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Is Religious Coping Related to Better Quality of Life Following Acute Myocardial Infarction?

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Abstract

Although few studies have examined the extent to which religiousness is related to better well-being following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), studies from the broader literature suggest that positive religious coping may be helpful while more negative forms of religious coping may be related to poorer well-being. To assess the relationship between positive and negative religious coping and depressive symptoms in patients with AMI, we collected data twice over a 1-month period from 56 patients hospitalized with a first AMI. Controlling for demographic variables and social support, both positive and negative religious coping were independently related to higher levels of depressive symptoms both in hospital and at a one-month follow-up. Further, even when controlling for baseline depressive symptoms, religious coping predicted higher subsequent depressive symptoms. These results suggest that religious coping appears to be maladaptive in dealing with acute MI, perhaps because this type of recovery requires more active forms of coping.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by internal grants from the University of Connecticut Research Foundation and Hartford Hospital. We appreciate the work of Tara Wall, Ph.D. in helping us collect the in-hospital data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA

    Crystal L. Park

  2. Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, USA

    Ellen Dornelas

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  1. Crystal L. Park
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Correspondence to Crystal L. Park.

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Park, C.L., Dornelas, E. Is Religious Coping Related to Better Quality of Life Following Acute Myocardial Infarction?. J Relig Health 51, 1337–1346 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-010-9446-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-010-9446-4

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