescents, Hawaiians, US graduate and undergraduate students, and Irish people (Bodling et al. 2013;Harris et al. 2008;Mokuau et al. 2001;Stewart and Koeske 2006). However, the BMMRS has not yet been validated into Portuguese. ...
Article
Despite Brazil's high levels of religious involvement, there is a scarcity of validated religiousness/spirituality (R/S) measures in Portuguese, particularly multidimensional ones. This study presents the validation of the Portuguese version of the "Brief Multidimensional Measure in Religiousness and Spirituality" (BMMRS) within the Brazilian context. Inpatients (262) and caregivers (389) at two hospitals of Brazil answered the BMMRS, the DUREL-p, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The internal and convergent validity and test-retest reliability for major dimensions were good. Discriminant validity was high (except for the Forgiveness dimension). The Portuguese version of the BMMRS is a reliable and valid instrument to assess multiple R/S dimensions in clinical and non-clinical samples.
... The BMMRS is a dimensional, 40-item inventory encompassing subscales assessing various aspects of religion and spirituality developed by a Fetzer Institute/National Institute of Aging Working Group (2003). This instrument has recently been validated in adolescent and adult subjects (Harris et al., 2008; Stewart and Koeske, 2006), and findings suggest that BMMRS is also useful for multiethnic research (Neff, 2006 ). For this study, a slightly modified German version of the questionnaire was used (cf.Table 2). ...
Article
The relation between religiosity/spirituality (R/S), personal beliefs, and mental health has been extensively studied. However, concerning anxiety disorders (ADs), empirical evidence is scarce. This study investigated the differences in R/S and magical/paranormal ideation among obsessive-compulsive disorder patients (OCD; n = 49), patients with other ADs (n = 36), and healthy controls (HCs; n = 35). Our results suggest negative religious coping as being the only parameter showing significantly higher scores in OCD and AD participants in comparison with HCs. Negative religious coping reflects negative functional expressions of R/S in stressful situations. Logistic regression also suggested negative religious coping as the strongest predictor of group affiliation to the nonhealthy group. Further results show no significant differences between other R/S, magical, and paranormal ideation traits among groups. This study underlines an important role of negative religious coping in ADs yet does not clearly indicate a specific causality. Religious-sensitive treatment targeting cognitive aspects of negative religious coping are discussed.
... It is expected that cultures will also differ as to if, or how, this kind of division might be useful. An analysis of the entire set of long form items included in the NIA/Fetzer Multidimensional Measurement booklet, included the 16-item DSES, and found that the DSES items form a useful and psychometrically valid single factor in that larger group of items [22]. Idler et al. found that the six DSE items constituted a single dimension when the entire BMMRS on the GSS was analyzed [5]. ...
... It was validated using 5,087 participants in 18 countries around the world. The Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousness/Spirituality [40][41][42] was also validated in a large sample, but only composed of participants in the United States (N=1,445). When considering specific validation in medical patients, the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-spiritual well being (FACIT-Sp) 7,65 was validated in the largest sample (N=1,617 patients) comprised of individuals with cancer (83%) or HIV/ AIDS (17%). ...
Article
Numerous instruments have been developed to assess spirituality and measure its association with health outcomes. This study's aims were to identify instruments used in clinical research that measure spirituality; to propose a classification of these instruments; and to identify those instruments that could provide information on the need for spiritual intervention. A systematic literature search in MEDLINE, CINHAL, PsycINFO, ATLA, and EMBASE databases, using the terms "spirituality" and "adult$," and limited to journal articles was performed to identify clinical studies that used a spiritual assessment instrument. For each instrument identified, measured constructs, intended goals, and data on psychometric properties were retrieved. A conceptual and a functional classification of instruments were developed. Thirty-five instruments were retrieved and classified into measures of general spirituality (N = 22), spiritual well-being (N = 5), spiritual coping (N = 4), and spiritual needs (N = 4) according to the conceptual classification. Instruments most frequently used in clinical research were the FACIT-Sp and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale. Data on psychometric properties were mostly limited to content validity and inter-item reliability. According to the functional classification, 16 instruments were identified that included at least one item measuring a current spiritual state, but only three of those appeared suitable to address the need for spiritual intervention. Instruments identified in this systematic review assess multiple dimensions of spirituality, and the proposed classifications should help clinical researchers interested in investigating the complex relationship between spirituality and health. Findings underscore the scarcity of instruments specifically designed to measure a patient's current spiritual state. Moreover, the relatively limited data available on psychometric properties of these instruments highlight the need for additional research to determine whether they are suitable in identifying the need for spiritual interventions.
... An analysis of the entire set of long form items included in the NIA/Fetzer Multidimensional Measurement booklet, included the 16-item DSES, and found that the DSES items form a useful and psychometrically valid single factor in that larger group of items [22]. Idler et al. found that the six DSE items constituted a single dimension when the entire BMMRS on the GSS was analyzed [5]. ...
Article
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The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) is a 16-item self-report measure designed to assess ordinary experiences of connection with the transcendent in daily life. It includes constructs such as awe, gratitude, mercy, sense of connection with the transcendent and compassionate love. It also includes measures of awareness of discernment/inspiration and a sense of deep inner peace. Originally developed for use in health studies, it has been increasingly used more widely in the social sciences, for program evaluation, and for examining changes in spiritual experiences over time. Also it has been used in counseling, addiction treatment settings, and religious organizations. It has been included in longitudinal health studies and in the U.S. General Social Survey which established random-sample population norms. It has publications on its psychometric validity in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German and Mandarin Chinese. Translations have been made into twenty languages including Hindi, Hebrew and Arabic and the scale has been effectively used in a variety of cultures. The 16-item scale does not have a psychometrically representative shorter form although a 6-item adaptation has been used. The DSES was developed using extensive qualitative testing in a variety of groups, which has helped its capacity to be useful in a variety of settings. It was constructed to reflect an overlapping circle model of spirituality/religiousness and contains items that are more specifically theistic in nature, as well as items to tap the spiritual experience of those who are not comfortable with theistic language. The scale has been used in over 70 published studies. This paper will provide an overview of the scale itself, describe why it has proved useful, and discuss some studies using the scale. See http://www.dsescale.org/ for more information on the scale.
