Abstract
The present study examined the effects of positive and negative religious coping strategies on the mental health of 113 Israeli gay and bisexual Jewish males with high levels of religiosity, and how sexual identity formation (internalized homophobia and coming out) and societal variables (family and friends’ acceptance of sexual orientation and social connections within the LGBT community) mitigated the effects of religious coping strategies on mental health. Findings showed that when dealing with the stress arising from the conflict between religious and sexual identities, individuals used both positive and negative religious coping strategies, but only negative religious coping was associated with poorer mental health. In addition, only in the presence of social resources (social connections with the LGBT community and the acceptance of sexual orientation by friends), did the use of positive religious coping result in better mental health outcomes. These findings underlined the importance of these resilience social factors in the lives of religious Jewish gay and bisexual men.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aflakseir, A., & Coleman, P. G. (2009). The influence of religious coping on the mental health of disabled Iranian war veterans. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 12(2), 175–190. doi:10.1080/13674670802428563.
Aiken, L. S., & West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Ano, G. G., & Vasconcelles, E. B. (2005). Religious coping and psychological adjustment to stress: A meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61(4), 461–480. doi:10.1002/jclp.20049.
Barak-Erez, D. (2009). Law and religion under the status quo model: Between past compromises and constant change. Cardozo Law Review, 30, 2495–2507.
Barret, B., & Logan, C. (2002). Counseling gay men and lesbians: A practice primer. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Blay, Y. (2008). A-Integration as a coping mechanism in the conflict between religion and homosexuality (Master’s thesis). Tel-Aviv, Tel-Aviv University.
Bush, E. G., Rye, M. S., Brant, C. R., Emery, E., Pargament, K. I., & Riessinger, C. A. (1999). Religious coping with chronic pain. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 24(4), 249–260. doi:10.1023/A:1022234913899.
Christensen, L. E. (2011). Secular and religious coping by women with disordered eating (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database (UMI No. 3406638).
Ciognani, E., Pirini, C., Keyes, C., Joshanloo, M., Rostami, R., & Nostratabadi, M. (2008). Social participation, sense of community and social well-being: A study on American, Italian and Iranian university students. Social Indicators Research, 89, 97–112. doi:10.1007/s11205-007-9222-3.
Dahl, A., & Galliher, R. (2010). Sexual minority young adult religiosity, sexual orientation conflict, self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 14(4), 271–290. doi:10.1080/19359705.2010.507413.
Ehrenpreis, K. B. (2012). Obesity and dating in the Orthodox Jewish community: The role of self-esteem and religious coping (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database (UMI No. 3500731).
Elizur, Y., & Mintzer, A. (2003). Gay males’ intimate relationship quality: The roles of attachment security, gay identity, social support and income. Personal Relationships, 10(3), 411–435. doi:10.1111/1475-6811.00057.
Elizur, Y., & Ziv, M. (2001). Family support and acceptance, gay male identity formation, and psychological adjustment: A path model. Family Process, 40(2), 125–145. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.2001.4020100125.x.
Exline, J. J., & Rose, E. (2005). Religious and spiritual struggles. In R. F. Paloutzian & C. L. Park (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of religion and spirituality (pp. 315–330). New York: Guilford Press.
Frost, D. M., & Meyer, I. H. (2012). Measuring community connectedness among diverse sexual minority populations. Journal of Sex Research, 49(1), 36–49. doi:10.1080/00224499.2011.565427.
Geiger, Y. (2001). The new religious Zionism. Academot, 11, 51–77.
Hayes, (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis. New York: Guilford Press.
Hebert, R., Zdaniuk, B., Schulz, R., & Scheier, M. (2009). Positive and negative religious coping and well-being in women with breast cancer. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 12(6), 537–545. doi:10.1089/jpm.2008.0250.
Izack, R. (2002). Youth adaptation to military settings, mental health, and military performance (Doctoral dissertation). Ramat-Gan, Bar Ilan University.
Kenrik, R. (2011). Religious gay men: identity and reality in Israel (Master’s thesis). Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
Koenig, H. G. (2001). Religion and medicine II: Religion, mental health, and related behaviors. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 31(1), 97–109. doi:10.2190/BK1B-18TR-X1NN-36GG.
Koren, I. (2003). Altering the closet. Tel-Aviv: Yediot Aharonot Publications.
Mark, N. (2008). Identities in conflict: Forging an orthodox gay identity. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 12(3), 179–194. doi:10.1080/19359700802111189.
Martin, J. L., & Dean, L. (1987). Summary of measures: Mental health effects of AIDS on at-risk homosexual men. Unpublished manuscript, Division of Sociomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York.
McCarthy, S. K. (2008). The adjustment of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) older adolescents who experience minority stress: The role of religious coping, struggle, and forgiveness (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database (UMI No. 3375059).
Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674.
