The Faith Community and the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak: Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?

Turning to religion as a mediator of the relationship between hopelessness and job satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals representing the uniformed services or working in professions of public trust in Poland

INTRODUCTION

During the COVID-19 pandemic individuals performing uniformed service or working in a profession of public trust were particularly exposed to chronic stress. The exposure to stress contributes to a decrease in quality of life across various domains, including professional performance. The perceived mental difficulties can lead to a feeling of hopelessness which, in turn can generate a decrease in job satisfaction. Religiosity is a factor which, in stress-inducing conditions, not only stops the spiral of perceived resource losses but also triggers gains in the resources possessed.

AIM

The aim of the study was to assess the preference for positive religious coping strategies, namely turning to religion as a mediator for the relationship between perceived hopelessness and job satisfaction in the individuals declaring religiosity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis has been performed based on the Conservation of Resources theory (COR).

METHODS

The study encompassed 238 individuals representing the uniformed services or working in professions of public trust in Poland. The Inventory for Measuring Coping with Stress (MINI-COPE) and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) were used in the research.

RESULTS

The mediating role of turning to religion in relationship between perceived hopelessness and job satisfaction was confirmed only in the group of women. The relationship found in this group indicates that perceived hopelessness is alleviated by turning to religion, which simultaneously leads to an increase in job satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

The obtained results prove that counselling should be standard practice after potentially traumatic events in the workplace; moreover, emotional and/or instrumental support should be offered along with spiritual one.

Development of the Faith Community Child Protection Scale with Faith Leaders and their Spouses in Senegal, Uganda and Guatemala

Violence, abuse and neglect constitute major threats to children's health and wellbeing globally. However, until recently, relatively little systematic attention has been paid to the role of faith communities in shaping the protective environment for children. This paper describes the development of a measure to capture child-protective disposition amongst faith communities through field studies with faith leaders and their spouses in Senegal, Uganda and Guatemala. Identifying common factors related to child care and protection practices, orientation to child rights and approaches to discipline, the measure potentially serves to both inform and evaluate interventions seeking to engage with the beliefs and behaviours of faith communities to support children's health and wellbeing.

"The First Person They Call is Their Pastor": The Role of New York City Faith Leaders in Supporting Their Congregation's Health and Well-Being During COVID-19

This article reports findings from a qualitative study of New York City faith leaders' efforts to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their communities during the first two years of the pandemic. Faith leaders were recruited via reputational case sampling to participate in individual, key informant interviews. This study used a social-contextual approach to health promotion by exploring the influence of faith leaders and religious communities on health behaviors. Results suggest that engaged faith leaders worked individually and collaboratively to support the changing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of their religious communities and those in the surrounding area. This study highlights the importance of faith leaders as supporters, communicators, and advocates, and provides directions for future research on the impact of faith leaders on individuals' experiences and health behaviors during a pandemic.

The Role of Religions in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review

Culture, religion and health are closely intertwined, profoundly affecting people's attitudes and behaviors as well as their conception and experience of illness and disease. In order to analyze the impact of religion in the current COVID-19 pandemic, we performed a literature review investigating both the scientific and grey literature on the topic. COVID-19 outbreaks reported in pilgrimages and religious ceremonies around the world-especially in the first wave of the pandemic wave-and the role played by religion in conveying culturally sensitive information about COVID-19 are some of the evidence we reviewed. Our research highlights how religions have represented, on the one hand, a risk for the spread of the virus and, on the other, a precious opportunity to engage people, and in particular minorities, in fighting the pandemic. To overcome this pandemic and to be prepared for similar ones in the future, scientists, politicians and health professionals should acknowledge the role that culture and religion play in people's lives and how it can assist in tackling complex health challenges.

Hospital chaplains facing the pandemic. A qualitative study

The article explores hospital chaplains perspective on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the provision of spiritual care in Poland. Semi-structured interviews with sixteen hospital chaplains providing spiritual care in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic were performed. Six main themes emerged during the interviews: chaplains' experience of the pandemic, chaplaincy during the outbreak, patients' needs, health professionals needs, social stigma and discriminatory behaviours against chaplains, and the importance of spiritual care during the crisis. Results indicate that although the COVID-19 crisis has limited the possibilities of providing spiritual care in hospitals and has changed its nature, it has positively impacted the visibility of hospital chaplaincy. It also underpins the contribution of hospital chaplains to modern healthcare practice and suggests that chaplains role as key healthcare workers should be further recognized and their integration into the healthcare system is required.

