Acculturative stress of missionaries: Does religious orientation affect religious coping and adjustment?

Psychological Health and Meaning in Life: Stress, Social Support, and Religious Coping in Latina and Latino Immigrants

“…Although there is currently a void in the literature regarding the examination of self-reported perceived stress in Latina/Latino immigrant populations, one study of missionaries suggested that there is an intersection between perceived stress and culture (Navara & James, 2005). Missionaries posted over seas for at least a year in countries like Honduras and El Salvador were asked to describe their perceived stress (Navara & James, 2005).…”

“…Although there is currently a void in the literature regarding the examination of self-reported perceived stress in Latina/Latino immigrant populations, one study of missionaries suggested that there is an intersection between perceived stress and culture (Navara & James, 2005). Missionaries posted over seas for at least a year in countries like Honduras and El Salvador were asked to describe their perceived stress (Navara & James, 2005). The findings suggested that perceived stress was correlated negatively with social support and positively with religious coping which is consistent with the authors' acculturation and coping model (Navara & James, 2005).…”

“…Missionaries posted over seas for at least a year in countries like Honduras and El Salvador were asked to describe their perceived stress (Navara & James, 2005). The findings suggested that perceived stress was correlated negatively with social support and positively with religious coping which is consistent with the authors' acculturation and coping model (Navara & James, 2005). In sum, although these findings highlighted the importance of perceived stress as related to culture and coping, the directionality in this relationship was not discussed, nor were interactions or mediators included in the analyses.…”

An investigation of relationship correlates and predictors of cultural adjustment among missionaries.

“…While missionaries have often been placed in the same category as other expatriate groups in the research literature, they have been found to differ from other expatriates in the population at-large in many ways (Navara & James, 2005). These include the value they put on religion and spirituality, as well as their belief in a call or purpose that has led them to the mission field (Navara & James, 2005).…”

“…Because relatively little research has been conducted exploring the cultural adjustment process of missionaries living in foreign placements (Kimber, 2012;Navara & James, 2005), it is difficult for mission organizations to determine the best information to provide their missionaries in order to assist in the cultural adjustment process. Additionally, mission…”