Spiritual Struggles and Psychological Distress: Is There a Dark Side of Religion?

Ellison, Christopher G.; Lee, Jun Young

doi:10.1007/s11205-009-9553-3

Cited by 266 publications

(227 citation statements)

References 56 publications

(89 reference statements)

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“…Strong correlations among the first-order factors (rs = 0.31-0.66, median = 0.51) build evidence for a second-order factor that could represent R/S struggle in general, but a CFA of this model can more precisely quantify support for any single factor that affects all six dimensions of the RSS, which could also include religiousness or distress. Secondarily, model estimation and evaluation methods did not accommodate the ordinal measurement of skewed latent distributions inherent in the design of the RSS and the nature of R/S struggles, which are rarely severe, especially in non-clinical populations [20,21].…”

Section: Measurement Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Does the RSS merely measure religious expressions of ordinary distress, or expressions of religiousness from particularly distressed people? Neither seems likely given the modest strength of correlations among these constructs as measured independently [19][20][21], as well as evidence of moderators of these relationships [22]. Nonetheless, these theoretical simplifications warrant further disproof if one must reject them and conceptualize R/S struggles as independent constructs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bifactor Models of Religious and Spiritual Struggles: Distinct from Religiousness and Distress

et al. 2016

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Abstract:The Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale (RSS) measures important psychological constructs in an underemphasized section of the overlap between religion and well-being. Are religious/spiritual struggles distinct from religiousness, distress, and each other? To test the RSS' internal discriminant validity, we replicated the original six-factor measurement model across five large samples (N = 5705) and tested the fit of a restricted bifactor model, which supported the mutual viability of multidimensional and unidimensional scoring systems for the RSS. Additionally, we explored a bifactor model with correlated group factors that exhibited optimal fit statistics. This model maintained the correlations among the original factors while extracting a general factor from the RSS. This general factor's strong correlations with religious participation and belief salience suggested that this factor resembles religiousness itself. Estimating this general factor seemed to improve Demonic and Moral struggles' independence from religiousness, but did not change any factor's correlations with neuroticism, depression, anxiety, and stress. These distress factors correlated with most of the independent group factors corresponding to the original dimensions of the RSS, especially Ultimate Meaning and Divine struggles. These analyses demonstrate the discriminant validity of religious/spiritual struggles and the complexity of their relationships with religiousness and distress.

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Section: Measurement Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bifactor Models of Religious and Spiritual Struggles: Distinct from Religiousness and Distress

et al. 2016

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“…Thus, these feelings are not primarily a matter of depression (although it might be related), but an inability to get in contact with God and to communicate with Him (i.e., in prayer) and thus to perceive God in one's life concerns. Spiritual struggles or "spiritual dryness" are classical themes in religious literature [3]. "The dark night of the soul" (Saint John of the Cross) is a form of a human crisis experienced especially by persons who are deeply devoted to a spiritual life [4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spiritual Dryness in Non-Ordained Catholic Pastoral Workers

et al. 2016

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Background: We wondered whether "spiritual dryness" as a specific phase of "spiritual crisis" or insecurity is mostly a matter only of Catholic priests or can also be found in other pastoral professionals. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, we measured the prevalence of spiritual dryness in non-ordained Catholic pastoral workers, and identified relevant predictors. Results: In a sample of 3.277 pastoral workers, 50% would occasionally experience phases of spiritual dryness, while 13% experience it often or even regularly. There were no significant differences between women and men, professions, or age groups. The best predictors of spiritual dryness were low transcendence perception and a low sense of coherence (both are resources), as well as depressive symptoms and stress perception (both are demands or stressors), which would explain 41% of the variance. Self-efficacy expectation and social support were not among the significant predictors. Conclusion: Both the proportions and the main predictors are similar compared to Catholic priests. It is thus not the underlying profession or vocation and the related life situation or differences in social support, but predominantly specific perceptions, feelings, and attitudes that are related to the phenomenon of spiritual dryness-and these can be found in all pastoral professionals who seriously live their spirituality.

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“…Third, only a few features of religious doubt and the process that relate to or encompasses this cognitive phenomenon were studied. Other aspects-Krause and Allison's precipitants of doubt, Guinness' different kinds of doubt, or Ellison and Lee's problematic religious doubting-were not investigated (Krause and Ellison 2009;Ellison and Lee 2010;Guinness 1976). Last, the explained variances associated with the statistically significant social personality predictors of doubt constructs were small (i.e., R 2 ranged 2-10%).…”

Section: Limitations and Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protestant Millennials, Religious Doubt, & the Local Church

Puffer

2017

Religions

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Millennials are the most analyzed and populous generation in the United States. Collectively, they have been slowly re-shaping the American culture. Protestant Millennials, a subset of this generation, have been ruffling feathers in their local churches. Many, who once regularly attended, are leaving. Unwise responses by local church leaders to their young parishioners' doubting habits significantly contributed to the departure. This study pursued a sample of college-aged Protestant Millennials to know them in a psychological sense. The intentions were twofold: to discover social personality traits that predict their doubting practices and to develop practical and proactive relational strategies for local church leaders. Self-report data on personality features and doubt phenomena were obtained from 532 religiously committed undergraduates in the United States. Results from multivariate regression procedures revealed three social personality dispositions contributed to the prediction of the doubt constructs. Implications and applications of the findings are discussed.

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Spiritual Struggles and Psychological Distress: Is There a Dark Side of Religion?

Abstract: Mental health, Religion, Spirituality, Spiritual struggle, Doubt, Negative interaction,

Cited by 266 publications

References 56 publications

Bifactor Models of Religious and Spiritual Struggles: Distinct from Religiousness and Distress

Bifactor Models of Religious and Spiritual Struggles: Distinct from Religiousness and Distress

Spiritual Dryness in Non-Ordained Catholic Pastoral Workers

Protestant Millennials, Religious Doubt, & the Local Church

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