Prioritizing health: Churches response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Churches serve as a source of connection and support for spiritual wellbeing. More recently, church communities recognize the importance of extending support beyond spirituality and taking a holistic approach that includes mental and physical health. How each church goes about providing support varies among denominations and the needs of their communities. This exploratory study examines how churches of various denominations in the Tri-City region (Pomona, La Verne, and Claremont) of Los Angeles County perceive the seriousness of COVID-19, their responses to the pandemic, and the potential impact on their congregations. Results indicated that the majority (84%) of spiritual community participants view COVID-19 as a threat to personal health, and are taking steps to minimize the threat to their congregations' health and surrounding communities. Implications for church leadership to consider when planning continued operations and congregant support in response to COVID-19 are discussed.

Immigrant pentecostalism in the emergence of the COVID-19 crisis: reactions and responses from the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Berlin

This article seeks to analyze the reactions and responses of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) in Berlin to the global COVID-19 crisis. Although the UCKG has been the subject of multiple international types of research regarding the spread of the COVID-19 virus, this article shows that the UCKG's global network of local churches must be differentiated in their responses and reactions to the global pandemic. This article traces and analyzes how the local UCKG in Berlin responded to the pandemic in its respective conditions and differed from the global network in the emergence of a pandemic in its rhetoric and discourse, using the concept of the Third Space. For this purpose, the services and sermons of local pastors were recorded to analyze how the discourse toward the COVID-19 crisis changed during the period of occurrence and awareness of a global pandemic. The results show how the church has adapted to the local restriction and regulations and reflect the international literature on how the UCKG's mother church in Brazil acted in comparison. The church and its pastors in Germany responded to the global pandemic in three primary ways: they assigned to authorities' guidelines, provided sermons with undertones of spiritual warfare, and rejected the interpretation of interdependencies between demons and health issues.

Faith-Based Community Members, Family, and COVID-19: The Role of Family Cohesion, Social Support, and Spiritual Support on Quality of Life, Depression, and COVID-19-Prevention Behaviors

This study examined relationships between family cohesion, social support/spiritual support, and quality of life and depression among faith-based community members during the 2020 COVID-19 restrictions. Drawing upon the buffering model of social support and family cohesion as theoretical frameworks, the authors examined these factors in a survey of 551 faith-based community members between March 2020 and June 2020. Family cohesion had a direct and indirect effect (mediated by overall social support and spiritual support on quality of life). Moreover, family cohesion only had a direct effect on depression (e.g., not mediated by overall social support or spiritual support). Greater family cohesion and overall social support were predictive of increased COVID-19-prevention behaviors, while spiritual support was predictive of reduced COVID-19-prevention behaviors.

Religious Concerns About COVID-19 Vaccines: From Abortion to Religious Freedom

In the midst of the debate about vaccines against COVID-19 and vaccine mandates, there are a surprisingly large number of concerns coming from some churches centring on the dependence of some of the vaccines on historic abortions and limitations of freedom of choice. Although the ethical significance of separation between historic abortions and the vaccines has been widely accepted by most religious authorities, the pandemic has led to renewed concern by some. The emergence of vaccine mandates, with their potential negative impact on church attendance, has led some to oppose anything that would limit freedom of choice. Within this opposition is a medley of other messages, such as lack of trust in experts and human rights violations. Some regard vaccine passports as a form of 'medical apartheid' or 'therapeutic totalitarianism', coercing people's conscience. A countervailing perspective is provided by most church organizations that take a far more communitarian view based upon Jesus' teachings, identification with the poor and marginalized, and public health considerations. These Christians place far greater store on science as a gift from God, medical science as a means of transforming societies for good, and the potential of vaccines to control a rampant pandemic. Flexibility in imposing vaccine mandates is essential with onus placed on protecting the vulnerable, the community, and directed by the biblical precept of love for one's neighbour.

A Rapid Survey of State and Territorial Public Health Partnerships With Faith-Based Organizations to Promote COVID-19 Vaccination

During the COVID-19 pandemic, media accounts emerged describing faith-based organizations (FBOs) working alongside health departments to support the COVID-19 response. In May 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) sent an electronic survey to the 59 ASTHO member jurisdictions and four major US cities to assess state and territorial engagement with FBOs. Findings suggest that public health officials in many jurisdictions were able to work effectively with FBOs during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide essential education and mitigation tools to diverse communities. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(3):397-400. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306620).