... The advantages of BMMRS include its shortness, ease of application and number of subscales. This instrument has been used in several studies worldwide, and it has been validated into many different populations, including US adolescents, Hawaiians, US graduate and undergraduate students, and Irish people (Bodling et al. 2013;Harris et al. 2008;Mokuau et al. 2001;Stewart and Koeske 2006). However, the BMMRS has not yet been validated into Portuguese. ...
Article
The purpose of the current study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Duke Religion Index (PDUREL) in a community setting. PDUREL was translated and adapted for administration to 383 individuals from a population-based study of low-income community-dwelling adults. The PDUREL intrinsic subscale and total scores demonstrated high internal consistency (alphas ranging from 0.733 for the total scale score to 0.758 for the intrinsic subscale). Correlations among the DUREL subscales were also examined for evidence of discriminant validity. Correlations were ranging from 0.36 to 0.46, indicating significant overlap between the scales without marked redundancy. PDUREL is a reliable and valid scale. The availability of a comprehensive, but brief measure of religiousness can help to study the role of religiousness in health by researchers from countries that speak the Portuguese language.
... Religious/Spiritual History Idler et al. (2003) and found to be adequate. Construct validation work has been done on the BMMRS tool with persons experiencing chronic pain (Rippentrop, Altmaier, Chen, Found, & Keffala, 2005), chronic and acute medical conditions (Johnstone, Yoon, Franklin, Schopp, & Hinkebein, 2009), and with persons in recovery for alcohol or drug use and social workers (Stewart & Koeske, 2006). Initial work to assess reliability has been reported by Idler et al. (2003) using data from the 1998 US General Social Survey in which many of the BMMRS items were embedded. ...
... Subscales were developed to measure distinct aspects of spiritual experience and religious practices, and were chosen because they seemed promising to determine the causal mechanisms that exist between religious, spiritual, and health variables (i.e., reduction of behavioral risks, expansion of social support, enhancement of coping skills, and physiological mechanisms). Several studies have identified the psychometric properties of the BMMRS (Kendler et al. 2003;Mokuau et al. 2001;Pargament 1999;Pargament et al. 2000;Underwood and Teresi 2002;Yoon and Lee 2004) and its factor structure (Idler et al. 2003;Neff 2006;Piedmont et al. 2006;Stewart and Koeske 2006), but only one has been used to determine how the BMMRS scales are related to health for a sample with serious medical conditions. Specifically, Rippentrop et al. (2005) studied a group with chronic pain and indicated that 3% of the variance in physical health and 12% of the variance in mental health scores were explained by BMMRS subscales after demographic and pain variables were considered. ...
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Previous research indicates that increased religiosity/spirituality is related to better health, but the specific nature of these relationships is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between physical health and spiritual belief, religious practices, and congregational support using the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality and the Medical Outcomes Scale Shortform-36. A total of 168 participants were surveyed with the following medical disorders: Cancer, Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Stroke, plus a healthy sample from a primary care setting. The results show that individuals with chronic medical conditions do not automatically turn to religious and spiritual resources following onset of their disorder. Physical health is positively related to frequency of attendance at religious services, which may be related to better health leading to increased ability to attend services. In addition, spiritual belief in a loving, higher power, and a positive worldview are associated with better health, consistent with psychoneuroimmunological models of health. Practical implications for health care providers are discussed.
Conference Paper
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A pesar de la relevancia que tiene creer en Dios en nuestro país, son escasos los datos científico-empíricos a este respecto y, al mismo tiempo, existen pocos instrumentos -tanto de la religiosidad como de la espiritualidad- para medir este constructo. Contar con escalas de medición es imprescindible para progresar en el estudio de estas variables en nuestro país, ya sea desarrollando o adaptando instrumentos de otros países a nuestro medio. Así el objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de la dimensión espiritualidad de la Evaluación Multidimensional de la Religiosidad y la Espiritualidad del Fetzer. La misma se tradujo y aplicó en una muestra intencional de 129 adultos jóvenes de la ciudad de Paraná, Entre Ríos. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que la dimensión espiritualidad presentaba una confiabilidad interna satisfactoria, sus ítems presentaban una adecuada discriminación entre quienes poseían menos y más del atributo. Además presentó una validez factorial satisfactoria cargando todos los ítems en un único factor y, por último, para evaluar la validez de constructo se comprobó que la espiritualidad se asociaba con un mayor sentido de la vida. En las conclusiones se analizan estos hallazgos y sus implicancias; asimismo, se brindan sugerencias para estudios futuros.
Poster
Una de las problemáticas actuales de la sociedad de consumo es la gran cantidad de desechos que esta genera, contribuyendo a la contaminación ambiental. La Universidad de Buenos Aires no se encuentra exenta. En los diferentes edificios de la UBA, en unidades académicas, hospitales universitarios, entre otros, los diferentes actores pertenecientes a ellos, descartan sus residuos, en su mayoría reciclables (papeles, plásticos, entre otros). Con el fin de promover la separación de residuos en origen, se implementó el Programa PsicoVerde de la Facultad de Psicología, UBA, ubicando tachos diseñados para el descarte de reciclables. Partiendo de la Psicología Ambiental, interesa profundizar acerca las conductas proambientales, definidas como acciones efectivas y anticipadas que resultan en la preservación de los recursos naturales, incluyendo la integridad de especies animales y vegetales, así como en el bienestar individual y social de las generaciones humanas actuales y futuras (Corral-Verdugo y de Queiroz Pinheiro, 2004). Con una metodología observacional, se estudia la conducta proambiental de los estudiantes de la Facultad en relación a la separación de residuos y la ubicación de los distintos tachos en el contexto de la Facultad. Los resultados obtenidos aportan datos relevantes que permiten ajustar y mejorar la intervención desde el Programa.
