Providing Support in Faith Communities: Church Support and Well-Being in Later Life

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sociology of Religion
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Later life presents increasing stressors, making supportive social relationships crucial.
• Religious social capital and resource mobilization perspectives inform the study of social support.
• Older adults face unique challenges that underscore the need for community support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how pastoral and congregational support relate to providing support to others.
• To investigate the association between these support processes and psychological/physical well-being in older adults.
• To analyze the interconnectedness of receiving support, providing support, and overall well-being.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the nationally representative Religion, Aging, and Health (RAH) survey (N=792).
• Employed weighted linear regression and weighted path analyses to examine associations.
• Accounted for complex sampling design in statistical analyses.

Main Results:

• Both pastoral and congregational support positively correlated with providing support to others; congregational support had a stronger association.
• Providing support was linked to higher life satisfaction, self-esteem, and better self-rated health.
• Pastoral support directly impacted well-being, while congregational support influenced it indirectly through support provision.

Conclusions:

• Support within religious communities involves interconnected processes of receiving, providing, and well-being.
• Distinguishing between pastoral and congregational support is vital for understanding their unique roles.
• Findings offer a framework for future research on support mechanisms in religious and faith-based settings.