This study examines the influence of acculturative stress on substance use and HIV risk behaviors among recent Latino immigrants. The central hypothesis of the study is that specific religious coping mechanisms influence the relationship that acculturative stress has on the substance use and HIV-risk behaviors of recent Latino immigrants. Within the Latino culture religiosity is a pervasive force, guiding attitudes, behaviors, and even social interactions. When controlling for education and socioeconomic status, Latinos have been found to use religious coping mechanisms more frequently than their Non-Latino White counterparts. In addition, less acculturated Latinos use religious coping strategies more frequently than those with higher levels of acculturation. Given its prominent role in Latino culture, it appears probable that this mechanism may prove to be influential during difficult life transitions, such as those experienced during the immigration process. This study examines the moderating influence of specific religious coping mechanisms on the relationship between acculturative stress and substance use/HIV risk behaviors of recent Latino immigrants. Analyses for the present study were conducted with wave 2 data from an ongoing longitudinal study investigating associations between pre-immigration factors and health behavior trajectories of recent Latino immigrants. Structural equation and zero-inflated Poisson modeling were implemented to test the specified models and examine the nature of the relationship among the variables. Moderating effects were found for negative religious coping. Higher levels of negative religious coping strengthened an inverse relationship between acculturative stress and substance use. Results also indicated direct relationships between religious coping mechanisms and substance use. External and positive religious coping were inversely related to substance use. Negative religious coping was positively related to substance use. This study aims to contribute knowledge of how religious coping influence’s the adaptation process of recent Latino immigrants. Expanding scientific understanding as to the function and effect of these coping mechanisms could lead to enhanced culturally relevant approaches in service delivery among Latino populations. Furthermore this knowledge could inform research about specific cognitions and behaviors that need to be targeted in prevention and treatment programs with this population.

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African Americans have reported higher levels of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms than their Caucasian counterparts in some studies. Variables hypothesized to contribute to differential levels of PTSD symptoms between African Americans and Caucasians that have not been adequately explored in these studies include ethnicity, resource loss, religious coping, and social support. The purpose of this study was to test portions of a model that characterizes the relationship between traumatic events and PTSD symptoms in African Americans and Caucasians. It was hypothesized that ethnicity, perceived ethnic identity, socioeconomic status (SES), resource loss, religious coping, family support, and professional support would be significant predictors of PTSD symptoms. Data from 59 African American children and adolescents, aged 4 to 20, and 54 of their Caucasian counterparts from the Residential Fire Project were used to examine the role of ethnicity, SES, resource loss, religious coping, family support, and professional support in the development of PTSD symptoms. Data from 86 African Americans and 417 Caucasians, aged 15 to 21 from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS), were used to examine the role of ethnicity, perceived ethnic identity, SES, religious coping, family support, mental healthcare, and non-mental healthcare in the development of PTSD symptoms. Participants in the Fire Project were interviewed individually, and completed self-report questionnaires. Results indicated that only resource loss factors contributed significantly to the prediction of variance in PTSD symptoms. Participants in the NCS were also interviewed individually. Results indicated that mental healthcare, family support, SES, ethnicity, and religious coping contributed significantly to the prediction of variance in PTSD symptoms in this sample. Findings are discussed within a psychosocial model. / Master of Science

The substantial emotional impact of trauma on children, adolescents and their caregivers has been amply documented within the general disaster literature. However, research addressing the specific psychological impact of residential fire on child and family functioning is still considered to be in its infancy. The present study adapted the Transactional Stress and Coping (TSC) model for this purpose. This was an extension of the TSC model from the child chronic health to the trauma literature. The TSC model proposes that child and adolescent adjustment (i.e., in the present study, symptoms levels of PTSD, depression, anxiety) following a residential fire will be mediated by both child and adolescent adaptational processes (i.e., cognitive appraisal and coping methods), as well as family processes (i.e., family conflict and parent psychopathology). While the TSC was not supported, several preliminary results were found. Results indicated that family conflict (β = .289, p < .05) may have mediated the relationship between children’s overall adjustment at 4-months and parent-report of child internalizing symptoms at 11-months post-fire (β = .235, p > .05). Avoidant coping strategies (β = .294, p < .05) also may have mediated the relationship between child anxiety/depression at 4-months and PTSD symptoms at outcome (β = .246, p > .05). Furthermore, an interaction effect was found between parent report of child and adolescent internalizing symptoms and children and adolescents’ self-reports of religious avoidance. Finally, a moderation effect was also found between children and adolescents’ self-reports of their overall adjustment and self-reports of their active coping strategies. These results suggest a transactional relationship among family environmental variables and individual child adaptational processes which may predict adjustment outcomes. / Master of Science