Article
Background: FAmily CEntered (FACE) Advance Care Planning helps family decision makers to understand and honor patients' preferences for future health care, if patients cannot communicate. Spiritual well-being is a key domain of pediatric oncology care and an integral dimension of pediatric advance care planning. Procedure: As part of four-site randomized controlled trial of FACE for teens with cancer, the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-spiritual well-being- version 4 (FACIT-Sp-EX-4) was completed independently by 126 adolescents with cancer/family dyads. The prevalence-adjusted and bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK) measured congruence on FACIT-Sp-EX-4. Results: Adolescents (126) had mean age of 16.9 years, were 57% female and 79% White. Religious/spiritual classifications were: Catholic (n = 18), Protestant (n = 76), Mormon (n = 3), none/atheist (n = 22), other (n = 5), and unknown (n = 2). Agreement at item level between spiritual well-being of adolescents and families was assessed. Three items had ≥90% agreement and Excellent PABAK: "I have a reason for living," "I feel loved," "I feel compassion for others in the difficulties they are facing." Three items had <61% agreement and Poor PABAK: "I feel a sense of harmony within myself," "My illness has strengthened my faith or spiritual beliefs," "I feel connected to a higher power (or God)." Dyadic congruence was compared by social-demographics using median one-way analysis. Male family members (median = 72%) were less likely to share spiritual beliefs with their adolescent than female family members (median = 83%), P = .0194. Conclusions: Family members may not share spiritual beliefs with adolescents and may be unaware of the importance of spiritual well-being for adolescents.
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Numerosas investigaciones han descrito la relación entre elementos espirituales y religiosos y salud mental, como también la necesidad de incluirlos en la práctica clínica. Sin embargo, las comprensiones de espiritualidad y religiosidad han variado durante las últimas décadas y así también sus formas de evaluación. En este artículo se presenta una revisión de la literatura disponible acerca de instrumentos para evaluar elementos espirituales y religiosos en población general y clínica. La búsqueda se realizó por medio de metabuscadores, según los criterios de inclusión y exclusión planteados por Monod et al. (2011) en una revisión similar. Resultados. 23 instrumentos cumplieron con los criterios requeridos, 10 de los cuales fueron diseñados para población general y 13 para poblaciones clínicas o grupos específicos. El número de instrumentos existentes ha aumentado en los últimos años, todos están disponibles en inglés y fueron diseñados para poblaciones adultas. No se encontraron escalas validadas en español, ni para población chilena en los últimos 20 años. Existen más instrumentos que evalúan la espiritualidad por sobre la religiosidad y, además, se evidencia una estrecha relación entre los conceptos de espiritualidad y bienestar subjetivo. Conclusiones. El interés por evaluar e investigar los elementos ER y su relación con la salud y el bienestar general por medio de instrumentos estan-darizados mantiene plena vigencia. Sin embargo, las concepciones de espiritualidad y religiosidad, y su relación con el bienestar general, se han ido estrechando, hecho que se evidencia en las formas de evaluación desarrolladas más recientemente.
Article
Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) in the United States. Parents of AYAs with life-threatening illnesses have expressed the desire to talk to their children about end of life (EOL) care, yet, like caregivers of adult patients, struggle to initiate this conversation. Building Evidence for Effective Palliative/End of Life Care for Teens with Cancer is a longitudinal, randomized, controlled, single-blinded clinical trial aimed at evaluating the efficacy of FAmily CEntered disease-specific advance care planning (ACP) for teens with cancer (FACE-TC). A total of 130 dyads (260 subjects) composed of AYAs 14-20years old with cancer and their family decision maker (≥18years old) will be recruited from pediatric oncology programs at Akron Children's Hospital and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Dyads will be randomized to either the FACE-TC intervention or Treatment as Usual (TAU) control. FACE-TC intervention dyads will complete three 60-min ACP sessions held at weekly intervals. Follow-up data will be collected at 3, 6, 12, and 18months post-intervention by a blinded research assistant (RA). The effects of FACE-TC on patient-family congruence in treatment preferences, quality of life (QOL), and advance directive completion will be analyzed. FACE-TC is an evidenced-based and patient-centered intervention that considers QOL and EOL care according to the AYA's representation of illness. The family is involved in the ACP process to facilitate shared decision making, increase understanding of the AYA's preferences, and make a commitment to honor the AYA's wishes.
Article
Data from two groups, 100 healthy women and 61 breast cancer patients that were treated at University Hospital in Bogotá was used for this preliminary analysis. In order to measure spiritually and religiosity some scales of the FETZER test were used. The levels of anxiety and depression were measured by using the HADS scale. No significant differences in the levels of anxiety and depression between the two groups were found. There are some interesting findings on the relationship between religious values and levels of anxiety.
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Introduction: The purpose of this scoping review is to identify measures of spiritual fitness that can be used in a military context. Methods: Two independent reviewers applied post-hoc inclusion and exclusion criteria for the identification of relevant articles, reviews, and assessments. Each reviewer independently recorded criteria met using a jointly developed form, considering relevant spiritual fitness screening and assessment tools based on clinical experience. When two reviewers were in disagreement, a third blinded reviewer was used to create consensus. Results: 35 assessments with psychometric properties were identified that could be administered by military chaplains, health care professionals, or military personnel (through self-reporting) to evaluate spiritual fitness over time among those in the military service. The assessments were compiled into a table to isolate differing properties of each assessment, including target population, length/time to complete, measurement of affective, behavioural, and cognitive aspects of spiritual fitness, psychometric properties, and example questions. Discussion: There is now an opportunity to further identify and evaluate spiritual fitness screening and assessment tools that will appropriately and effectively determine the spiritual fitness and resilience of individuals serving in the military as well as their families.
Article
The purpose of the current study was to validate Fetzer Institute & National Institute on Aging Working Group[NIA](1999)`s Brief-Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality Scale (BMMRS) in Korean adults. The Korean version of BMMRS, Spiritual Well-Being Scale(SWS), Korean Sprituality Scale(KSS), Penn State Worry Questionnaire(PSWQ), and Intolerance of uncertainty Scale(IUS) were administered to the 286 students and community samples. A principle axis factoring analysis with direct oblimin rotation and Kaiser normalization identified a six-factor solution accounting for 66.24% of the variance in scores, labeled as: positive spiritual experience, negative spiritual experience, forgiveness, religious practices, negative congregational support, and positive congregational support. Confirmatory factor analysis results showed that 6 factor model of BMMRS have a good fitness. Also, the internal consistency(.64~.97) and the test-retest reliablity was adequate.(.72~.88) Korean version of BMMRS has adequate psychometric characteristics so it can be used to verify the effects of various compassion-related psychotherapeutic approaches.
