Religious and nonreligious coping methods among persons with rheumatoid arthritis

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) presents significant emotional and physical challenges.
• Coping mechanisms, including religious and nonreligious strategies, are crucial for managing chronic illness.
• Understanding the interplay between religious beliefs and coping in RA is essential for holistic patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate religious and nonreligious coping methods used by individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
• To differentiate between positive and negative religious coping strategies.
• To identify personal characteristics associated with these coping methods.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 181 individuals with RA completed validated questionnaires.
• Assessment included religious coping, nonreligious coping (6 subscales), and depressive symptoms.
• Statistical analyses examined correlations between coping styles and personal characteristics.

Main Results:

• Religious and nonreligious coping methods showed moderate correlations, indicating distinct yet related roles.
• Positive religious coping scores were associated with the perceived importance of religion.
• Negative religious coping scores were linked to higher levels of self-reported depressive symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Both religious and nonreligious coping contribute uniquely to managing RA, neither being entirely independent nor redundant.
• Individuals who highly value religion and experience few depressive symptoms tend to utilize positive religious coping.
• A notable association exists between depressive symptoms and the negative application of religious coping strategies in RA management.