Black Psychology Exam/ Due Monday by 6:00
Ojillius22
Ch.7PSYC3230.pptxReligion and Spirituality
Ingrid Cockhren, M.Ed
Religion and Spirituality
Scholars have begun to map the role of religion and spirituality in the prosocial and positive psychological development of African Americans.
Defining Religiosity, Spirituality, and Psychological Health
Religion/religiosity refers to one’s adherence to the prescribed beliefs and ritual practices associated with the worship of God or a system of gods.
Defining Religiosity, Spirituality, and Psychological Health
Spirituality refers to a relationship between transcendent forces (i.e., God, spirits, ancestors) and human’s that results both in the individual’s recognition of the sacredness of all things and in a conscious commitment to a life of virtue.
Defining Religiosity, Spirituality, and Psychological Health
For African American adherents of theistic religions, God/Allah, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are among the ultimate manifestations of the omnipresent and omniscient force that we refer to as “The Sacred” or “The Divine.”
Defining Religiosity, Spirituality, and Psychological Health
Individuals may express their commitment to the divine by:
Organizational religious involvement
Non-organizational involvement
Subjective religiosity or subjective spirituality
Defining Religiosity, Spirituality, and Psychological Health
Psychological health refers to the experience of having a psyche (mind) that is whole, sound, and well.
Religion and Psychological Health: An Overview of Findings from Correlational Studies
Research has established that religion and spirituality do influence the psychological health of African Americans.
African American adults who regularly attend religious services report fewer family, work, and financial stresses than do their less involved counterparts.
Religion and Psychological Health: An Overview of Findings from Correlational Studies
Research has established that religion and spirituality do influence the psychological health of African Americans.
African American seek religious support for a plethora of issues.
Religion and Psychological Health: An Overview of Findings from Correlational Studies
Research has established that religion and spirituality do influence the psychological health of African Americans.
Religiosity and spirituality buffer the effects of discrimination on mental health among African Americans and are associated with efforts to negotiate extraordinary forms of violation
Religiosity, Spirituality, and Pathways to Health and Wellness
Religious institutions:
Provide an array of supports to members of African American communities
Facilitate the mental health of children, adolescents, and adults, by providing concrete opportunities for involvement in constructive activities.
Religiosity, Spirituality, and Pathways to Health and Wellness
Religious institutions:
Have historically promoted the psychological well-being of youth and adults by routinely, publicly celebrating the personal achievements of youth (honor roll, scholarships, internships, and college and graduate school acceptances).
Promote psychological health and well-being by situating African American youth and adults in an enduring and supportive multigenerational, familistic web of relationships that include minister, and an array of other religious leaders, authority figures, and coreligionists.
Religiosity, Spirituality, and Pathways to Health and Wellness
Non-organizational religious involvement: Focus on prayer
A national survey of African Americans revealed that prayer is the coping resource of choice for most of them particularly for African American women.
Through prayer, people experience emotional and moral support and receive guidance and answers to prayers.
Religiosity, Spirituality, and Pathways to Health and Wellness
Non-organizational religious involvement: focus on prayer
Prayer is also a vehicle by which people extend and demonstrate their concern and support for others who are in need.
Neuroscientists and neurotheologists speculate that prayer and meditation may influence health by altering brain chemistry and improving immune functioning.
Prayer also may serve as a vehicle for emotional catharsis.
Religiosity, Spirituality, and Pathways to Health and Wellness
Meaning making
The link between faith and mental health/wellness is influenced powerfully by our conceptualization of the nature of the divine and by our understanding of how this force operates in our lives.
In research viewing God as loving, forgiving, and supportive figure reported a greater level of optimism.
African Americans who make meaning-centered attributions to God (i.e., Those who believe that there is a divine purpose for the negative events that occur in their lives) reported greater wellbeing (i.e., Greater self-esteem and satisfaction).
Religiosity, Spirituality, and Pathways to Health and Wellness
Religious involvement and emotional and behavioral control
Religious and spiritual youth were more likely than their counterparts to regulate their own emotions and behaviors; that is they were less likely to externalize their anger and more likely to exercise control over their behavior.
Religiosity and spirituality may provide individuals with a moral grounding that guides choices and behaviors.
Religiosity, Spirituality, and Pathways to Health and Wellness
Religiosity and identity coherence
There is compelling emerging evidence that religion and religious institutions may influence mental health by influencing the way that religious adherents construct, understand, and experience their social identities particularly their racial identity.
Religiosity, Spirituality, and Pathways to Health and Wellness
Religiosity and identity coherence
Historically churches have taken a hostile stance on the LGBT populations.
Limits of Extant Research and Future Directions for Empirical Research
Research of psychological health has proceeded under the assumption that the meaning of health is universal.
