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Abstract

Background Psychological stress is a well-known risk factor for poor health, and recent research has suggested that the emotion-focused coping process of forgiveness may help mitigate these effects. To date, however, no studies have examined how levels of forgiveness, stress, and health fluctuate and interrelate over time. Purpose We addressed this issue by examining how forgiveness, stress, and mental and physical health symptoms change and relate to one another over 5 weeks. We hypothesized that increases in state levels of forgiveness would be associated with decreases in perceptions of stress, which would in turn be related to decreases in mental and physical health symptoms. A reverse effects model was also tested. Methods We recruited a large, community-based sample of 332 young, middle-aged, and older adults (16–79 years old; M age = 27.9). Each week for 5 weeks, participants reported on their levels of state forgiveness, perceived stress, and mental and physical health symptoms. Results Levels of forgiveness, stress, and mental and physical health symptoms each showed significant change and individual variability in change over time. As hypothesized, increases in forgiveness were associated with decreases in stress, which were in turn related to decreases in mental (but not physical) health symptoms (i.e., forgiveness → stress → health). The reverse effects model (i.e., health → stress → forgiveness) provided a relatively poorer fit. Conclusions This study is the first to provide prospective, longitudinal evidence showing that greater forgiveness is associated with less stress and, in turn, better mental health. Strategies for cultivating forgiveness may thus have beneficial effects on stress and health.
... Así también, McCullough (2000), señala que el perdón se expresa en cambios prosociales, sugiriendo que las personas que perdonan presentan menor motivación respecto a la búsqueda de revanchas, y mayores actitudes de benevolencia. Para otros, el perdón es una capacidad empática de reconciliación, comprensión y olvido (Thompson & Synder, 2003), estando sujeto a la ocurrencia de una transgresión relacional, entendida como un tipo de estrés interpersonal provocado por la percepción de ser agraviado u ofendido por otro (McCullough, Root, & Cohen, 2006). Además, es posible también definir el perdón con relación a los rasgos de personalidad, considerándolo una virtud o disposición (Roberts, 1995). ...
... Diferentes estudios reportan que el perdón, tiene implicancias positivas en la salud mental y física (Cheadle & Toussaint, 2015;Griffin, Worthington, Lavelock, Wade, & Hoyt, 2015;Toussaint & Webb, 2005;Toussaint, Shields, & Slavich, 2016;Worthington, Witvliet, Pietrini, & Miller, 2007). En el plano fisiológico, el perdón permite una mejor regulación de la presión arterial, la reducción de las enfermedades cardiovasculares (Fincham, May, & Sanchez-Gonzalez, 2015;Friedberg, Suchday, & Shelov, 2007), así como cambios en el estado fisiológico de reposo y el funcionamiento del sistema endocrino e inmunológico (Larkin, Goulet, & Cavanagh, 2015). ...
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The present study analyzed the reliability and validity based on the internal structure of the Forgiveness Likelihood Scale (FLS). The FLS was administered to 499 university students from the city of Trujillo (228 men and 271 women) with an average age of 20.71 years (SD = 2.61). The confirmatory factor analysis provided adequate support for the one-dimensional model of 8 items with the presence of correlated errors (?2 = 35,133, df = 18, ?2/df = 1,952, CFI = .988, RMSEA = .044 [IC 90% .021, .065]; and SRMR = .0266; AIC = 71.133), in addition to showing a good internal consistency based on the corrected omega value (?corrected) of 0.83. The results suggest that the Peruvian version of the FLS presents adequate psychometric evidence to measure the probability of forgiveness in university students. Thus, it seeks to contribute to the advancement of the scientific study of forgiveness in Latin America.
... Forgiveness involves letting go of negative emotions and granting absolution for a transgression (Worthington & Wade, 2020), while gratitude/awe represents a positive psychological response to benefits received in interpersonal interactions and 'extraordinary' experiences of something transcendent in situations, nature, music, or people . forgiveness and gratitude/awe have long been recognized as enduring aspects of human existence in various ancient theories of well-being (Emmons & McCullough, 2003;McCullough & Worthington, 1999), and their positive impact on the promotion of human welfare is also supported by numerous scientific studies (Büssing et al., 2014;Griffin et al., 2015;Krause, 2006;Lawler et al., 2005;Lawler-Row et al., 2011;Skalski-Bednarz, 2024;Toussaint et al., 2016Toussaint et al., , 2023. ...
