title: Does religiousness and spirituality moderate the relations between physical and mental health among aging prisoners?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined positive and negative religious coping as moderators of the relation between physical limitations, depression, and desire for hastened death among male inmates incarcerated primarily for murder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inmates over the age of 45 years who passed a cognitive screening completed face-to-face interviews (N = 94; mean age = 57.7 years; SD = 10.68). Multiple regression analyses included age, race/ethnicity, parole belief, physical health, positive or negative religious coping, and all two-way interactions represented by the product of health and a religious coping variable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Older inmates and those who reported greater levels of positive religious coping endorsed fewer symptoms of depression, whereas those who reported greater levels of negative religious coping endorsed more symptoms of depression. Inmates who reported higher levels of depression endorsed a greater desire for hastened death. The effect of physical functioning on desire for hastened death is moderated by negative religious coping such that those who endorsed higher levels of negative religious coping reported a greater desire for hastened death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Examinations of religious/spiritual practices and mindfulness-based interventions in prison research have assumed a positive stance with regard to the potential impact of religious/spiritual coping on physical and mental health. The current findings provide cautionary information that may further assist in selection of inmates for participation in such interventions.
authors.affiliation: The University of Alabama, Center for Mental Health and Aging, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA. rsallen@ua.edu
authors.forename: Rebecca S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Grant M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Martha R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Crowther
authors.forename: Joann S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cavanaugh
authors.forename: Laura L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012067:Religion; D029181:Spirituality