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The effects of religion and social support on self-esteem and depression among the suddenly bereaved

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Abstract

This study examines the effects of religion and of the quantity and quality of social support on self-esteem and depression among the suddenly bereaved. Data are collected from medical examiner records and mail-back surveys from family members of victims of suicides and accidental deaths in a large metropolitan area of the United States. Recursive models of church attendance and social support on well-being are estimated using generalized least squares. We find that religious participation significantly increases self-esteem, but has no significant effect on depression. The findings also indicate that frequency of contact with friends and relatives, confiding with friends and relatives, and quality of recieved expressive support independently predict both self-esteem and depression.

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This study was supported by grants to Mark D. Reed from the SMU University Research Council, and from the Duke University Research Council. The authors thank Charles Petty, Bill Lene, Barbara Babcock, and Jason Greenwald for their assistance, and Chris Ellison for helpful comments.

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Sherkat, D.E., Reed, M.D. The effects of religion and social support on self-esteem and depression among the suddenly bereaved. Soc Indic Res 26, 259–275 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00286562

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