Spiritual and religious coping in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease

Amit A. Shah; A. Lynn Snow; Mark E. Kunik

doi:10.1300/J018v24n03_11

Spiritual and religious coping in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease

Amit A. Shah, A. Lynn Snow, Mark E. Kunik

Community Internal Medicine (Internal Med)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study investigates the prevalence of religiously based coping mechanism use in Alzheimer's caregivers who use support groups and the correlation between the use of these coping mechanisms and caregiver mental health. Caregivers completed scales measuring depression, burden, religiosity, and religious coping. Caregivers reported high levels of spirituality and religious coping mechanism use. Those caregivers that felt anger or distance from God and who questioned their faith or religious beliefs were significantly (p < 0.001) correlated with increased depression and perceived burden. Other measured subscales did not show significant correlations with mental health variables.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	127-136
Number of pages	10
Journal	Clinical Gerontologist
Volume	24
Issue number	3-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1300/J018v24n03_11
State	Published - 2002

Keywords

Caregivers
Coping
Dementia
Religious
Spiritual

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Social Psychology
Health(social science)
Clinical Psychology
Gerontology
Geriatrics and Gerontology

Access to Document

10.1300/J018v24n03_11

Cite this

@article{ad541f7f5c2b4912ad9ea60bebb79f9f,

title = "Spiritual and religious coping in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease",

abstract = "This study investigates the prevalence of religiously based coping mechanism use in Alzheimer's caregivers who use support groups and the correlation between the use of these coping mechanisms and caregiver mental health. Caregivers completed scales measuring depression, burden, religiosity, and religious coping. Caregivers reported high levels of spirituality and religious coping mechanism use. Those caregivers that felt anger or distance from God and who questioned their faith or religious beliefs were significantly (p < 0.001) correlated with increased depression and perceived burden. Other measured subscales did not show significant correlations with mental health variables.",

keywords = "Caregivers, Coping, Dementia, Religious, Spiritual",

author = "Shah, {Amit A.} and {Lynn Snow}, A. and Kunik, {Mark E.}",

note = "Funding Information: This material is based on work supported in part by the Office of Research and Development (Health Services Research and Development Service), Department of Veteran{\textquoteright}s Affairs (Dr. Kunik–RCD 98-351, Dr. Snow–Associate Investigator Award). Funding Information: The authors would like to thank: The Houston Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Association for their co-operation and access to support groups and all the caregivers who generously donated their time to complete questionnaires for this study; The Huffington Center of Excellence in Geriatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine for their support of Amit Shah through the STAR (Student Training in Aging Research Program); and The John A. Hartford Foundation and the American Foundation on Aging Research (AFAR) for their support of Amit Shah through the Medical Student Geriatric Scholars Program.",

year = "2002",

doi = "10.1300/J018v24n03_11",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "24",

pages = "127--136",

journal = "Clinical Gerontologist",

issn = "0731-7115",

publisher = "Routledge",

number = "3-4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Spiritual and religious coping in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease

AU - Shah, Amit A.

AU - Lynn Snow, A.

AU - Kunik, Mark E.

N1 - Funding Information: This material is based on work supported in part by the Office of Research and Development (Health Services Research and Development Service), Department of Veteran’s Affairs (Dr. Kunik–RCD 98-351, Dr. Snow–Associate Investigator Award). Funding Information: The authors would like to thank: The Houston Alzheimer’s Association for their co-operation and access to support groups and all the caregivers who generously donated their time to complete questionnaires for this study; The Huffington Center of Excellence in Geriatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine for their support of Amit Shah through the STAR (Student Training in Aging Research Program); and The John A. Hartford Foundation and the American Foundation on Aging Research (AFAR) for their support of Amit Shah through the Medical Student Geriatric Scholars Program.

PY - 2002

Y1 - 2002

N2 - This study investigates the prevalence of religiously based coping mechanism use in Alzheimer's caregivers who use support groups and the correlation between the use of these coping mechanisms and caregiver mental health. Caregivers completed scales measuring depression, burden, religiosity, and religious coping. Caregivers reported high levels of spirituality and religious coping mechanism use. Those caregivers that felt anger or distance from God and who questioned their faith or religious beliefs were significantly (p < 0.001) correlated with increased depression and perceived burden. Other measured subscales did not show significant correlations with mental health variables.

AB - This study investigates the prevalence of religiously based coping mechanism use in Alzheimer's caregivers who use support groups and the correlation between the use of these coping mechanisms and caregiver mental health. Caregivers completed scales measuring depression, burden, religiosity, and religious coping. Caregivers reported high levels of spirituality and religious coping mechanism use. Those caregivers that felt anger or distance from God and who questioned their faith or religious beliefs were significantly (p < 0.001) correlated with increased depression and perceived burden. Other measured subscales did not show significant correlations with mental health variables.

KW - Caregivers

KW - Coping

KW - Dementia

KW - Religious

KW - Spiritual

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036353046&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036353046&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1300/J018v24n03_11

DO - 10.1300/J018v24n03_11

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0036353046

SN - 0731-7115

VL - 24

SP - 127

EP - 136

JO - Clinical Gerontologist

JF - Clinical Gerontologist

IS - 3-4

ER -

Spiritual and religious coping in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this