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Religiousness and spirituality are increasingly being investigated in relation with physical and mental health. The aims of this study are to investigate the factor structure of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) and analyze the relations of BMMRS factors with personality, well-being, and perceived stress constructs. A population of 819 Italian adults completed a questionnaire containing the BMMRS, Temperament and Character Inventory—Revised, measures of subjective well-being and perceived stress. A principal component factor analysis identified three factors accounting for 51% variance, labeled as spirituality, religiousness, and negative religious coping, respectively. Women reported higher scores than men on spirituality and religiousness and both these BMMRS factors showed significant correlations with age, personality, well-being, and perceived stress dimensions. Results suggest that the BMMRS assesses religiousness and spirituality as well as their negative sides as independent constructs. Further research is needed to investigate the relationships between these dimensions and other psychosocial constructs, and their role in determining physical and mental health in samples of both general and clinical populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)
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Mismanaged anger is associated with adverse health outcomes. This study examined whether dimensions of religiousness/spirituality could predict healthy anger management in a sample of 82 community-dwelling older Americans. A correlational research design was employed using the Deffenbacher Anger Scale and the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality. Higher scores on Forgiveness, Daily Spiritual Experiences, Religiousness/Spirituality as Coping, and Self-Ranking of Religiousness/Spirituality were correlated with healthier anger management; however forgiveness was the only significant predictor in the regression analysis. Interventions to facilitate forgiveness may promote healthy anger management and minimize the adverse health effects of mismanaged anger.
Article
Many minority adolescents in the United States today are at a high risk for truancy, dropout, and academic under-achievement. Truancy is related to a host of preceding and subsequent risks such as delinquency and limited vocational outcomes. Using participatory research methods, this federally funded, 10-month study assessed youths' perceptions of a publicly funded, faith-based, alternative education program with 73 minority youth participants who were at risk for truancy. The study assessed whether change occurred in peer dynamics, youths' use of time, and educational aspirations. The program was found to have a positive impact on peer dynamics and the use of both school hours and free time. The program supported or did not hamper educational aspiration. Implications about the impact of alternative education programs for at-risk youth and the faith-based nature of the program are discussed.
Article
Full-text available
Many minority adolescents in the United States today are at a high risk for truancy, dropout, and academic under-achievement. Truancy is related to a host of preceding and subsequent risks such as delinquency and limited vocational outcomes. Using participatory research methods, this federally funded, 10-month study assessed youths' perceptions of a publicly funded, faith-based, alternative education program with 73 minority youth participants who were at risk for truancy. The study assessed whether change occurred in peer dynamics, youths' use of time, and educational aspirations. The program was found to have a positive impact on peer dynamics and the use of both school hours and free time. The program supported or did not hamper educational aspiration. Implications about the impact of alternative education programs for at-risk youth and the faith-based nature of the program are discussed.
Article
Resurgent interest in the relations between religiousness/spirituality (R/S) and health is evident in the scientific literature but much of the research fails to capture the proposed multidimensional nature of R/S. This problematic situation is compounded by the existence of a plethora of measures mostly lacking substantial empirical or even theoretical support. The Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) was developed to address measurement confusion by providing a standard instrument for researchers investigating the dimensions of R/S relevant to health. Psychometric properties and factor structure of the BMMRS were investigated in a sample of 374 college students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggested a seven-factor structure for the BMMRS. Preliminary construct validity for the instrument was demonstrated. These findings generally support those of previous studies and suggest that the modified BMMRS is a viable multifactor measure of R/S for use with young adults.
Article
This study examined recovering alcoholics who were struggling to rebuild their lives 2 years after completing a professional treatment program for addiction. Sixty-eight British adults provided data describing whether or not their personal, interpersonal, and community (civic) functioning had improved from the period of maximum suffering before treatment to a point 2 years after being discharged. Results showed the magnitude of overall Quality of Life (QoL) improvement was significantly and positively correlated with the amount of meaning that respondents perceived to be present in their life at the point of 2 year follow-up. In general, the total QoL scale score was not related to whether or not respondents indicated they were striving for spiritual goals. Spiritual striving, however, was found to moderate the strength of the association between meaning making and the community/societal sphere of QoL. When a sub-sample of 26 spiritual strivers was examined, greater meaning making was found to be related to better personal well-being, interpersonal well-being, and (civic) functioning in society. However, among the 26 individuals who did not see themselves as spiritual seekers, greater meaning making was only related to QoL assessed at the personal and interpersonal levels of analysis. These findings are consistent with Viktor Frankl's notion that suffering can be a catalyst for a more fulfilling way of being-provided that people are able to see meaning and purpose in their suffering. The apparent adaptive consequences of perceiving self-transcendent meaning were particularly broad in scope within the spiritual seeking sub group, who may have experienced a sanctified sense of meaning in their life. A Broad Spectrum Model of QoL is proposed to describe the more generalized salutary effects of sacred (as opposed to secular) meaning.
Article
At least 177 scales are available to researchers who want to measure religiosity, but questions exist as to exactly what these scales are measuring and in whom they are measuring it. A review of these scales found a lack items designed to measure ethical action in society or the world as a prophetic response to the experience of the divine. Instead, the vast majority of scales focus on internal experiences and beliefs or institutional relationships. A review of scale norm groups found that norm groups often are not fully described, particularly in the area of race/ethnicity, and when they are described, they reveal an over-reliance on convenience samples of college students and an under-representation of racial/ethnic minority groups. Examples of scales with more fully described and more representative norm groups are given, and recommendations are offered for researchers using and developing religiosity scales.
