Forgiveness and Physical Health

Toussaint, Loren; Worthington, Everett L.; Williams, David R.; Webb, Jon R.

doi:10.4324/9781351123341-17

Cited by 53 publications

(81 citation statements)

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“…These findings initially seem to contradict a growing number of studies that find positive correlations between forgiveness and improved physical health and health behaviors. In their 2020 review of existing empirical research on forgiveness and physical health, Toussaint et al note that despite the overwhelmingly positive correlations between forgiveness and self-reported health, reverse causation cannot be ruled out due to the lack of longitudinal design [37]. In other words, while forgiveness may result in better physical health, it may be the case that those in better physical health or with better health behaviors might be more likely to forgive.…”

Section: Forgiveness Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forgiveness of others and subsequent health and well-being in mid-life: a longitudinal study on female nurses

et al. 2020

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Background Forgiveness is a concept of growing interest within psychology and of potential relevance to public health. While there has been increasing evidence suggesting positive associations between forgiveness of others and a range of psychosocial well-being and mental health outcomes, its associations with health behaviors and physical health are less clear. Methods This study used longitudinal data from the Nurses’ Health Study II (2008 Trauma Exposure and Post-traumatic Stress Supplementary Survey to 2015 questionnaire wave, N = 54,703), to conduct an outcome-wide analysis among a cohort of female nurses in the United States (age range: 43–64 years). The study prospectively examines the association between spiritually motivated forgiveness of others and a number of of subsequent psychosocial well-being, mental health, health behavior, and physical health outcomes in midlife. A set of linear, logistic, and Poisson regression models were used to regress each outcome on forgiveness in separate models. Sociodemographic factors, prior religious service attendance, and prior values of all outcome variables were controlled for wherever data were available. To account for multiple testing, we performed Bonferroni correction. Results Forgiveness was associated with subsequent improved psychosocial well-being and reduced psychological distress outcomes in a monotonic pattern. For instance, the top versus bottom level of forgiveness was associated with substantially higher levels of subsequent positive affect (β = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.21) and social integration (β = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.17), and was inversely associated with several indicators of subsequent psychological distress such as depressive symptoms (β = − 0.16, 95% CI: − 0.19, − 0.14). However, in this sample, there was little evidence that forgiveness was associated with health behaviors or physical health outcomes. Discussion This study suggests that forgiveness may be a health asset for promoting population mental health and psychosocial well-being, and moreover may also be understood as a good in itself. Further investigation on the dynamics between forgiveness and physical health is warranted to explore the discrepancy between the results here and some past research.

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Section: Forgiveness Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forgiveness of others and subsequent health and well-being in mid-life: a longitudinal study on female nurses

et al. 2020

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“…Many religious groups promote some notion of forgiveness. The existing research suggests that forgiveness is itself associated with better mental health, and possibly with better physical health ( Toussaint, Worthington, & Williams, 2015 ). Relatively strong evidence comes from randomized trials of interventions to promote forgiveness: Meta-analyses indicate that these forgiveness interventions have beneficial effects not only on forgiveness but also on depression, anxiety, and hope ( Wade, Hoyt, Kidwell, & Worthington, 2014 ).…”

Section: Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Religious Communities and Human Flourishing

VanderWeele

2017

Curr Dir Psychol Sci

112

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Participation in religious services is associated with numerous aspects of human flourishing, including happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, and close social relationships. Evidence for the effects of religious communities on these flourishing outcomes now comes from rigorous longitudinal study designs with extensive confounding control. The associations with flourishing are much stronger for communal religious participation than for spiritual-religious identity or for private practices. While the social support is an important mechanism relating religion to health, this only explains a small portion of the associations. Numerous other mechanisms appear to be operative as well. It may be the confluence of the religious values and practices, reinforced by social ties and norms, that give religious communities their powerful effects on so many aspects of human flourishing.

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“…Thus, it is important to pursue endeavors that determine protective personal factors as appropriate points of intervention in order to mitigate the impact of negative emotions on mental health associated with bullying and cyberbullying victimisation. One individual approach to dealing with negative emotions after interpersonal transgressions that has been found to have related to less emotional hurt in response to past different instances of aggression is forgiveness [ 29 , 30 ]. Although there is a growing body of research focusing on forgiveness and bullying, the majority of studies have been conducted in the context of adulthood [ 31 , 32 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Forgiveness is a concept that involves: “(a) the reduction in vengeful and angry thoughts, feelings, and motives that may be accompanied by (b) an increase in some form of positive thoughts, feelings, and motives” ([ 33 ], p. 154) towards the perpetrator, the transgression, and oneself [ 29 ]. Previous studies have suggested the beneficial effects of forgiveness in psychological and physical health in a variety of interpersonal offenses, most of which are focused on adult forgiveness [ 29 , 31 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional Bullying, Cyberbullying and Mental Health in Early Adolescents: Forgiveness as a Protective Factor of Peer Victimisation

Quintana-Orts

Rey

2018

IJERPH

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Traditional and online bullying are prevalent throughout adolescence. Given their negative consequences, it is necessary to seek protective factors to reduce or even prevent their detrimental effects in the mental health of adolescents before they become chronic. Previous studies have demonstrated the protective role of forgiveness in mental health after several transgressions. This study assessed whether forgiveness moderated the effects of bullying victimisation and cybervictimisation on mental health in a sample of 1044 early adolescents (527 females; M = 13.09 years; SD = 0.77). Participants completed a questionnaire battery that measures both forms of bullying victimisation, suicidal thoughts and behaviours, satisfaction with life, and forgiveness. Consistent with a growing body of research, results reveal that forgiveness is a protective factor against the detrimental effects of both forms of bullying. Among more victimised and cybervictimised adolescents, those with high levels of forgiveness were found to report significantly higher levels of satisfaction compared to those with low levels of forgiveness. Likewise, those reporting traditional victimisation and higher levels of forgiveness levels showed lower levels of suicidal risk. Our findings contribute to an emerging relationship between forgiveness after bullying and indicators of mental health, providing new areas for research and intervention.

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Forgiveness and Physical Health

Cited by 53 publications

References 1 publication

Forgiveness of others and subsequent health and well-being in mid-life: a longitudinal study on female nurses

Forgiveness of others and subsequent health and well-being in mid-life: a longitudinal study on female nurses

Religious Communities and Human Flourishing

Traditional Bullying, Cyberbullying and Mental Health in Early Adolescents: Forgiveness as a Protective Factor of Peer Victimisation

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