1,362
Views
52
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

The role of spirituality in coping: Examining the relationships between spiritual dimensions and coping styles

Pages 643-653 | Received 17 Oct 2007, Accepted 17 Jan 2008, Published online: 26 Sep 2008
 

Abstract

This article explores the role played by spirituality in coping and presents the relationships between spiritual dimensions and coping styles. Spirituality has been considered as an important buffer against stressful events which may help people to overcome their distress and difficulties. Two hundred and eight individuals completed questionnaires which included the Self-description Questionnaire of Spirituality and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations. The results suggest that three spiritual dimensions, i.e., Religious attitudes, Ethical sensitivity, and Harmony, play an important role in coping processes. The dimensions have a different impact on particular styles depending on their internal structure. Overall spirituality was associated with Task-oriented and Social Diversion coping. It means that people characterized by a high level of spirituality will try to solve problems through efforts aimed at solving the problem and seeking out social support. There was no statistically significant relationship between Religious attitudes and coping styles. Ethical sensitivity was positively connected with using Task-oriented, Avoidance-oriented, and Social Diversion coping. Harmony was associated positively with Task-oriented, but negatively with Avoidance-oriented, coping. The relationships between spirituality dimensions and coping styles confirmed the assumption that people's reactions to stress relate to the configuration of their spiritual qualities.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 53.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 286.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.