The roles of Islamic Faith-Based Organizations on countermeasures against the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia

This study aimed to examine the strengths of Indonesia's two largest Islamic Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) and the challenges experienced while performing activities on countermeasures against COVID-19 in Indonesia. In-depth interviews, focused group discussions, and document analysis were used to collect data. The participants (informants) were administrators of a special Islamic FBOs unit that handles COVID-19 programs at central and regional levels and the beneficiaries of Islamic FBOs COVID-19 programs, selected using expert sampling. As part of data collection, an interview guideline was set to explore the participants' strengths and challenges in performing various programs for overcoming the pandemic. The data was analyzed using the thematic content analysis. The results showed that Islamic FBOs had special units that performed various countermeasures against COVID-19, including primary prevention like delivering health education and psychological consultation, and secondary prevention, mainly treating the pandemic, managing its prevailing conditions, and minimizing its economic impact, and supporting its vaccine. Moreover, the large members and participants, organizational structures involving grassroots levels, and financial support from the organizations' reputable philanthropic agencies were their strengths in performing those activities. However, coordination in the organization from central board to branch level was considerably challenging, especially where the coordination path was long. The insufficient information technology facilities also made the process difficult online. Therefore, profound religious FBOs served indispensable contributions and potencies in directing the community and minimizing the impact of the pandemic and other disasters in terms of health and social-economic welfare.

"A Divine Infection": A Systematic Review on the Roles of Religious Communities During the Early Stage of COVID-19

The objective of this systematic review was to summarize the roles that religious communities played during the early stage of COVID-19 pandemic. Seven databases were searched and a total of 58 articles in English published between February 2020 and July 2020 were included in evidence synthesis. The findings of the literature showed diverse influences of religion as a double-edged sword in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Religious communities have played detrimental and/or beneficial roles as a response to COVID-19 pandemic. A collaborative approach among religious communities, health science, and government is critical to combat COVID-19 crisis and future pandemics/epidemics.

Nurses' spiritual well-being and the COVID-19 pandemic: A Thematic Approach

AIMS

This study explores nurses' perceived spiritual well-being in the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND

Nurses have been working heavy shifts under challenging workplace conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to anxiety and psychological stress. These various challenges at work place their spiritual well-being at risk.

DESIGN

Thematic qualitative approach.

METHODS

An unstructured individual online interview was conducted to collect data from 18 nurses from April to August 2021. Data were analyzed using the thematic approach.

RESULTS

This study highlighted the four themes of spiritual well-being of nurses, namely, "Trust in God," "spiritual encouragement," "spiritual attributes in the workplace," and "spiritual growth."

CONCLUSIONS

The study concludes that spirituality is critical in helping nurses overcome the myriad of adversities they face as they assume their important roles during the ongoing pandemic.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

The study emphasizes that nurses' spiritual aspect nurses during crises is equally important with the other aspects of a nurse's life. Moreover, policies and interventions in hospitals must be implemented to ensure excellent levels of spiritual well-being among nurses.

The nucleoside antiviral prodrug remdesivir in treating COVID-19 and beyond with interspecies significance

Infectious pandemics result in hundreds and millions of deaths, notable examples of the Spanish Flu, the Black Death and smallpox. The current pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), is unprecedented even in the historical term of pandemics. The unprecedentedness is featured by multiple surges, rapid identification of therapeutic options and accelerated development of vaccines. Remdesivir, originally developed for Ebola viral disease, is the first treatment of COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. As demonstrated by in vitro and preclinical studies, this therapeutic agent is highly potent with a broad spectrum activity against viruses from as many as seven families even cross species. However, randomized controlled trials have failed to confirm the efficacy and safety. Remdesivir improves some clinical signs but not critical parameters such as mortality. This antiviral agent is an ester/phosphorylation prodrug and excessive hydrolysis which increases cellular toxicity. Remdesivir is given intravenously, leading to concentration spikes and likely increasing the potential of hydrolysis-based toxicity. This review has proposed a conceptual framework for improving its efficacy and minimizing toxicity not only for the COVID-19 pandemic but also for future ones caused by remdesivir-sensitive viruses.

