Pietrzak Sebastian, Adamczyk Katarzyna, Zarzycka Beata
Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland.
Institute of Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
J Relig Health. 2025 Jun 6. doi: 10.1007/s10943-025-02345-z.
Previous research has suggested that religion and spirituality may play positive and negative functions in single people's lives. However, while prior studies have provided initial findings, a more comprehensive and thorough exploration of the role of religion in the experience of singlehood is required. To address this gap in the literature, qualitative interview-based research was performed with a sample of 30 single Christian adults living in Poland aged 19-63 years (M = 35.37; SD = 10.27), namely, 16 women and 14 men. The reflexive thematic analysis identified three major themes: 1) religion as a source of negative experiences associated with singlehood, 2) religion as an aid in mitigating negative experiences associated with singlehood, and 3) religion as a criterion for choosing a life partner and the foundation of an intimate relationship. The identified themes imply that the functions of religion in the experience of adult singlehood may reflect religious attributions employed by single individuals to make meaning of their single status, regain a sense of control in their lives and preserve positive self-esteem while remaining single. The findings highlight the importance of religion in interpreting the determinants, nature, and outcomes of singlehood among single Christian individuals.
先前的研究表明，宗教和灵性在单身人士的生活中可能发挥积极和消极的作用。然而，尽管先前的研究提供了初步的研究结果，但仍需要对宗教在单身经历中的作用进行更全面、深入的探索。为了填补这一文献空白，我们对30名年龄在19至63岁（M = 35.37；SD = 10.27）、居住在波兰的单身基督教成年人进行了基于定性访谈的研究，其中包括16名女性和14名男性。反思性主题分析确定了三个主要主题：1）宗教是与单身相关的负面经历的来源；2）宗教有助于减轻与单身相关的负面经历；3）宗教是选择生活伴侣的标准和亲密关系的基础。所确定的主题表明，宗教在成年单身经历中的作用可能反映了单身个体用来理解自己单身状态、在生活中重新获得掌控感以及在保持单身的同时维持积极自尊的宗教归因。这些发现凸显了宗教在解释单身基督教个体单身状态的决定因素、本质和结果方面的重要性。
