title: Belief in life-after-death, beliefs about the world, and psychiatric symptoms.
abstract: Data from the 2010 Baylor Religion Survey were analyzed by structural equation modeling (SEM) to test five hypotheses: (1) that religious commitment is positively related to belief in life-after-death; that belief in life-after-death is (2) positively related to belief in an equitable world, and (3) negatively related to belief in a cynical world; (4) that belief in a cynical world has a pernicious association with psychiatric symptoms; and (5) that belief in an equitable world has a salubrious association with psychiatric symptoms. As hypothesized, religious commitment was positively related to belief in life-after-death (β = .74). In turn, belief in life-after-death was negatively associated with belief in a cynical world (β = -.16) and positively associated with belief in an equitable world (β = .36), as hypothesized. SEM further confirmed that belief in a cynical world had a significant pernicious association with all five classes of psychiatric symptoms (β's = .11 to .30). Belief in an equitable world had a weaker and less consistent salubrious association with psychiatric symptoms. The results are discussed in the context of ETAS theory.
authors.affiliation: The Spears Research Institute, HealthCare Chaplaincy, 307 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022, USA. kflannelly@healthcarechaplaincy.org
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Flannelly
authors.forename: Christopher G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Ellison
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Galek
authors.forename: Nava R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Silton
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D014481:United States