Article
The objective of this article is to determine the convergent/divergent validity of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS; Fetzer Institute & National Institute on Aging Working Group 1999) subscales by correlating it with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) Self-Transcendence subscales (i.e., Mysticism, Transpersonal Identification, Self-Forgetfulness; Cloninger et al. 1994). The cross-sectional analysis of 97 undergraduate/graduate students from a Midwestern university was made. The results are (1) all five BMMRS spirituality subscales were significantly correlated with the TCI Mysticism scale; (2) two BMMRS scales (i.e., Daily Spiritual Experiences, Values/Beliefs) were significantly correlated with the TCI Transpersonal Identification scales; (3) no BMMRS spiritual subscales were significantly correlated with the TCI Self-Forgetfulness scale; and (4) of the BMMRS religion scales, only the Organizational Religiousness subscale was correlated with any TCI subscale (i.e., Mysticism). The BMMRS appears to have adequate convergent/divergent validity, although the need exists to determine specific dimensions of spirituality. Inspection of the specific items of the BMMRS and TCI spiritual subscales that were most consistently correlated (i.e., BMMRS Daily Spiritual Experiences, Values/Beliefs; TCI Mysticism, Transpersonal Identification) suggests the existence of a distinct spiritual construct that is best conceptualized as the experience of emotional connectedness to the divine, nature, and/or others.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among stress, infectious illness, and religiousness/spirituality in community-dwelling older adults in the southeastern United States. Four assessment tools were completed by 82 older adults (mean age = 74, age range = 65 to 91): the Perceived Stress Scale, the Carr Infection Symptom Checklist (SCL), the Brief Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousness/Spirituality, and a demographic form. A significant correlation was found between stress and SCL scores; however, four dimensions of religiousness/spirituality moderated the relationship between stress and infection. Older adults who were unable to forgive themselves or forgive others, or feel forgiven by God, were more likely to have had an infection in the previous month. Increased infections also occurred when older participants did not feel they had religious support from their congregations. Using these findings, gerontological nurses are well positioned to deliver tailored stress management and forgiveness interventions when older adults report increased stress.
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This study investigated 208 students from two schools of social work on their views and experiences with religion and spirituality in education and practice. Results revealed a generally favorable stance toward the role of religion and spirituality in social work practice and relatively high endorsement and utilization of spiritually oriented interventions with clients. These findings are striking given that the majority of respondents reported little exposure to content on religion and spirituality in their educational program, thus raising concern about potential harm to clients. Results from the study are compared with previous research on social work practitioners and faculty, and implications for social work education are presented.
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This article presents findings from a study that examined the attitudes and behaviors toward religion and spirituality held by 328 randomly selected Virginia licensed clinical social workers, psychologists, and professional counselors. Significant differences were found among the three groups, with social workers generally holding a middle position in comparison with psychologists and professional counselors. As a whole, respondents were found to value the religious or spiritual dimension in their own lives, to respect the function it serves for people in general, and to address, to some extent, religious and spiritual issues in practice. Limited professional training in this area was reported, however, with 79% (n = 259) of the respondents stating that religious or spiritual issues were rarely or never addressed during the course of their graduate education and training. Implications for social work education and practice are discussed.
Article
Full-text available
This study investigated 208 students from two schools of social work on their views and experiences with religion and spirituality in education and practice. Results revealed a generally favorable stance toward the role of religion and spirituality in social work practice and relatively high endorsement and utilization of spiritually oriented interventions with clients. These findings are striking given that the majority of respondents reported little exposure to content on religion and spirituality in their educational program, thus raising concern about potential harm to clients. Results from the study are compared with previous research on social work practitioners and faculty, and implications for social work education are presented.
Article
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Consideration of religiosity as a factor in behavior change research requires a reliable measure of religious behavior. Such a measure may be particularly helpful in research on substance misuse given the negative association between religiosity and substance use and the role of religiosity and spirituality often reported in the process of recovery from substance use disorders. In this regard, this article describes the development and evaluation of the Religious Background and Behavior (RBB) questionnaire as a brief measure of religious practices. The results suggest the RBB is made up of two factors, labeled God Consciousness and Formal Practices , and that the RBB possesses excellent test-retest reliability and satisfactory internal consistency. It is concluded that the RBB can serve as a reliable instrument for assessing religious behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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The role of religion in mental illness remains understudied. Most prior investigations of this relationship have used measures of religiosity that do not reflect its complexity and/or have examined a small number of psychiatric outcomes. This study used data from a general population sample to clarify the dimensions of religiosity and the relationships of these dimensions to risk for lifetime psychiatric and substance use disorders. Responses to 78 items assessing various aspects of broadly defined religiosity were obtained from 2,616 male and female twins from a general population registry. The association between the resulting religiosity dimensions and the lifetime risk for nine disorders assessed at personal interview was evaluated by logistic regression. Of these disorders, five were "internalizing" (major depression, phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and bulimia nervosa), and four were "externalizing" (nicotine dependence, alcohol dependence, drug abuse or dependence, and adult antisocial behavior). Seven factors were identified: general religiosity, social religiosity, involved God, forgiveness, God as judge, unvengefulness, and thankfulness. Two factors were associated with reduced risk for both internalizing and externalizing disorders (social religiosity and thankfulness), four factors with reduced risk for externalizing disorders only (general religiosity, involved God, forgiveness, and God as judge), and one factor with reduced risk for internalizing disorders only (unvengefulness). Religiosity is a complex, multidimensional construct with substantial associations with lifetime psychopathology. Some dimensions of religiosity are related to reduced risk specifically for internalizing disorders, and others to reduced risk specifically for externalizing disorders, while still others are less specific in their associations. These results do not address the nature of the causal link between religiosity and risk for illness.
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Empirical studies have identified significant links between religion and spirituality and health. The reasons for these associations, however, are unclear. Typically, religion and spirituality have been measured by global indices (e.g., frequency of church attendance, self-rated religiousness and spirituality) that do not specify how or why religion and spirituality affect health. The authors highlight recent advances in the delineation of religion and spirituality concepts and measures theoretically and functionally connected to health. They also point to areas for areas for growth in religion and spirituality conceptualization and measurement. Through measures of religion and spirituality more conceptually related to physical and mental health (e.g., closeness to God, religious orientation and motivation, religious support, religious struggle), psychologists are discovering more about the distinctive contributions of religiousness and spirituality to health and well-being.
