This study examined the impact of religious coping and other aspects of religiousness on the outcomes of caregiver burden and depression for family caregivers of adults with serious mental illness. Previous research with family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease victims and the elderly has shown religion to be a widely used and generally effective coping strategy in dealing with the stresses of the caregiving role. However, no studies look directly at the role of religion in coping among family caregivers of the mentally ill. Individual interviews were conducted with 210 lower socioeconomic status adult family caregivers of adults with serious mental illness. Findings confirmed the importance of religious factors in the coping scheme of these family caregivers; for many in this sample, as in previous studies, religion was their primary way of coping with caring for their family member. Support was found for an interaction among stress, perceptions of stress mutability and religious coping style that served to moderate the outcomes of caregiver burden and depression. The relationships among race, stress and religious factors were also examined. Previous studies had found Blacks reporting more objective stress, but equal or lower amounts of burden and depression than Whites. Support was found for an interaction among religious coping style, perceived stress mutability and level of stress, which served to moderate the outcome measures, as one possible explanation for this phenomenon. In addition, Blacks were found to report significantly greater religious resources and engagement in religious coping than were Whites. See www.cwru.edu/affil/cccmhri/
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant will: 1. Be conversant with the major issues surrounding the role of religion in coping with caring for an adult family member with serious mental illness; 2. Be familiar with the policy and practice implications of the above.
Keywords: Caregivers, Depression
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Research Institute
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.