Who Turns to God, and How? Religious and Spiritual Identity Differentially Predict Religious Coping Strategy Use in the Study on Stress, Spirituality, and Health

In 2022, over 25% of U.S. adults reported being too stressed to function most days which, in turn, undermines physical and mental health. Although it is well-established that religion, broadly speaking, provides a set of tools to cope with stress, we know little about links between religious and spiritual identity and religious coping strategies. Indeed, religious and spiritual identity may influence health via different coping pathways, as may broader religious and cultural contexts. Thus, the current study examined how religious and spiritual identity uniquely contribute to health and well-being outcomes, and if these effects are explained by how people differentially leverage positive and negative religious coping strategies to manage stress. Using data from four diverse US samples (total N = 6965) and structural equation modeling, we found spiritual and religious identity are independently associated with increased usage of positive – but not negative – religious coping strategies. However, individuals who used more negative religious coping strategies tended to report worse mental health. Additionally, some associations were significant (e.g., use of positive religious coping strategies and better mental health) only amongst certain racial/ethnic groups. Findings point towards potential places for intervention in addressing mental health concerns amongst religious and spiritual individuals while underscoring the need for culturally and religiously sensitive approaches to mental health interventions.