Krause Neal M
University of Michigan.
Ment Health Relig Cult. 2011 Jun 1;15(4):335-348. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2011.574272.
A number of studies suggest that positive aspects of religion (e.g., social support from fellow church members) help older people cope more effectively with stress. However, researchers have known for some time that there are negative as well as positive facets of religion. This suggests that instead of enhancing coping efforts, religion may also exacerbate the effects of stress. The purpose of this study was to see if one negative aspect of religion (i.e., religious doubt) exacerbates the effects of financial strain on depressive symptoms among older Mexican Americans. METHODS: A nationwide survey of 1,005 older Mexican Americans was conducted. Measures of religious doubt, financial strain, and depressive symptoms were administered. RESULTS: The findings suggest that the effects of financial strain on depressive symptoms are stronger for older Mexican Americans who have more doubts about religion. CONCLUSIONS: This study explores aspects of religion that have received relatively little attention in the literature (i.e., religious doubt). Moreover, the data were provided by members of an ethnic group that have been largely overlooked by researchers who study religion (i.e., older Mexican Americans). Taken together, these study attributes help provide greater balance in the literature on religion and mental health in late life.
多项研究表明，宗教的积极方面（例如，来自教会成员的社会支持）有助于老年人更有效地应对压力。然而，研究人员早就知道宗教既有积极的一面，也有消极的一面。这表明宗教可能非但不会增强应对压力的能力，反而会加剧压力的影响。本研究的目的是探讨宗教的一个消极方面（即宗教怀疑）是否会加剧经济压力对墨西哥裔美国老年人抑郁症状的影响。方法：对1005名墨西哥裔美国老年人进行了一项全国性调查。对宗教怀疑、经济压力和抑郁症状进行了测量。结果：研究结果表明，宗教怀疑较多的墨西哥裔美国老年人，经济压力对其抑郁症状的影响更强。结论：本研究探讨了宗教文献中相对较少受到关注的方面（即宗教怀疑）。此外，这些数据由一个在宗教研究中基本被忽视的族群（即墨西哥裔美国老年人）提供。综上所述，这些研究特点有助于使关于宗教与晚年心理健康的文献更加平衡。
