Religion, Purpose in Life, Social Support, and Psychological Distress in Chinese University Students

We examined the relationship between religious involvement and psychological distress and explored the mediating effects of social support and purpose in life in university students in western, mid-western, and eastern China. Cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 1812 university stude...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Wang, Zhizhong (Autor) ; Koenig, Harold G. 1951- (Autor) ; Ma, Hui (Autor) ; Shohaib, Saad Al (Autor)
Tipo de documento: Electrónico Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Verificar disponibilidad: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Publicado: [2016]
En: Journal of religion and health
Año: 2016, Volumen: 55, Número: 3, Páginas: 1055-1064
Otras palabras clave:B Purpose in life
B Religión
B Social Support
B Mainland China
B Psychological Distress
Acceso en línea: Volltext (Publisher)
Volltext (doi)
Descripción
Sumario:We examined the relationship between religious involvement and psychological distress and explored the mediating effects of social support and purpose in life in university students in western, mid-western, and eastern China. Cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 1812 university students was conducted. The Purpose in Life scale, Duke Social Support Index, and Religious Commitment Inventory-10 were administered, along with Kessler’s Psychological Distress Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to test two models of the mediation hypothesis, examining direct, indirect, and total effects. Model 1 (with direction of effect hypothesized from religiosity to psychological distress) indicated that religious involvement had a direct effect on increasing psychological distress (β = 0.23, p < .01) with minor mediated effects. However, Model 2 (with direction of effect hypothesized from psychological distress to religiosity) indicated strong indirect protective effects of religiosity on psychological distress through purpose in life and social support (β = −.40, p < .01). The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that psychological distress increases religious involvement, which then increases purpose in life and social support that then lead to lower psychological distress.
ISSN:1573-6571
Obras secundarias:Enthalten in: Journal of religion and health
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/s10943-016-0184-0