Perceptions of Divine Forgiveness, Religious Comfort, and Depression in Psychiatric Inpatients: A Mixed Methods...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Mental health outcomes are crucial in clinical care.
• Forgiveness is a complex construct with potential links to psychological well-being.
• Religious factors, including comfort and strain, may influence mental health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations between forgiveness (divine and self-forgiveness), religious comfort (RC), religious strain (RS), and changes in depressive symptomatology.
• To explore the mediating role of RC and RS in the relationship between forgiveness and depression.
• To understand patients' evolving perspectives on divine forgiveness during psychiatric hospitalization.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 248 adult psychiatric inpatients was assessed.
• Associations between forgiveness, RC, RS, and depressive symptom changes were tested.
• Structural equation modeling (SEM) and qualitative analysis were employed.

Main Results:

• Divine forgiveness and self-forgiveness were directly associated with RC and inversely associated with RS.
• A significant indirect effect of divine forgiveness on depression through RC was found (β = -0.106, p = 0.022).
• Qualitative data revealed shifts in patients' understanding of divine forgiveness.

Conclusions:

• Divine forgiveness and self-forgiveness are important factors in the mental health of psychiatric inpatients.
• Religious comfort may mediate the positive impact of divine forgiveness on reducing depressive symptoms.
• Clinical interventions could consider fostering forgiveness and religious comfort to improve patient outcomes.