Initial development of a measure of religious coping among Hindus

✍ Scribed by Nalini Tarakeshwar; Kenneth I. Pargament; Annette Mahoney

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 150 KB
• Volume: 31
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0090-4392
• DOI: 10.1002/jcop.10071

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

We developed and validated a measure that would comprehensively capture religious coping strategies used by Hindus in the United States (U.S.). Based on qualitative interviews with Hindus (N = 15) and existing religious coping measures, a Hindu religious coping scale was constructed. After a pilot test of this scale among Hindus in the Midwest (N = 42), a sample of Hindus across the U.S. (N = 164) completed the Hindu religious coping scale along with measures of mental health. Results indicated that religious coping was a salient construct for Hindus and related to better mental health. Empirical data revealed specific forms of religious coping that are characteristic of Hindu theology. Further, results of the factor analyses of the Hindu religious coping scale yielded three factors, “God‐focused” religious coping, “Spirituality‐focused” religious coping, and “Religious guilt, anger, and passivity.” Findings provided support for the reliability and validity of the Hindu religious coping scale. Implications for theory and practice were discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 31: 607–628, 2003.