Religious coping, health, and health service use among bereaved adults.
OBJECTIVE
This report examined associations between religious coping, health, and health service use among a sample of 265 recently bereaved adults.


METHODS
Participants were interviewed an average of 6.3 (SD = 7.4) months after their loss and again 4 months later. Multivariate regression models and repeated measures ANOVA analyses estimated the influence of religious coping on health and health service use at baseline and follow-up, controlling for significant confounding influences, such as health promoting behaviors.


RESULTS
At baseline, those high on religious coping had significantly more functional disabilities than did those low on religious coping. Controlling for health status, participants with higher religious coping scores were significantly less likely to visit their doctor during the 60 days prior to the baseline interview. Despite worse health and less health service use at baseline, those high on religious coping had equivalent health status to those low on religious coping at follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Greater use of religious coping is associated with more functional disabilities and fewer outpatient physical health care visits at baseline, but a lack of decline in health at 4-month follow-up among the bereaved, a sub-group at risk for numerous health impairments. Possible reasons for this association and its implications are discussed.
Pearce
Michelle J
MJ
Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CT 06520-8205, USA. Michelle.Pearce@Yale.edu
Chen
Joyce
J
Silverman
Gabriel K
GK
Kasl
Stanislav V
SV
Rosenheck
Robert
R
Prigerson
Holly G
HG
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001601:Bereavement; D003237:Connecticut; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006296:Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012067:Religion