Article
The present article reports the development and factor analyses of a new, theoretically-based measure of spiritual maturity viewed from a Judeo-Christian perspective and designed for clinical use by pastoral counselors and psychotherapists, as well as researchers. The Spiritual Assessment Inventory (SAI) is based on a model of spiritual maturity that integrates relational maturity from an object relations perspective and experiential God-awareness based on New Testament teaching and contemplative spirituality principles. A pool of items was developed to measure two hypothesized dimensions of spiritual maturity: awareness of God and quality of relationship with God. Two factor analytic construct validity studies were conducted. Based on the first study, the SAI was revised and expanded. In the second study, five factors were identified: Awareness, Instability, Grandiosity, Realistic Acceptance, and Defensiveness/Disappointment. The results of the factor analyses and correlations of the factors with the Bell Object Relations Inventory support the underlying theory and validity of the SAI and its potential usefulness for clinical assessment and research.
Article
The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new theoretically based measure that would assess the full range of religious coping methods, including potentially helpful and harmful religious expressions. The RCOPE was tested on a large sample of college students who were coping with a significant negative life event. Factor analysis of the RCOPE in the college sample yielded factors largely consistent with the conceptualization and construction of the subscales. Confirmatory factor analysis of the RCOPE in a large sample of hospitalized elderly patients was moderately supportive of the initial factor structure. Results of regression analyses showed that religious coping accounted for significant unique variance in measures of adjustment (stress-related growth, religious outcome, physical health, mental health, and emotional distress) after controlling for the effects of demographics and global religious measures (frequency of prayer, church attendance, and religious salience). Better adjustment was related to a number of coping methods, such as benevolent religious reappraisals, religious forgiveness/purification, and seeking religious support. Poorer adjustment was associated with reappraisals of God's powers, spiritual discontent, and punishing God reappraisals. The results suggest that the RCOPE may be useful to researchers and practitioners interested in a comprehensive assessment of religious coping and in a more complete integration of religious and spiritual dimensions in the process of counseling. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 56: 519–543, 2000.
Article
Recent attempts to measure the quality of life or subjective well-being show promise for a more helpful and accurate appraisal of the collective and individual state of people than objective, economically-oriented indicators have allowed. Unfortunately, the quality of life movement has virtually ignored the religious dimension of life and the part that such beliefs and practices play in well-being. In response to this void, Paloutzian and Ellison (1982) have developed a Spiritual Well-Being Scale which measures both religious and existential well-being. This article reports on the conceptualization of the spiritual well-being dimension, development of the scale, research which has utilized the scale, and suggests directions for future research.
Article
The importance of religion and spirituality for the social work profession is evident in many areas, including social work education. There is little empirical evidence that explores the importance of spirituality and religion for their students. This project surveyed three unique schools of social work in university settings in an attempt to provide information concerning the personal religious and spiritual beliefs of social work students as well as their attitudes toward religious and spiritual interventions in social work practice. Results indicate that religious and spiritual beliefs and regional culture are important for predicting attitudes toward use of religious and spiritual interventions.
Article
Reports the development and factor analyses of a Judeo-Christian theory-based measure of spiritual maturity. The Spiritual Assessment Inventory (SAI) integrates relational maturity from an object relations perspective and experiential God-awareness based on New Testament teaching and contemplative spirituality principles. A pool of items was developed to measure hypothesized dimensions of spiritual maturity related to awareness and quality of relationship with God. Two factor analytic construct validity studies were conducted. Based on the first study with 193 undergraduates, the SAI was revised and expanded. In the second study with 470 undregraduates, 5 factors were identified: Awareness, Instability, Grandiosity, Realistic Acceptance, and Defensiveness/Disappointment. Results of the factor analyses and correlations of the factors with the Bell Object Relations Inventory support the underlying theory and validity of the SAI and its potential usefulness for clinical assessment and research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
Reviews the common validity paradigm, drawn from social psychology, as it has been applied in the development of measures of religious behaviors and attitudes and provides guidelines for expanding this paradigm. Within an appropriate Christian approach to the psychology of religion, there should be less emphasis on scales and more on measuring change. Attitudinal measures need to be supplemented by measures of values and spontaneous accessibility of one's beliefs, affects, and values. New scales should have predictive relevance to other behaviors, such as drug abuse or nonmarital sex. Finally, more emphasis should be placed on research that is prescriptive, nonreductionistic, and aimed at facilitating change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
Although religions have been far from silent on the use of psychoactive drugs, and spirituality has long been emphasized as an important factor in recovery from addiction, surprisingly little research has explored the relationships between these two phenomena. Current findings indicate that spiritual/religious involvement may be an important protective factor against alcohol/drug abuse. Individuals currently suffering from these problems are found to have a low level of religious involvement, and spiritual (re)engagement appears to be correlated with recovery. Reasons are explored for the lack of studies testing spiritual hypotheses, and promising avenues for future research are discussed. Comprehensive addictions research should include not only biomedical, psychological and socio-cultural factors but spiritual aspects of the individual as well.
Article
The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new theoretically based measure that would assess the full range of religious coping methods, including potentially helpful and harmful religious expressions. The RCOPE was tested on a large sample of college students who were coping with a significant negative life event. Factor analysis of the RCOPE in the college sample yielded factors largely consistent with the conceptualization and construction of the subscales. Confirmatory factor analysis of the RCOPE in a large sample of hospitalized elderly patients was moderately supportive of the initial factor structure. Results of regression analyses showed that religious coping accounted for significant unique variance in measures of adjustment (stress-related growth, religious outcome, physical health, mental health, and emotional distress) after controlling for the effects of demographics and global religious measures (frequency of prayer, church attendance, and religious salience). Better adjustment was related to a number of coping methods, such as benevolent religious reappraisals, religious forgiveness/purification, and seeking religious support. Poorer adjustment was associated with reappraisals of God's powers, spiritual discontent, and punishing God reappraisals. The results suggest that the RCOPE may be useful to researchers and practitioners interested in a comprehensive assessment of religious coping and in a more complete integration of religious and spiritual dimensions in the process of counseling. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 56: 519–543, 2000.
