Relations of religiosity and spirituality with depressive symptoms in primary care adults: Evidence for hope agency and pathway as mediators

Abstract

This study examined hope agency and pathway as potential mediators of the associations of religiosity and spirituality with depressive symptoms in an adult sample of 101 primary care adults. Results of conducting multiple mediation tests indicated that hope agency and pathway fully and significantly accounted for the associations of religiosity and spirituality with depressive symptoms. In contrast, an alternative mediation model involving religiosity and spirituality as potential mediators of the associations of hope agency and pathway with depressive symptoms failed to be supported. Overall, our findings offer support for the contention that hope agency and pathway play important roles in accounting for the associations of religiosity and spirituality with psychological adjustment in adults. Some implications of the present findings are discussed.

Keywords:

• hope
• religiosity
• spirituality
• depressive symptoms
• primary care adults

Acknowledgement

The first author would like to acknowledge Chang Suk-Choon and Tae Myung-Sook for their encouragement and support throughout this project.