National trends in prayer use as a coping mechanism for depression: changes from 2002 to 2007

Meditation-Based Lifestyle Modification in Mild-to-Moderate Depression: Outcomes and Moderation Effects of Spirituality

Objective: Understanding the relevance of religion or spirituality (R/S) in the treatment of mental disorders is central to clinical and academic psychiatry. In this secondary analysis, associations of R/S with depression were investigated with respect to a new second-generation mindfulness-based intervention, the Meditation-Based Lifestyle Modification (MBLM) program. Methods: Different aspects of spirituality, spiritual coping, and spiritual engagement were assessed in 81 patients with a diagnosis of mild-to-moderate depression. Treatment effects on R/S postscores and predictor and moderation effects of depression severity and stress change-scores were evaluated at 8 weeks (MBLM vs. CONTROL [drug continuation therapy] vs. TAU [inpatient treatment as usual]) and 6 months (TAU+MBLM vs. TAU). Results: At both time points, significant differences between MBLM versus TAU and CONTROL were found in a range of spiritual outcomes, most of them with a medium-to-large effect size and in favor of MBLM. Baseline interest in spirituality (p = 0.001) and baseline spiritual mind-body practice (p = 0.017) were identified as independent predictors of change in depression severity at 6 months. Moreover, moderation analyses found that patients reporting often/regular spiritual mind-body practice at 6 months did not benefit differently from TAU+MBLM versus TAU (p = 0.437) regarding their change in depression severity and stress, while those reporting no/seldom spiritual mind-body practice at 6 months benefited significantly worse from TAU than from TAU+MBLM (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Participation in the MBLM program resulted in significantly greater increases in spirituality in depressed patients than standard therapy. Interest in spirituality and engagement in spiritual mind-body practices at baseline were positive predictors of clinical outcome in both groups. Patients of any group who regularly performed spiritual mind-body practices benefited equally in terms of antidepressant outcomes, underlining the benefit of these practices within a general therapeutic framework. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03652220.

Halim NA, Maniam P. Caregiver Experiences with Dementia-Related Feeding/Eating Difficulties

This cross-sectional study explores caregivers' perceptions of feeding/eating difficulties in persons living with dementia, their support provisions, and the associated burdens. Cognitive decline, behavioral symptoms, and physical issues contribute to the deterioration of feeding/eating activities in people with dementia. Inadequate support during mealtimes has adverse consequences. This study includes 31 caregivers who completed an online questionnaire with three sections: sociodemographic information, feeding/eating problems and required support for individuals with dementia, and caregiver burden and distress. The questions on feeding and eating problems were adapted from the Appetite and Eating Habits Questionnaire (APEHQ). The results show that nearly all persons living with dementia had symptoms of feeding/eating problems, requiring caregiver support, ranging from verbal assistance to full physical assistance. The caregivers reported high distress, which was positively correlated with dementia severity. The findings emphasize the importance of raising caregiver awareness about dementia's impact on eating behavior, identifying effective mealtime care strategies, meeting nutritional needs, and emphasizing personal self-care. This research provides insights for healthcare professionals to develop targeted interventions, alleviate caregiver burden, improve mealtime experiences, and ensure adequate nutrition for persons living with dementia.

School closures and well-being-related topic searches on Google during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa

BACKGROUND

Following the outbreak of the 2020 coronavirus, governments adopted non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to save lives. The NPIs have been deemed to have unintended consequences on mental health and well-being. This study aimed to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced school closures on the relative search volumes (RSVs) of well-being-relevant topics in 30 low and lower- middle income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

METHODS

Google Trends search data, difference-in-differences and event study methods were used to evaluate the impact on the related search volume (RSV) of well-being related topic queries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

RESULTS

The results suggest positive and significant increases in the search intensity for anger, boredom, fear, sleep, exercise, and prayer. Contrary to other studies, we find no discernible effects on the relative search volumes (RSVs) on loneliness, sadness, and suicide.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the pandemic and the associated restrictions had a mixed effect on well-being-related searches. We recommend increased vigilance and proactive communication from the government and policy makers with the general population in times of emergencies when social policies that restrict lives and liberties need to be adopted.

Coping With Uncertainty: Use of Contemplative Practices Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

Scant research has attempted to understand the use and frequency of contemplative practices across social groups of older adults in the context of uniquely uncertain and stressful circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from a nationwide web-based survey (n = 1861), we examined the change in the frequency of contemplative practices and variation across sociodemographic, health, and psychological status and we documented a significant increase in the use of prayer and meditation since the beginning of the pandemic. Minority groups and those with lower income reported praying longer than their counterparts. Respondents who were unmarried, women, and more educated were more likely to meditate, whereas lower-educated respondents were more likely to pray during the pandemic. Greater use of these practices was found among participants with higher anxiety. Our study offers much-needed guidance for future intervention studies to improve psychological well-being among diverse groups of older adults facing stressful circumstances.

African Americans' and Black Caribbeans' Religious Coping for Psychiatric Disorders

This study investigates the use of religious coping among African Americans and Black Caribbeans with 12-month DSM-IV psychiatric disorders. Data from the National Survey of American Life is used to examine three indicators of religious coping: 1) using prayer and other spiritual practices for mental health problems, 2) the importance of prayer in stressful situations, and 3) looking to God for strength. Three out of four respondents who had a mental health problem reported using prayer as a source of coping. Agoraphobia and drug abuse disorder were associated with the importance of prayer during stress. Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder were more likely to report that prayer was important during stressful experiences and that they looked to God for strength. These findings contribute to the limited, but growing body of research on the ways that African Americans and Black Caribbeans cope with psychiatric disorders.