Article
Objectives To identify attitudes that influence patient help-seeking behavior and aspects of treatment that influence patient preferences for management of depression.DesignThree focus group discussions (two patient groups stratified by race and one professional group). Questions addressed experience with depression, help-seeking behaviors, treatment preferences, and perceived barriers to mental health care.SettingAcademic medical, center.Patients/participantsEight black patients and eight white patients with depression; seven health care professionals (four physicians and three social workers).Measurements and main resultsDiscussions were audiotaped, transcribed, and reviewed independently by two investigators to identify and group distinct comments into categories with specific themes. Differences were adjudicated by a third investigator. Comments within categories were then checked for relevance and consistency by a health services researcher and a psychiatrist. More than 90% of the 806 comments could be grouped into one of 16 categories. Black patients raised more concerns than white patients regarding spirituality and stigma. Patients made more comments than professionals regarding the impact of spirituality, social support systems, coping strategies, life experiences, patient-provider relationships, and attributes of specific treatments. They discussed the role these factors played in their helpseeking behavior and adherence to treatment.Conclusions In-depth focus group discussions with depressed patients can provide valuable and unique information about patient experiences and concerns regarding treatment for depression. Clinicians, researchers, and policymakers need to incorporate the range of factors identified by patients into their decision making for individuals with depression.
Article
A meta–analysis was performed in an attempt to clarify the proposed relationship between religiosity and psychological adjustment. Specific focus was given to the issue of definition, namely, whether differences in researchers’ conceptualizations of religiosity and mental health could account for the various contradictory findings by psychologists of religion. Analysis of 34 studies conducted during the past 12 years revealed that the definitions of religiosity and mental health utilized by psychologists in this field were indeed associated with different types and strengths of the correlations between religiosity and mental health. Discussion of results assesses the fit between relevant theory and the pattern of change in effect size across categories of religion and adjustment, and concludes with implications for therapeutic uses of religious involvement.
Article
3 generalizations seem well established concerning the relationship between subjective religion and ethnic prejudice: (a) On the average churchgoers are more prejudiced than nonchurchgoers; (b) the relationship is curvilinear; (c) people with an extrinsic religious orientation are significantly more prejudiced than people with an intrinsic religious orientation. With the aid of a scale to measure extrinsic and intrinsic orientation this research confirmed previous findings and added a 4th: people who are indiscriminately proreligious are the most prejudiced of all. The interpretations offered are in terms of cognitive style. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
Because of the unstructured life-style of most narcotic addicts, we have inquired into the religious and social backgrounds and experiences of a group of narcotic addicts. It was observed that the subjects' parents were far less involved in religious practices than were a group of parents of nonaddicts. The addicts' fathers were found to be frequently absent from the home and uninvolved in the addicts' early religious training. The addicts came from broken homes and often their marriages also ended in divorce. The addicts, as compared to both their parents and the control subjects, were underachievers in both social and religious accomplishments.
Article
The study examined associations between religious variables and alcohol abuse and dependence among 2,969 North Carolina residents aged 18 to 97 who participated in the 1983-1984 National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiologic Catchment Area survey at its Piedmont location. Six-month and lifetime prevalence of alcohol disorders were compared among participants reporting varying levels of religious activity. Data were collected on frequency of Bible reading, prayer, and church attendance; time spent watching or listening to religious programming on television or radio; importance of religion; religious denomination; and identification as "born-again" Christians. Recent and lifetime alcohol disorders were less common among weekly churchgoers and those who considered themselves born again. Recent, but not lifetime, alcohol disorders were also less common among respondents who frequently read the Bible or prayed privately. Alcohol disorders were more common among those who frequently watched or listened to religious television and radio. Lifetime, but not recent, alcohol disorders were more prevalent among members of Pentecostal denominations. Longitudinal study is necessary to further clarify and explain these relationships between religious practices and alcohol disorders.
Article
To identify attitudes that influence patient help-seeking behavior and aspects of treatment that influence patient preferences for management of depression. Three focus group discussions (two patient groups stratified by race and one professional group). Questions addressed experience with depression, help-seeking behaviors, treatment preferences, and perceived barriers to mental health care. Academic medical center. Eight black patients and eight white patients with depression: seven health care professionals (four physicians and three social workers). Discussions were audiotaped, transcribed, and reviewed independently by two investigators to identify and group distinct comments into categories with specific themes. Differences were adjudicated by a third investigator. Comments within categories were then checked for relevance and consistency by a health services researcher and a psychiatrist. More than 90% of the 806 comments could be grouped into one of 16 categories. Black patients raised more concerns than white patients regarding spirituality and stigma. Patients made more comments than professionals regarding the impact of spirituality, social support systems, coping strategies, life experiences, patient-provider relationships, and attributes of specific treatments. They discussed the role these factors played in their help-seeking behavior and adherence to treatment. In-depth focus group discussions with depressed patients can provide valuable and unique information about patient experiences and concerns regarding treatment for depression. Clinicians, researchers, and policymakers need to incorporate the range of factors identified by patients into their decision making for individuals with depression.
Article
Although religions have been far from silent on the use of psychoactive drugs, and spirituality has long been emphasized as an important factor in recovery from addiction, surprisingly little research has explored the relationships between these two phenomena. Current findings indicate that spiritual/religious involvement may be an important protective factor against alcohol/drug abuse. Individuals currently suffering from these problems are found to have a low level of religious involvement, and spiritual (re)engagement appears to be correlated with recovery. Reasons are explored for the lack of studies testing spiritual hypotheses, and promising avenues for future research are discussed. Comprehensive addictions research should include not only biomedical, psychological and socio-cultural factors but spiritual aspects of the individual as well.
Article
The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new theoretically based measure that would assess the full range of religious coping methods, including potentially helpful and harmful religious expressions. The RCOPE was tested on a large sample of college students who were coping with a significant negative life event. Factor analysis of the RCOPE in the college sample yielded factors largely consistent with the conceptualization and construction of the subscales. Confirmatory factor analysis of the RCOPE in a large sample of hospitalized elderly patients was moderately supportive of the initial factor structure. Results of regression analyses showed that religious coping accounted for significant unique variance in measures of adjustment (stress-related growth, religious outcome, physical health, mental health, and emotional distress) after controlling for the effects of demographics and global religious measures (frequency of prayer, church attendance, and religious salience). Better adjustment was related to a number of coping methods, such as benevolent religious reappraisals, religious forgiveness/purification, and seeking religious support. Poorer adjustment was associated with reappraisals of God's powers, spiritual discontent, and punishing God reappraisals. The results suggest that the RCOPE may be useful to researchers and practitioners interested in a comprehensive assessment of religious coping and in a more complete integration of religious and spiritual dimensions in the process of counseling.
