Attachment to God and Psychological Distress: Evidence of a Curvilinear Relationship

Previous religion/spirituality (R/S) research on attachment to God and mental well-being has relied entirely on linear models. Scholars, however, have called for more nuanced analysis of religious beliefs and dispositions relative to mental health, and several studies using a nonlinear approach have...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal for the scientific study of religion
Authors: Henderson, W. Matthew (Author) ; Kent, Blake Victor (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2022
In: Journal for the scientific study of religion
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Relationship to God / Mental health
RelBib Classification:AE Psychology of religion
Further subjects:B Religious Beliefs
B attachment to God
B Psychological Distress
B Mental Health
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Summary:Previous religion/spirituality (R/S) research on attachment to God and mental well-being has relied entirely on linear models. Scholars, however, have called for more nuanced analysis of religious beliefs and dispositions relative to mental health, and several studies using a nonlinear approach have yielded fruitful results with a handful of R/S predictors. Relying on national data from the 2010 Baylor Religion Survey, this study investigates potential nonlinear associations between attachment to God and psychological distress by fitting curvilinear models of avoidant attachment to God and multiple measures of general and psychological distress. For conceptual reasons, linear models of anxious attachment are also employed. Results reveal a nonlinear relationship between avoidant/secure attachment and distress and a deleterious linear relationship between anxious attachment to God and distress. This supports the overall hypothesis that anxiety or a lack of certainty about one's relationship with the divine represents a threat to psychological well-being.
ISSN:1468-5906
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the scientific study of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/jssr.12767