Associations Between Depressive Symptoms and Religiosity in Young Adults

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between religiosity and depressive symptoms among young adults, as well as determine whether possession of parental assets influences the relationship between religiosity and depressive symptoms. Young adults (n = 775) from universities in the southwest were sent an online survey, evaluating depressive symptoms, religiosity beliefs, and the protective assets of the relationships with their mother and father. With regard to young adult depressive symptoms, results showed a significant inverse association with levels of organizational religious activities (OR range = 0.208-0.555), levels of non-organizational religious activities (OR range = 0.282-0.399), and intrinsic religiosity (OR range = 0.216-0.489). Overall, religiosity beliefs and practices appeared to be associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Inclusion of religious/spirituality-oriented strategies may be important for mental health interventions in emerging adulthood.

Coping strategies of mothers with preterm babies admitted in a public hospital in Cape Town

BACKGROUND

Most pregnancies run a normal course, ending in a healthy mother-infant relationship, but sometimes, it can also be a life-threatening and stressful condition. The stress levels of mothers are more aggravated when they deliver preterm babies.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the coping strategies of mothers of preterm babies with the stress of preterm delivery and subsequent admission of the preterm neonate to a neonatal care unit.

METHOD

A qualitative research approach applying an exploratory and descriptive design was applied to explore the coping strategies of mothers with preterm babies admitted in a neonatal care unit. The study applied a purposive sampling technique to select mothers with preterm babies. The population for this study included women who delivered preterm babies and whose babies were admitted in the neonatal care unit at a public hospital in Cape Town. Semi-structured interviews were conducted until data saturation was reached, and 11 mothers with preterm babies in the selected public hospital participated in the study. Data were analysed manually using thematic content analysis with an inductive approach.

RESULTS

Results were deductively interpreted and supported by the Brief COPE model. The main themes that emerged from data analysis included praying, attachment with baby and acceptance of the situation. Under praying the following subthemes emerged, namely praying for God's strength, God's grace, babies' survival and thanksgiving to God for babies' health and preferred gender. The theme of attachment with the baby emerged with the following subthemes: bonding with the baby and seeing the baby. The last theme that was acceptance of the situation emerged with the following subtheme: perseverance in the situation and mother's awareness of her responsibility.

CONCLUSION

Even though the mothers of preterm babies cope differently after delivery, their coping abilities, which included praying, attachment to baby and acceptance of the situation, were greatly determined by the condition of their babies as well as the support they receive from significant others.

The Role of Religion in Buffering the Impact of Stressful Life Events on Depressive Symptoms in Patients with Depressive Episodes or Adjustment Disorder

Most studies into the role of religiousness in relation to depression severity have mainly found an inverse relationship between greater religiousness and lower levels of depressive symptoms. There is reason to assume that religiousness has a buffering effect on the relationship between stressful life events and depressive symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of religiousness in moderating the impact of stressors on depressive symptoms. n = 348 patients with either a depressive episode or adjustment disorder were assessed at referral to the liaison psychiatry services in three Dublin hospitals and n = 132 patients were followed up six months later. We assessed depressive symptoms, life events, social support, and religiosity, and used hierarchical and multiple linear regression for data analysis. The interaction of organised religious activity and the amount of life events was significant (β = −0.19, p = 0.001) in the cross-sectional prediction of depressive symptoms while non-organised religious activity (β = −0.23, p = 0.001) and intrinsic religiousness (β = −0.15, p = 0.033) interacted significantly with life events in the longitudinal analysis. This study demonstrated that various dimensions of religiousness buffered the impact of life events on outcome.

Christian Educators' Use of Prayer to Cope with Stress

Teachers experience significant work-related stress, and research asserts that they show greater mental health symptoms associated with this stress as compared to many other professions. Psychological distress among educators has been reported in the literature to be twice that of the general population. In other lines of research examining religious practices such as prayer, researchers have documented the overall positive impact of prayer on one's mental health. This study identified sources of stress for an international sample of 916 Christian educators, and the use of religious practices such as prayer, to determine whether prayer served as a coping strategy for their work-related stress. A mixed methods approach was used to measure three key variables: sources of stress, spiritual practices, and job satisfaction. Qualitative findings were used to analyze participants' sources of stress, and quantitative findings were used to measure their practice of spiritual disciplines and job satisfaction. A statistically significant relationship was found between frequency of prayer and job satisfaction, providing support for the initial hypothesis.

Religiousness and headache: is there a relation? Results from a representative sample of adults living in a low-income community

BACKGROUND

The use of religious behaviors to alleviate the consequences of stressful life circumstances is a frequent strategy employed by pain sufferers. Specifically in the field of headache research, to date, few studies have assessed spiritual and religious beliefs.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this article is to investigate the relation between religiousness (organizational, non-organizational and intrinsic) and headache disorders in a representative sample of adults living in a low-income community.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional, population-based study. In 2005, we conducted door-to-door interviews with 439 people, aged more than 18 years, randomly selected from a low-income community in Brazil. Four regression models were created to explain the relationships between religious involvement and headache, controlling for demographics, depression/anxiety and alcohol use and smoking.

RESULTS

Of the 439 households contacted, at least one member from 383 (87.2%) households participated. We interviewed more women (74.4%) and more subjects aged 18-39 years. The mean age was 41.7 (SD 8.5) years. Bivariate analysis shows that high religious attendance, non-organizational religiousness and intrinsic religiousness were associated with presence of headache and presence of migraine. After the logistic regression models, only high non-organizational religiousness remained associated with presence of headache (odds ratio (OR): 1.22 (1.01-1.49)). All other religious variables were unrelated to the presence of headache and its types.

CONCLUSION

There is a modest relationship between high non-organizational religiousness and presence of headache. Headache sufferers may use coping strategies such as private religious behaviors to try to overcome suffering.