Differences in Perceived Risk of Contracting SARS-CoV-2 during and after the Lockdown in Sub-Saharan African Countries

This study investigated risk perception of contracting and dying of SARS-CoV-2 in sub-Sahara Africa during and after the lockdown periods. Two online surveys were conducted one year apart, with participants 18 years and above living in sub-Sahara Africa or the diaspora. Each survey took four weeks. The first survey was taken from 18 April to 16 May 2020, i.e., during the lockdown. The second survey was taken from 14 April to 14 May 2021, i.e., after the lockdown. A cross-sectional study using adopted and modified questionnaires for both surveys were distributed through online platforms. Question about risks perception of contracting and dying of SARS-CoV-2 were asked. The Helsinki declaration was applied, and ethical approvals were obtained. Total responses for both surveys, i.e., both during and after the lockdown, was 4605. The mean age was similar in both surveys (18–28 years). The mean risk perception scores were higher after lockdown by 3.59%. Factors associated with risk perception of COVID-19 were survey period, age group, region of residence, and occupation. Non-health care workers had a lower risk perception of COVID-19. This first comparative study on the level of risk perception of Africans during and after the lockdown shows that one in every three and every four persons in sub-Sahara Africa felt at high risk of contracting COVID-19 and thought they could die from contracting the same, respectively.

Religion in the US during the time of a Pandemic: A Medical Perspective

Approximately 80% of Americans identify as religious. As physicians caring for patients with COVID-19, we have seen both positive and negative effects of religious activity during the pandemic. Religious worship generally supports close social interaction, which provides many benefits, especially in mental health, but it can also contradict infection control measures. These forces do not necessarily have to be in opposition to each other. Herein, we present three case vignettes of religious patients who were infected with and recovered from COVID-19. We review the potential benefits and risks of religious activity in the current pandemic, as supported by the medical literature. Finally, we offer some thoughts on how to engage with patients so that the benefits of both religious activity and public health measures are optimized.

Safety and Reverence: How Roman Catholic Liturgy Can Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The current COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge for many religious denominations. The Roman Catholic Church strongly depends on physical communal worship and sacraments. Disagreements grow concerning the best balance between safety and piety. To address this issue, I review the major transmission risks for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and list certain measures to enhance the safety of the Roman Catholic Liturgy without compromising its intrinsic beauty and reverent spiritual attitude. This can be achieved through assimilation of several traditional elements into the modern liturgy. I emphasize that religious leadership and decision-making should be transparent and based on inclusiveness, pluralism, best scientific evidence and voluntary cooperation.

Social Determinants of Health Influencing the New Zealand COVID-19 Response and Recovery: A Scoping Review and Causal Loop Diagram

The Coronavirus pandemic of 2019–20 (COVID-19) affected multiple social determinants of health (SDH) across the globe, including in New Zealand, exacerbating health inequities. Understanding these system dynamics can support decision making for the pandemic response and recovery measures. This study combined a scoping review with a causal loop diagram to further understanding of the connections between SDH, pandemic measures, and both short- and long-term outcomes in New Zealand. The causal loop diagram showed the reinforcing nature of structural SDH, such as colonization and socio-economic influences, on health inequities. While balancing actions taken by government eliminated COVID-19, the diagram showed that existing structural SDH inequities could increase health inequities in the longer term, unless the opportunity is taken for socio-economic policies to be reset. Such policy resets would be difficult to implement, as they are at odds with the current socio-economic system. The causal loop diagram highlighted that SDH significantly influenced the dynamics of the COVID-19 impact and response, pointing to a need for purposeful systemic action to disrupt the reinforcing loops which increase health inequities over time. This will require strong systems leadership, and coordination between policy makers and implementation at local level.

A Cross-Sectional Survey of Pakistani Muslims Coping with Health Anxiety through Religiosity during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Investigating the role of religiosity in coping with health anxiety during the outbreak of COVID-19 assumes significance given the continued onslaught of the pandemic and the importance of religion in many societies of the world. The aim of this study is to test the relationship between religious coping and health anxiety in Pakistani Muslims. The online survey method was used to collect data from 408 respondents. Structural equational modeling was performed, with results indicating that people who are suffering with health anxiety opt for religious coping (β = .54, R² = .29, p < .001). We conclude that it is important to consider the role of religion and spirituality during pandemic-induced anxiety. There are implications for counselors, physicians and researchers to integrate religious coping methods when planning mental health interventions during pandemics and otherwise.

The Effect of Religion on Psychological Resilience in Healthcare Workers During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

Background: Healthcare workers in the front line of diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are at great risk of both infection and developing mental health symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the following: (1) whether healthcare workers in general hospitals experience higher mental distress than those in psychiatric hospitals; (2) the role played by religion and alexithymic trait in influencing the mental health condition and perceived level of happiness of healthcare workers amidst the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) factors that influence the resilience of healthcare workers at 6 weeks' follow-up.

