Attachment to God as mediator of the relationship between God Representations and mental health

Religion and spirituality have frequently been associated with mental health and well-being. However, inconsistent results suggest that there may be mediating factors. God representations highlight individual differences in relating to the sacred, which may have implications for mental health. Attac...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of spirituality in mental health Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 95 - 113
Main Authors Tung, Esther S., Ruffing, Elizabeth G., Paine, David R., Jankowski, Peter J., Sandage, Steven J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Taylor & Francis Ltd 03.04.2018
Subjects
Attachment theory
Belief & doubt
God
Graduate students
Health problems
Individual differences
Mental disorders
Mental health
Spirituality
Well being
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Summary:Religion and spirituality have frequently been associated with mental health and well-being. However, inconsistent results suggest that there may be mediating factors. God representations highlight individual differences in relating to the sacred, which may have implications for mental health. Attachment theory has also been related to God representations and mental health. This study examined the relationships between benevolent and authoritarian God representations, attachment to God, and mental health in a sample of graduate students. Benevolent God representations were negatively associated with mental health problems, and this effect was mediated by attachment to God. Future research directions and implications are discussed.
ISSN:1934-9637
1934-9645
DOI:10.1080/19349637.2017.1396197