Religious coping in adolescents: new evidence and relevance

Adolescence is frequently seen as a troubled age. In many Western societies this is also a time of sharp religious decline. The question arises as to what extent religious faith and practice could help teenagers cope with their distress, especially when religion fades away in secularized environments and stops being a common coping resource. A study was conducted in South-East Spain (N = 531) to assess coping styles—religious and secular—and how they are related to other variables. The outcomes suggest that religious coping has become a minor choice. It correlates positively with age and is mixed with secular coping strategies. Secularization implies a confidence lost in religious means and the search for alternative coping strategies. This study reveals that religious coping works best when linked to religious communities and in combination with other non-religious strategies.

Reciprocal Links Between Physical Health and Coping Among Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis

Objective Adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) often face a unique set of difficulties and challenges as they transition to adulthood and autonomy while also managing a progressive illness with a heavy treatment burden. Coping styles have been related to changes in physical health among youth with chronic illness more generally, but the directionality of these links has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate bidirectional links between coping styles and physical health indicators among adolescents with CF over time. Methods Adolescents (N = 79, 54% female) recruited from inpatient and outpatient CF clinics at two sites completed questionnaires assessing secular and religious/spiritual coping styles at two time points (18 months apart, on average). Health indicators including pulmonary functioning, nutritional status, and days hospitalized were obtained from medical records. Results More frequent hospitalizations predicted lower levels of adaptive secular coping over time. However, poorer pulmonary functioning predicted higher levels of positive religious/spiritual coping. The number of days hospitalized was related to adaptive secular coping and negative religious/spiritual coping. Conclusions Among youth with CF, physical health functioning is more consistent in predicting coping strategies than the reverse. Poorer pulmonary functioning appears to enhance adaptive coping over time, suggesting resilience of adolescents with CF, while more frequent hospitalizations may inhibit the use of adaptive coping strategies. Findings support the use of interventions aimed at promoting healthy coping among hospitalized adolescents with CF.

Religious coping in adolescents: New evidence and relevance

Adolescence is frequently seen as a troubled age and, in many societies, as a time of sharp religious decline. The question arises to what extent religious faith and practice could still help teenagers to cope with their distress, especially when religion fades away in secularized environments and stops being a common coping resource. A new survey has been conducted in South-East Spain (N=531) to assess coping styles – religious and secular – and how they are related to other variables. The outcomes confirm that religious coping becomes a minority choice; it is related to age – for those older in the sample – and is mixed with secular coping strategies. Secularization implies a confidence lost in religious means to tackle distress and life crisis and the search for alternative coping strategies. The study explores the practical implications of those outcomes.