Methods: Four-hundred and fifty-eight healthcare workers were recruited from general and psychiatric hospitals, and 419 were followed-up after 6 weeks. All participants filled out the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, five-item Brief-Symptom Rating Scale, and the Chinese Oxford Happiness Questionnaire.

Results: Under the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, 12.3% of frontline healthcare workers in general hospitals reported having mental distress and perceived lower social adaptation status compared with those working in psychiatric hospitals. Christians/Catholics perceived better psychological well-being, and Buddhists/Taoists were less likely to experience mental distress. The results at 6 weeks of follow-up showed that the perceived lower social adaptation status of general hospital healthcare workers was temporary and improved with time. Christian/Catholic religion and time had independent positive effects on psychological well-being; however, the interaction of Christian/Catholic religion and time had a negative effect.

Conclusions: Collectivism and individualism in the cultural context are discussed with regard to alexithymic trait and Buddhist/Taoist and Christian/Catholic religious faiths. Early identification of mental distress and interventions should be implemented to ensure a healthy and robust clinical workforce for the treatment and control of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dispensation and Liturgy Mediated as an Answer to COVID-19 Restrictions: Empirical Study Based on Polish Online Press Narration

The main objective of this study is to determine the media image of dispensation and liturgy mediated during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. The paper is based on interdisciplinary methodology, which combines elements of practical theology (the see–judge–act paradigm) and a communication and media studies approach (media content analysis, critical discourse analysis). The time range of the analysed media discourse is between 12 and 18 March 2020, which was the first week after issuing government restrictions towards liturgy and the Church’s response to that: granting the dispensation and supporting the mediatisation of liturgy. The material for the discourse analysis includes online editions of 20 Polish press titles. It occurs that the general attitude of the media towards dispensation and liturgy mediated was positive, but some media tended to present the topics according to their editorial policies. The paper also formulates a theological reflection: although liturgy mediated as a permanent solution could be challenging to accept, it allowed worshippers to experience the liturgy in times of isolation. It is, therefore, an expression of the Church’s concern for the health and lives of the faithful, although not entirely in line with the official and long-standing position of the Church towards the mediatisation of the liturgy.

New Zealand Religious Community Responses to COVID-19 While Under Level 4 Lockdown

Social scientific research into the impact of COVID-19 on religious communities is emergent. This research combines interview data (n = 12) collected, as New Zealand moved into Level 3-Restrict and then Level 4-Lockdown, with Facebook and online news media analysis to understand how religious leaders and their communities responded to COVID-19. Our data found four challenges: (1) The requirement to reassess worship practices, (2) the need to mitigate any potential for community transmission, (3) significant difficulties related to social distancing for communal religious practices, and lastly, (4) welfare and pastoral concerns for congregations and others in need.

Spiritual Well-Being and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, people and families experienced a new and sudden situation that forced them to stay in their homes for a long period (February 25- May 26). In this context, many people found themselves in great difficulty, not only because of the fear of contagion or the economic problems deriving from the closure of production activities but also because the virus profoundly changed the way of life in society. The "Social distancing" concept became central in all personal relationships, including close family relationships. In this situation, our paper seeks to understand the role of spirituality and religiosity in reacting to this difficult situation and in particular on the physical and psychological health of the people involved. The data we present here are part of a multidisciplinary research with a quantitative theoretical framework. As the data was collected during the first Italian lockdown, a total of 1,250 adults from all over Italy participated in the on-line questionnaire. Among the main results it emerged that the participants perceived lower levels of spiritual well-being and mental health than the pre-pandemic situation with a significant gender difference; in fact, women perceived lower mental health than men. At the same time, it is evident that spirituality and religious practices are a protective factor connected not only with psychological and mental but also physical health. Finally, it appears evident that the family is a protective factor with respect to mental health, even in a period so full of stress factors, those who did not live alone and especially those who had to take care of small children reported higher perceived mental health and a greater ability to activate coping resources.

Spirituality and Healthcare—Common Grounds for the Secular and Religious Worlds and Its Clinical Implications

The spiritual dimension of patients has progressively gained more relevance in healthcare in the last decades. However, the term “spiritual” is an open, fluid concept and, for health purposes, no definition of spirituality is universally accepted. Health professionals and researchers have the challenge to cover the entire spectrum of the spiritual level in their practice. This is particularly difficult because most healthcare courses do not prepare their graduates in this field. They also need to face acts of prejudice by their peers or their managers. Here, the authors aim to clarify some common grounds between secular and religious worlds in the realm of spirituality and healthcare. This is a conceptual manuscript based on the available scientific literature and on the authors’ experience. The text explores the secular and religious intersection involving spirituality and healthcare, together with the common ground shared by the two fields, and consequent clinical implications. Summarisations presented here can be a didactic beginning for practitioners or scholars involved in health or behavioural sciences. The authors think this construct can favour accepting the patient’s spiritual dimension importance by healthcare professionals, treatment institutes, and government policies.

