The Relationship Between Pre-pandemic Measures of Religiosity and Psychological Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Secondary Analysis of Data From a Multi-Country Study

Abstract

Background The uncertainty and socioeconomic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have been frequently associated with negative affective responses, particularly depression and anxiety. People from countries across the globe have frequently resorted to religious coping to deal with these emotions. However, there are conflicting results in the literature about the impact of prior patterns of religious belief and practice on emotional responses to COVID-19. Methods In this cross-sectional, country-level study, the association between pre-pandemic measures of religious affiliation and practice, obtained from prior survey data and self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress across 29 countries from a recent multi-country study, were examined while correcting for potential confounders. Results There was a trend towards a positive association between pre-pandemic religious belief and practice and anxiety in response to the pandemic (r = .36, p = .057), but this was not significant on multivariate analysis (β = .08, p = .691). Cultural individualism and urbanization were negatively associated with anxiety during the pandemic. There was also preliminary evidence of a non-linear relationship between religiosity and pandemic-related anxiety. Conclusions The relationship between religiosity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely to be a direct one and can be influenced by demographic and cultural factors.

Psychological impact of COVID-19 and determinants among Spanish university students

“…One of the best-known coping strategies to deal with the negative effects that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the mental health of the population was having religious beliefs, attitudes, or practices (90)(91)(92)(93)(94). Nevertheless, our study participants who believed in a religion showed a higher score for fear of COVID-19, in line with other studies (95)(96)(97). According to Krok et al ( 98), the fear of COVID-19 also intensified the effect of religiosity on meaning-making, leading individuals to seek religious activities for emotional support and coping strategies.…”