... In contrast, gratitude/awe involves acknowledging and appreciating the positive aspects of one's life and the actions and qualities of others (Emmons & McCullough, 2003;Skalski et al., 2020). Researchers have highlighted that forgiveness and gratitude/awe are associated with increased well-being, improved psychological health, decreased psychological distress, and enhanced interpersonal relationships (Algoe et al., 2008;Griffin et al., 2015;Toussaint et al., 2014Toussaint et al., , 2016. Experiencing forgiveness and gratitude/awe can also protect against psychopathology by reducing its symptoms (Vernon et al., 2009;Wood et al., 2009). ...
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Cross-sectional studies have shown that individual differences can be associated with pro-social emotions. However, little is known about how personality may predict subsequent forgiveness and gratitude/awe. This study investigates the longitudinal influence of the Big Five traits (assessed by the Ten-Item Personality Inventory), supplemented by narcissism (assessed by the Single Item Narcissism Scale), on decisional and emotional forgiveness (assessed by the Decisional and Emotional Forgiveness Scales), as well as gratitude/awe (assessed by the Gratitude/Awe Questionnaire). Data were gathered from 292 respondents (64% women) from Poland who completed questionnaires at Time 1 (T1) and 6 months later at Time 2 (T2). Structural equation modelling showed that agreeableness at T1 positively predicted decisional forgiveness at T2; extraversion at T1 and emotional stability at T1 positively predicted emotional forgiveness at T2; and openness at T1 positively predicted gratitude/awe at T2, albeit all effects were weak. Our findings suggested that personality traits play a more minor role than one might think based on cross-sectional studies in determining individuals’ capacity for forgiveness and gratitude/awe. However, it is essential to note that these results are specific to the Polish population, underscoring the necessity for future research incorporating a more diverse demographic representation.
... There may be certain aspects of religious attendance that reduce stress or buffer its effects such as the idea of forgiveness. Existing evidence supports the association between practicing forgiveness and reduced stress and anxiety [26,35]. Mothers who attend services more frequently may be more likely to practice the idea of forgiveness, which can potentially lead to lower levels of stress and thus, reduced risk of pregnancy loss. ...
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Background. Accumulating evidence suggests that spirituality and religiosity may be associated with improved health outcomes. However, few studies have examined maternal religiosity as a protective factor for perinatal outcomes. We explored the association between maternal religious attendance and pregnancy loss. Methods. Data were drawn from the Future Families & Child Wellbeing Study’s first and second waves and medical records (n=1874). Religious attendance was a self-reported response to the question “About how often do you attend religious services?” Pregnancy loss was measured from responses to the second wave survey question, “Since focal child’s birth, have you had any miscarriages/abortions/stillbirths?” Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between maternal religious attendance frequency and pregnancy loss, overall and by race. Models were adjusted for sampling weights, religious preference, socioeconomic and behavioral factors. Results. 8% (n=164) of mothers reported having a pregnancy loss. Of those with a pregnancy loss, 28% (n=46) attended services hardly ever and 20% (n=20) attended services once a week or more. Women who attended services more frequently had 58% increased odds of not experiencing a pregnancy loss (OR:1.58;95%CI:1.01,2.48) after adjusting for potential confounding. A post hoc analysis found no difference in pregnancy loss type or subsequent reproductive history based on attendance level. Conclusions. Results suggest that higher maternal religious attendance frequency may be a protective factor for pregnancy loss. Further research is needed to understand the association between maternal religious attendance and mechanisms for pregnancy loss.