Bakgrund: Att drabbas av en cancersjukdom kan leda till rädsla och osäkerhet men även till livsförändringar som patienten kan behöva anpassa sig till. Förmågan att anpassa sig kan ske hos patienter med en cancersjukdom genom copingstrategierna religion och andlighet. Dessa copingstrategier kan hjälpa patienterna att hantera situationen och därmed också finna en tröst och ett stöd. Syfte: Var att beskriva religion och andlighet som copingstrategier hos patienter med en cancersjukdom. Metod: Denna litteraturöversikt grundar sig på tio stycken vårdvetenskapliga artiklar som är utgivna mellan åren 2007-2013. Artiklarna är hämtade från databaserna CINAHL plus with full text och MEDLINE with full text. Artiklarna har bearbetats och analyserats stegvis. Resultat: Resultatet presenteras med hjälp av tre huvudteman; Gud och andlighet, Positiv och negativ religiös coping och Religiöst och andligt stöd. Alla dessa huvudteman innehåller även underteman. Gud och andlighet innebar att många patienter förlitade sig till Gud och sin andlighet samt att Gud kunde beskrivas och ses på olika sätt. Positiv och negativ religiös coping användes mer av kvinnor medan män använde sig mera utav en negativ religiös coping. Religiöst och andligt stöd visades vara något som inte togs upp av vårdgivare trots att nästan alla patienter önskade någon typ av andlig vård. Diskussion: Omvårdnadsteoretikern Katie Eriksson menar att alla människor på något sätt är andliga eller religiösa och att det inom vården måste uppmärksammas mer för att minska lidandet. Att använda religion och andlighet som en copingstrategi har kommit att bli ett verktyg för patienterna att kunna hantera deras cancersjukdom. De eventuella existentiella frågorna kunde enligt många patienter och Katie Eriksson endast bli besvarade genom religion och andlighet. / Background: To be suffering from a cancer disease can lead to fear and insecurity but also to the life changes that the patient may need to adjust to. The ability to adapt often occurs in patients with a cancer disease through the coping strategies religion and spirituality. These coping strategies can help patients to cope with the situation and therefore find comfort and support. Aim: Was to describe religion and spirituality as coping strategies in patients with a cancer disease.  Method: This literature review is based on ten healthcare scientific articles published between the years 2007-2013. The articles can be found in the databases CINAHL Plus with Full Text and MEDLINE with full text. The articles have been processed and analysed. Results: The result is presented using three main themes; God and spirituality, Positive and negative religious coping and Religious and spiritual support. All these main themes include subthemes. God and spirituality meant that many patients relied to God and their spirituality and that God could be described and viewed in different ways. Positive and negative religious coping was used more by women while men used more of a negative religious coping. Religious and spiritual support appeared to be something that was not addressed by health care providers despite the fact that almost all patients wanted some type of spiritual care. Discussions: Nursing theorist Katie Eriksson believes that all human beings are somehow spiritual or religious and that the healthcare needs to give more attention in order to reduce suffering. The use of religion and spirituality as a coping strategy has become a tool for patients to cope with their cancer disease. The eventual existential questions according to many patients and Katie Eriksson could only be answered through religion and spirituality.

The field of bereavement research is currently lacking empirical studies examining grief in adolescent and young adult populations. Furthermore, the roles of religion (Hays, & Hendrix, 2008), meaning-making (Park, 2005) and post-bereavement personal growth (Davis, 2008), all of which are critical to understanding the loss experiences of people in these age groups (Balk, & Corr, 1996), have yet to be enumerated in a reliable way in the literature. Stroebe (2004) has emphasized the need to improve methods and measurement tools by including more thorough measures of religious coping and bereavement experience. The current study aimed to clarify the process of meaning-making following the loss of a loved one by testing a mediational model in which the use of positive religious coping methods influence the maintenance or development of adaptive core beliefs, which in turn produce favorable outcomes. Data were collected in a survey format from 222 college students, and analyzed using structural equation modeling to test the data against Baron and Kenny’s (1986) criteria for mediation. The data do not support a mediational model of meaning-making for the current sample, but an acceptable model of the effects of world assumptions on outcome variables was developed. The data suggest that while all core beliefs are important to the process of personal growth following a loss, beliefs regarding self-worth are the strongest predictors of positive outcomes and stronger beliefs in the randomness of events are problematic.

Although there is a recognized need for counseling Muslims and underutilization of mental health services by this population is assumed, research regarding the attitudes of Muslims towards counseling is scarce. This qualitative study explored Muslim women's attitudes towards counseling and utilization of counseling services. The influence of religiosity and religious coping as well as the Muslim women's perception of the Imam-counselor liaison, and the influence of the liaison on counseling-seeking attitudes have been examined. Participants consisted of 10 purposefully selected Muslim women from each of five distinct socio-racial categories, including White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Arab. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews and the administration of a demographic questionnaire. Data analysis involved phenomenological exploration and hermeneutical interpretations of the participants' meaning. The findings indicated that attitudes towards counseling do not indicate actual use of the services. Rather, utilization of religious coping, availability of family and friend support, accessibility of Muslim counselors and counseling within the Muslim community, and the Imamcounselor liaison have a significant impact on counseling-seeking attitudes of the Muslim women. Additionally, the findings indicated variation of counseling utilization among socioracial groups. All non-U.S.-born Arab, Asian, Hispanic, and Black participants reported no use of professional counseling, whereas U.S.-born White, Black, and Hispanic participants and one non-U.S.-born White participant reported utilization of the services. However, rather than linking ethnicity alone to use of counseling, other factors need to be considered as well. The Imam-counselor liaison seems to hold promise towards closing the gap in delivery and utilization of counseling services by Muslims. The findings generated a greater awareness of the xi importance for the inclusion of religious beliefs and practices in therapeutic conversation with Muslim female clients. It is my hope that the findings will facilitate reflection on current counselor and counselor educator practices, and lead to changes that will enhance service provision to this population. In sum, it is hoped that the revealed pertinent areas will be considered within both the counseling room and the classroom.