Article
The goal of this study was to investigate associations between empirically defined dimensions of spirituality, personality variables, and psychiatric disorders in Vietnam era veterans. One hundred pairs of male twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry were administered the self-report Spiritual Well-Being Scale and a pilot Index of Spiritual Involvement. Correlation analyses were supplemented with regression analyses that examined the relative influence of genetic and environmental factors on aspects of spirituality. Existential well-being was significantly associated with seven of 11 dimensions of personality and was significantly negatively associated with alcohol abuse or dependence and with two of three clusters of personality disorder symptoms. Associations between mental health variables and religious well-being or spiritual involvement were much more limited. Useful distinctions can be made between major dimensions of spirituality in studies of spirituality, religious coping, and mental health.
Article
In this article, we familiarize readers with some recent empirical evidence about possible associations between religious and/or spiritual (RS) factors and health outcomes. In considering this evidence, we believe a healthy skepticism is in order One needs to remain open to the possibility that RS-related beliefs and behaviors may influence health, yet one needs empirical evidence based on well-controlled studies that support these claims and conclusions. We hope to introduce the dismissing critic to suggestive data that may create tempered doubt and to introduce the uncritical advocate to issues and concerns that will encourage greater modesty in the making of claims and drawing of conclusions. We comment on the following questions: Do specific RS factors influence health outcomes? What possible mechanisms might explain a relation, if one exists? Are there any implications for health professionals at this point in time? Recommendations concern the need to improve research designs and measurement strategies and to clarify conceptualizations of RSfactors. RSfactors appear to be associated with physical and overall health, but the relation appears far more complex and modest than some contend. Which specific RS factors enhance or endanger health and well-being remains unclear.
Article
Spirituality and religiousness are gaining increasing attention as health research variables. However, the particular aspects examined vary from study to study, ranging from church attendance to religious coping to meaning in life. This frequently results in a lack of clarity regarding what is being measured, the meaning of the relationships between health variables and spirituality, and implications for action. This article describes the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) and its development, reliability, exploratory factor analyses, and preliminary construct validity. Normative data from random samples and preliminary relationships of health-related data with the DSES also are included. Detailed data for the 16-item DSES are provided from two studies; a third study provided data on a subset of 6 items, and afourth study was done on the interrater reliability of the item subset. A 6-item version was used in the General Social Survey because of the need to shorten the measure for the survey. A rationale for the conceptual underpinnings and item selection is provided, as are suggested pathways for linkages to health and well-being. This scale addresses reported ordinary experiences of spirituality such as awe, joy that lifts one out of the mundane, and a sense of deep inner peace. Studies using the DSES may identify ways in which this element of life may influence emotion, cognition and behavior, and health or ways in which this element may be treated as an outcome in itself a particular component of well-being. The DSES evidenced good reliability across several studies with internal consistency estimates in the .90s. Preliminary evidence showed that daily spiritual experience is related to decreased total alcohol intake, improved quality of life, and positive psychosocial status.
Article
Perceived benefit has been identified as an important factor influencing the decision to use alternative medicine for various health problems.1 Although research examining the use of alternative health care practices in the treatment of psychiatric disorders has been increasing,2–7 little is known about the specific benefits experienced by users with mental illness. A few studies4,5 have attempted to address this issue by having respondents assess the extent to which a given practice was experienced as helpful. This report presents preliminary findings on the perceived benefits of alternative health care practices used by adults with serious mental illness (SMI) who participated in a larger exploratory study on the role of such practices in mental health recovery.
Article
Background: Achieving holistic care is an important goal for nurses. While much is made of the bio-psychosocial model of holistic care, reflecting the allopathic bias inherent in the Western medical model, the issue of spirituality is mostly neglected. Where acknowledged, spirituality is often limited to recording the client's religion. This article asserts that religion and spirituality are not synonymous, although spirituality might sometimes be reflected through religious practices. Conclusion: With the move towards provision of modern mental health services in the community, the community mental health nurse will increasingly care for individuals for whom the spiritual is part of their daily lives and not a symptom of their illness. This is set against the backdrop of a multicultural society and as such will call for holistic nursing skills.
Spirituality and health Integrating spirituality in treatment: Resources for practitioners
  • W Miller
  • C Thoreson
Miller, W., & Thoreson, C. (1999). Spirituality and health. In W. Miller (Ed.), Integrating spirituality in treatment: Resources for practitioners. Washington, DC: American Psychological Press.
Scientific research on spirituality and health: A report based on the Scientific Progress in Spirituality Conferences
  • D B Larson
  • J P Swyers
  • M E Mccullough
Larson, D. B., Swyers, J. P., & McCullough, M. E. (1998). Scientific research on spirituality and health: A report based on the Scientific Progress in Spirituality Conferences. Bethesda, MD: Na-tional Institute for Healthcare Research.
Religious/spiritual coping
  • K I Pargament
Pargament, K. I. (1999). Religious/spiritual coping. In Fetzer Institute, National Institute on Aging Working Group: Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousness/Spirituality for use in Health Re-search. A report of a national working group supported by Fetzer Institute in collaboration with the National Institute on Aging (pp. 43–56). Kalamazoo, MI: Fetzer Institute.
Reports of having had graduate training in religion or theology and participa-tion in workshops or conferences on religion or spirituality in the last 5 years Personal religious orientation and prejudice
  • G Ross
Reports of having had graduate training in religion or theology and participa-tion in workshops or conferences on religion or spirituality in the last 5 years. REFERENCES Allport, G., & Ross, J. (1967). Personal religious orientation and prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 447–457.
Multidimensional measurement of religiousness/spirituality for use in health research: A Report of the Fetzer Institute/National Institute on Aging Working Group
  • Fetzer Institute
Fetzer Institute. (1999). Multidimensional measurement of religiousness/spirituality for use in health research: A Report of the Fetzer Institute/National Institute on Aging Working Group. Kalamazoo, MI: Author.
Integrating spirituality in treatment: Resources for practitioners
  • W Miller
  • C Thoreson