... At the same time, it should be noted that, in light of most available stress theories, active and adaptive coping reduces the impact of the aggravating stimulus and leads to a reduction in distress (e.g., according to Lazarus and Folkman [1984] under the so-called "reappraisal" of the situation). The existence of a negative association between forgiveness and stress is also consistently reported in scientific studies (Harris et al., 2006;Oman et al., 2010;Toussaint et al., 2016b). ...
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Background: Forgiveness is one form of emotion-focused coping, and the positive effects of such a practice on mental well-being have been confirmed by numerous meta-analyses. The biopsychosocial model assumes that feeling burdened is determined by a number of physical, psychological, and social factors, suggesting a multidimensional relationship between forgiveness and distress. In this study, we tested a model according to which various sociopsychological variables (i.e., health, outlook, spirituality, aggression, and social support) mediate the negative association between episodic forgiveness (also known as state forgiveness) and distress. Participants and procedure: We tested the model on a cross-sectional sample of 436 young adults from the United States (62% of whom were women) using structural equation modelling (SEM). Results: The results of the overall model supported our indirect effects hypotheses. An analysis of specific indirect effects revealed that variables such as health, a negative outlook, aggressiveness, and social support play a special role in adaptation to stressful life events in forgiving individuals. Conclusions: The relationship between episodic forgiveness and distress can be explained through complex sociopsychological mechanisms, including feelings of health, outlook, or social support, and attitudes, experiences, and behaviours related to these mechanisms can influence each other and collectively contribute to preventing or reducing perceived burden in young American adults.
... Another effect is that it can reduce stress, create a desire not to seek vengeance, commit bullying, and reduce symptoms of depression (Saputro & Nashori, 2017). If someone refuses to forgive, it is the same as refusing to escape from that situation, and it will cause psychological pressure, which will lead to stress and other symptoms of psychological disorders (Toussaint, Shields, & Slavich, 2016). ...
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Our saints and sages have consistently stressed the importance of attaining mental peace, believing in the innate self-healing capabilities of the human mind. Often characterized as the "Monkey Mind" due to its tendency to wander, the mind can be effectively managed by heightening internal awareness through observation and acceptance of things as they are. Vipassana, an ancient mindfulness meditation rooted in yoga, is gaining recognition in the 21st century as a comprehensive approach to mental health and well-being. It integrates fundamental metaphysical aspects of the mind and spirit with the body. Numerous studies have demonstrated that Vipassana practice leads to emotional stability, increased life satisfaction, sharper cognitive and perceptual abilities, indicative of positive psychological well-being and an improved quality of life (Anderson, 2000; Fleishman, 1999; Srinivasan, 1992; Inwongsakul et al., 2015). Various psychological researches have shown that Vipassana reduces instances of violence and crime, both towards oneself and others, while also promoting mental tranquility, resilience, and fostering qualities such as love, compassion, and forgiveness (Shapiro et al., 2005; Hart, 1987; Kochargaonkar, 2005). Hence, the objective of this study is to underscore Vipassana as a pathway to achieving mental peace.
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I am both humbled and honored to be able to write about Everett L. Worthington Jr., a mentor, role model, and inspiration for myself and others. I met Ev over 20 years ago, and although I did not know it at the time, he would become one of the single most influential figures in my academic life. Ev is the very definition of a mentor. His work influenced my earliest writing on forgiveness and health, and his books, articles, presentations, sermons, and so forth have been an important part of my reading for years. Most importantly, his development of the concept of a stress-and-coping model of forgiveness opened the door for me to develop a line of work examining forgiveness and health. Added to this, Ev’s REACH Forgiveness method allowed me to not only document the benefits of forgiveness but also help promote these benefits. I continue to believe that both forgiveness and self-forgiveness, as well as potentially other dimensions of forgiveness such as divine forgiveness, are powerful coping mechanisms that can and do have direct and indirect connections to health, well-being, and overall flourishing. I have been fortunate to have Ev as a mentor, colleague, and companion on this journey, and I am eager for our next collaborations. The science of forgiveness, while steadily growing, remains an understudied area of much promise for benefiting the human condition. Ev’s leadership and contributions will no doubt continue to be the tip-of-the-spear of investigation in these areas.
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