Gender, Spirituality and Psychological Well-Being

Sense of coherence and religion/spirituality: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on a methodical classification of instruments measuring religion/spirituality

The coherence hypothesis assumes that sense of coherence (SOC) explains the positive link between religion/spirituality (R/S) and mental health. The aim of our meta-analysis is to evaluate the evidence for the association between SOC (sensu Antonovsky) and different aspects of R/S and thus to contribute to the verification of the coherence hypothesis. Eighty-nine English- and German-language primarily cross-sectional studies with 67,913 participants met the inclusion criteria. The R/S scales of all included studies were subjected to item-by-item qualitative content analysis in order to determine whether scales do actually measure religion or spirituality and which R/S aspects dominated the instrument. Based on this classification, overall and subgroup meta-analyses were conducted using a random effects model. The adjusted effect size between SOC and all positive R/S measures was r+ = .120, 95% CI [.092, .149]. Particularly significant (r+ < -.180 or > .180) were correlations with negative R/S scales (r+ = -.405, 95% CI [-.476, -.333]), R/S instruments measuring primarily positive emotions (r+ = .212, 95% CI [.170, .253]) or meaning-making (r+ = .196, 95% CI [.126, .265]). Both sample characteristics (age, culture, gender, health status, religious affiliation) and study characteristics (e.g., publication year) had a moderating effect on the R/S-SOC connection. The correlation was particularly high in studies from Southern Asia (r+ = .226, 95% CI [.156, .297]), the African Islamic cultural value zone (r+ = .196, 95% CI [.106, .285]), and in a small subgroup of Iranian studies (r+ = .194, 95% CI [.117, .271]). The results confirm that R/S and SOC are clearly associated and suggest that there are different religious/spiritual pathways to a strong SOC. The strength of the associations presumably depends not only on individual differences, but also on cultural embeddedness and social plausibility of R/S. Trial registration. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021240380. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID = CRD42021240380.

Cognitive and socio-emotional correlates of psychological well-being and mental health in Guatemalan adults

BACKGROUND

Little is known about associations of psychological and mental well-being with cognitive and socioemotional factors in low and middle-income countries, particularly among vulnerable populations born in adverse environments that may restrict developmental potential. This study aimed to examine the cognitive and socioemotional correlates of psychological well-being and mental health in a cohort of Guatemalan adults born in contexts of poverty and malnutrition.

METHODS

From Dec 2017 to Apr 2019, data were collected from 704 women and 564 men ages 40-57 years living in four rural villages in eastern Guatemala and Guatemala City. We measured latent domains of psychological well-being, spirituality and religion, emotional support, and executive function using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Under a Structural Equation Modeling framework, we examined intercorrelations among latent domains and observed measures of intelligence and mental health.

RESULTS

CFA supported the construct validity of factor structures in this population. Correlations of psychological well-being with spirituality and religion were moderate in women (r = 0.68, p < 0.001) and men (r = 0.70, p < 0.001). Executive function was weakly correlated with psychological well-being in men (r = 0.23, p < 0.001) and showed no association in women. Correlations of psychological well-being with emotional support and IQ were weak in women (r = 0.34, and r = 0.15, respectively; p < 0.001 for both) and men (r = 0.35, and r = 0.25, respectively; p < 0.001 for both). Mental health and IQ were weakly correlated in men (r = 0.09, p < 0.05) and showed no association in women. Mental health showed weak correlations with emotional support (r = 0.18, p < 0.001 in women; r = 0.09, p < 0.05 in men), psychological well-being (r = 0.32 and r = 0.35, in women and men respectively; p < 0.001 for both) and showed no association with executive function in both sexes.

CONCLUSIONS

Of all examined factors, spirituality and religion made the greatest contribution to psychological well-being. These findings support the notion that in populations experiencing difficult circumstances, religion can perhaps make a greater contribution to well-being and aid coping. More research is needed to examine mediators of this association.

A qualitative exploration of psychosocial well-being experiences in a South African rural community

The aim of this study was to explore and describe the psychosocial well-being experiences of a South African rural community. The study employed a qualitative explorative-descriptive research design in which participants (n = 20) were sampled through purposive sampling and participated in a world café session. Data were analyzed thematically. The findings identify three main themes with subthemes, namely contributing factors to psychosocial well-being (such as spirituality/religion and community cohesion), hindering factors to psychosocial well-being (such as crime and unemployment), and means to promote psychosocial well-being (such as provision of infrastructure). The findings provide insight into the psychosocial well-being experiences of an understudied and vulnerable South African rural community and makes recommendations for future research.

Psychological Predictors of Attitude towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help in a Nigerian University Student Population

Although research on the relationship between psychological factors and attitude towards seeking professional psychological help has been conducted in a wide range of settings, some psychological factors remained unexplored, especially among Nigerian university students. Therefore this study investigated predictive powers of psychological factors (health locus of control, mindfulness, openness to experience, personal growth initiative, and sense of coherence) on atitude towards seeking professional psychological help among 452 students in a Nigerian university. The study was comprised of 234 (51.77%) males and 218 (48.23%) females with mean age of 22 years ( SD = 2.16). Participants completed measures of health locus of control, mindfulness, openness to experience, personal growth initiative, sense of coherence, and attitude towards seeking professional psychological help. Results reveal significant independent and joint influence of health locus of control, mindfulness, openness to experience, personal growth initiative, and sense of coherence on attitude towards seeking professional psychological help. Findings from this study suggest that professionals in the areas of mental health and psychological well-being might improve students' engagement in psychological counseling through changing their attitudes toward seeking professional help by modifying their unfulfilled psychological, emotional, and social needs.