Religious Coping, Stress, and Mental and Physical Health: A Pooled Analysis Across Diverse US Cohorts in Studies on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH)

Katherine Carroll Britt; Augustine Cassis Obeng Boateng; Yue Gu; Anna Boonin Schachter; Martha L Daviglus; Shelley A Cole; A Heather Eliassen; Frank J Penedo; Harold G Koenig; Krista M Perreira; Alexandra E Shields; Erica T Warner

doi:10.1007/s10943-026-02696-1

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Religious Coping, Stress, and Mental and Physical Health: A Pooled Analysis Across Diverse US Cohorts in Studies on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH)

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Religious Coping, Stress, and Mental and Physical Health: A Pooled Analysis Across Diverse US Cohorts in Studies on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH)

Katherine Carroll Britt, Augustine Cassis Obeng Boateng, Yue Gu, Anna Boonin Schachter, Martha L Daviglus, Shelley A Cole, A Heather Eliassen, Frank J Penedo, Harold G Koenig, Krista M Perreira, …

Journal of religion and health

06/12/2026

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-026-02696-1

PMID: 42284004

Appears in UI Libraries Support Open Access

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Abstract

This study examined the association between perceived stress and mental/physical health (SF-12) and the moderating role of positive and negative religious coping using data (n = 5,059) from three cohorts (the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (n = 585), Nurses' Health Study II (n = 3,882), and The Strong Heart Study (n = 592)) which included Hispanic/Latino, non-Hispanic White, and American Indian individuals in the USA. By incorporating cohorts representing historically underserved racial and ethnic populations, this study contributes to the limited literature examining religious coping styles and stress across diverse groups. We examined the interaction between positive and negative religious coping and stress on mental/physical health, controlling for age, income, marital status, and education. Greater perceived stress was associated with poorer mental health [β = - 1.04 (- 1.37,- 0.7), p < 0.0001], but not worse physical health. Concerning moderation, positive religious coping attenuated [β = 0.23 (0.11, 0.35), p < 0.0001] and negative religious coping worsened [β = - 0.45 (- 0.88,- 0.02), p = 0.0034] the association between perceived stress and mental health in the combined analysis. Of note, patterns varied across cohorts, indicating that the role of religious coping style in shaping stress-health relationships may differ across cultural and religious contexts. Our findings highlight the importance of considering both positive and negative religious coping styles when examining psychosocial stress and mental health outcomes across diverse populations.

Religion

Marginalized populations

American Indian

Spiritual struggle

Hispanic

UIOWA OA Agreement

Details

Title: Subtitle: Religious Coping, Stress, and Mental and Physical Health: A Pooled Analysis Across Diverse US Cohorts in Studies on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH)
Creators: Katherine Carroll Britt - University of Iowa
Augustine Cassis Obeng Boateng - University of Pennsylvania
Yue Gu - Massachusetts General Hospital
Anna Boonin Schachter - Massachusetts General Hospital
Martha L Daviglus - University of Illinois Chicago
Shelley A Cole - Texas Biomedical Research Institute
A Heather Eliassen - Harvard University
Frank J Penedo - University of Miami
Harold G Koenig - Duke University Health System
Krista M Perreira - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Alexandra E Shields - Massachusetts General Hospital
Erica T Warner - Massachusetts General Hospital
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of religion and health
DOI: 10.1007/s10943-026-02696-1
PMID: 42284004
NLM abbreviation: J Relig Health
ISSN: 1573-6571
eISSN: 1573-6571
Publisher: Springer Nature
Grant note: K01CA18807 / NCI NIH HHS T32NR009356 / NINR NIH HHS 59607 / John Templeton Foundation
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 06/12/2026
Academic Unit: Nursing; Center for Social Science Innovation
Record Identifier: 9985172994702771

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