TY - JOUR
T1 - Spirituality and multiple dimensions of religion are associated with mental health in gay and bisexual men
T2 - Results from the one thousand strong cohort
AU - Lassiter, Jonathan M.
AU - Saleh, Lena
AU - Grov, Christian
AU - Starks, Tyrel
AU - Ventuneac, Ana
AU - Parsons, Jeffrey T.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 American Psychological Association.
PY - 2019/11
Y1 - 2019/11
N2 - The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between religion, spirituality, and mental health among gay and bisexual men (GBM). A U.S. national sample of 1,071 GBM completed an online survey that measured demographic characteristics, religiosity, religious coping, spirituality, and four mental health constructs (i.e., depressive symptoms, rejection sensitivity, resilience, and social support). Linear regressions determined the associations between each mental health construct, demographic variables, and the spirituality and religion variables. Controlling for demographic characteristics, spirituality was negatively associated with depressive symptoms and rejection sensitivity, and positively associated with resilience and social support (all p <.001). Religiosity was positively associated with rejection sensitivity (p <.05) and negatively associated with resilience (p <.01). Religious coping was positively associated with depression (p <.001) and rejection sensitivity (p <.05) and negatively associated with resilience (p <.05) and social support (p <.05). The interaction of spirituality with religiosity was significantly associated with all mental health variables. In general, religious GBM with higher levels of spirituality had better mental health outcomes. Public health interventions and clinical practice aimed at decreasing negative mental health outcomes among GBM may find it beneficial to integrate spirituality into their work.
AB - The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between religion, spirituality, and mental health among gay and bisexual men (GBM). A U.S. national sample of 1,071 GBM completed an online survey that measured demographic characteristics, religiosity, religious coping, spirituality, and four mental health constructs (i.e., depressive symptoms, rejection sensitivity, resilience, and social support). Linear regressions determined the associations between each mental health construct, demographic variables, and the spirituality and religion variables. Controlling for demographic characteristics, spirituality was negatively associated with depressive symptoms and rejection sensitivity, and positively associated with resilience and social support (all p <.001). Religiosity was positively associated with rejection sensitivity (p <.05) and negatively associated with resilience (p <.01). Religious coping was positively associated with depression (p <.001) and rejection sensitivity (p <.05) and negatively associated with resilience (p <.05) and social support (p <.05). The interaction of spirituality with religiosity was significantly associated with all mental health variables. In general, religious GBM with higher levels of spirituality had better mental health outcomes. Public health interventions and clinical practice aimed at decreasing negative mental health outcomes among GBM may find it beneficial to integrate spirituality into their work.
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U2 - 10.1037/rel0000146
DO - 10.1037/rel0000146
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85035068267
SN - 1941-1022
VL - 11
SP - 408
EP - 416
JO - Psychology of Religion and Spirituality
JF - Psychology of Religion and Spirituality
IS - 4
ER -