The fiqh of disaster: The mitigation of Covid-19 in the perspective of Islamic education-neuroscience

Fikih Kebencanaan (Coping with Disaster) is a product of Muhammadiyah's ijtihad to respond to contemporary problems, especially geological and non-geological disasters, which later become the normative foundation for the mitigation of health disasters such as the Covid-19 pandemic. The paradigm of the present research is a transdisciplinary qualitative type with a phenomenological approach. The research analyzed the reasoning of Fikih Kebencanaan and its actualization in Covid-19 mitigation, the medical health movement and the reconstruction of fiqh of worship during an emergency in particular, and how to deal with the disaster theologically in general. The results showed that the reasoning of Fikih Kebencanaan was expanded in terms of medical, theological, and educational movements. Medical movement is a health movement in the form of providing 74 Covid-19 Standby Hospitals capable of accommodating 3917 patients or 36.15% of the total number of cases in Indonesia, followed by the distribution of masks, gloves, and foods to 401,209 Covid-19 affected victims. The theological movement was in the form of religious provision in which Muhammadiyah attempted to reconstruct classical Islamic jurisprudence of the rule of worship to adapt to an emergency. In contrast, the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) applied zoning. The educative movement was a preventive effort to counter narration stemming from micro-celebrity Da'i (Islamic preacher) & Influencers (religious preachers) tried to circumvent religious provisions with their viral statements on social media. This effort was realized by developing neuroscience Islamic education with learning media in visualization that combined modern comics and contemporary cartoons with cinematic narratives. The neuroscience Islamic education movement tried not to use the dogmatic-monolithic approach as in classical education.

Effects of Spirituality, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices toward Anxiety Regarding COVID-19 among the General Population in INDONESIA: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Currently, the determinants of anxiety and its related factors in the general population affected by COVID-19 are poorly understood. We examined the effects of spirituality, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on anxiety regarding COVID-19.

METHODS

Online cross-sectional data (n = 1082) covered 17 provinces. The assessment included the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, and the KAP-COVID-19 questionnaire.

RESULTS

Multiple linear regression revealed that individuals who had low levels of spirituality had increased anxiety compared to those with higher levels of spirituality. Individuals had correct knowledge of early symptoms and supportive treatment (K3), and that individuals with chronic diseases and those who were obese or elderly were more likely to be severe cases (K4). However, participants who chose incorrect concerns about there being no need for children and young adults to take measures to prevent COVID-19 (K9) had significantly lower anxiety compared to those who responded with the correct choice. Participants who disagreed about whether society would win the battle against COVID-19 (A1) and successfully control it (A2) were associated with higher anxiety. Those with the practice of attending crowded places (P1) had significantly higher anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

Spirituality, knowledge, attitudes, and practice were significantly correlated with anxiety regarding COVID-19 in the general population.

The Impact of the Pandemic on the Conception of Poverty, Discourse, and Praxis of Christian Religious Communities in Brazil from the Perspective of Their Local Leaders

The purpose of this article is to examine whether the global crisis established by the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the conception and praxis of church and/or local community leaders in relation to poverty. The research, carried out through informal, online consultations still in progress, revealed indicative trends in the discourses of 83 Christian leaders of local communities in various Brazilian states that influence, guide, and reflect the practice of the faithful in their communities. The main motivations which the leaders emphasized when mobilizing people to care for the poor were sought and what kinds of concrete actions the churches or Christian communities have carried out under the influence of these leaders in the face of the emergency situation. Initial results showed that the impact of the pandemic generated emergency assistance mobilizations for the poor, conducted institutionally, primarily in local communities; analyzed in the light of the Weberian categories of social action, the motivations endorsed by the leaders for these mobilizations revealed that rationality has given way to tradition and emotion when dealing with a social emergency. Finally, we found that while the social criticism present in the discourses of these leaders identifies economic inequality in the structures of society and emphasizes the need for action by religious institutions, they are nonetheless still minimal in terms of alternatives for a broader mobilization that would bring about transformations in the social structures of inequality in the country.