Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

ORLY CALDERON, PSY.D.

Second Advisor

STEVEN PIRUTINSKY, PH.D.

Third Advisor

KI EUN SHIN, PH.D

Abstract

Religious coping refers to the various ways individuals respond to distress, involving cognitive, emotional, and behavioral approaches centered around their religious or spiritual (R/S) beliefs. This coping mechanism can be classified into two main facets: positive religious coping, which involves constructive approaches, and negative religious coping, encompassing struggles in the spiritual realm. During periods of depression, some individuals rely on religious or spiritual coping mechanisms. Currently, there is a lack of research examining the moderating effect of positive and negative religious coping on the relationship between depression and suicidal thoughts, especially within the Jewish community. The primary objective of the present study was to address this gap by focusing on a clinical population of individuals who identified as Orthodox Jewish and reported experiencing depression. As part of a clinical intake, participants completed Likert-scale self-report questionnaires assessing their levels of depression, utilization of positive/negative R/S coping, and levels of suicidal thoughts. Results indicated that while positive and negative R/S coping do not moderate the relationship between depression and suicidal thoughts, these constructs serve as protective and risk factors for suicidality, independent of depression, respectively. The current findings carry significant clinical implications, emphasizing the importance of clinicians evaluating both religious coping styles and depressive symptoms amongst religious individuals to identify potential risks of suicidal thoughts.

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