Meyer, I. H., & Wilson, P. A. (2009). Sampling lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 56(1), 23–31. doi:10.1037/a0014587.
Moon, D. (2014). Beyond the dichotomy: Six religious views of homosexuality. Journal of Homosexuality, 61, 1215–1241. doi:10.1080/00918369.2014.926762.
Mustanski, B., Newcomb, M. E., & Garofalo, R. (2011). Mental health of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths: A developmental resiliency perspective. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 23(2), 204–225. doi:10.1080/10538720.2011.561474.
Pargament, K. I. (1997). The psychology of religion and coping: Theory, research, practice. New York: Guilford Press.
Pargament, K. I. (2002). The bitter and the sweet: An evaluation of the costs and benefits of religiousness. Psychological Inquiry, 13(3), 168–181. doi:10.1207/S15327965PLI1303_02.
Pargament, K. I., Koenig, H. G., & Perez, L. M. (2000). The many methods of religious coping: Development and initial validation of the RCOPE. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 56(4), 519–543. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(200004)56:4<519::AID-JCLP6>3.0.CO;2-1.
Pargament, K. I., Smith, B. W., Koenig, H. G., & Perez, L. (1998). Patterns of positive and negative religious coping with major life stressors. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 37(4), 710–724. doi:10.2307/1388152.
Pizmony-Levy, O., Shilo, G., & Pinhassi, B. (2009). Is there a new Israeli gay teenager? Journal of LGBT Youth, 6, 340–368. doi:10.1080/19361650903303514.
Preacher, K. J., Curran, P. J., & Bauer, D. J. (2006). Computational tools for probing interaction effects in multiple linear regression, multilevel modeling, and latent curve analysis. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 31, 437–448. doi:10.3102/10769986031004437.
Ream, G. L., & Savin-Williams, R. C. (2005). Reconciling Christianity and positive non-heterosexual identity in adolescence, with implications for psychological well-being. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education, 2(3), 19–36. doi:10.1300/J367v02n03_03.
Rodriguez, E. M. (2010). At the intersection of church and gay: A review of the psychological research on gay and lesbian Christians. Journal of Homosexuality, 57(1), 5–38. doi:10.1080/00918360903445806.
Rosmarin, D. H., Pargament, K. I., Krumrei, E. J., & Flannelly, K. J. (2009). Religious coping among Jews: Development and initial validation of the JCOPE. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(7), 670–683. doi:10.1002/jclp.20574.
Ross, M. W. (1985). Actual and anticipated societal reaction to homosexuality and adjustment in two societies. Journal of Sex Research, 21(1), 40–55. doi:10.1080/00224498509551243.
Schnoor, R. F. (2006). Being gay and Jewish: Negotiating intersecting identities. Sociology of Religion, 67(1), 43–60. doi:10.1093/socrel/67.1.43.
Schuck, K. D., & Liddle, B. J. (2001). Religious conflicts experienced by lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy, 5(2), 63–82. doi:10.1300/J236v05n02_07.
Sell, R. L. (2007). Defining and measuring sexual orientation for research. In I. H. Meyer & M. E. Northridge (Eds.), The Health of Sexual Minorities—Public Health Perspectives on LGBT Population (pp. 355–374). New-York: Springer.
Shilo, G., & Mor, Z. (2014). The impact of minority stressors on the mental and physical health of LGB youth and young adults. Health and Social Work, 39, 161–171. doi:10.1093/hlu023.
Shilo, G., & Savaya, R. (2012). Mental health of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth and young adults: Differential effects of age, gender, religiosity, and sexual orientation. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 22(2), 310–325. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2011.00772.x.
Shveidel, Z. (2006). Others among us: The place of LGBT religious individuals in the religious community. Academot, 17, 85–114.
Shveidel, Z. (2011). Dealing with the choice: Dilemmas and adaptation among religious gay youth in Religious Zionism in Israel. Mifgash, 33, 123–136.
Stopler, G. (2013). Religious establishment, pluralism and equality in Israel—Can the circle be squared? Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, 2, 150–174. doi:10.1093/ojlr/rws041.
Streib, H., & Wood, R. W. (2011). “Spirituality” as privatized experience-oriented religion: Empirical and conceptual perspectives. Implicit Religion, 14, 433–453. doi:10.1558/imre.v14i4.433.
Subhi, N., & Geelan, D. (2012). When Christianity and homosexuality collide: Understanding the potential intrapersonal conflict. Journal of Homosexuality, 59(10), 1382–1402. doi:10.1080/00918369.2012.724638.
Tix, A. P., & Frazier, P. A. (1998). The use of religious coping during stressful life events: Main effects, moderation, and mediation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66(2), 411–422. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.66.2.411.
Triger, Z. (2012). Freedom from religion in Israel: Civil marriages and cohabitation of Jews enter the Rabbinical Courts. Israel Studies Review, 27, 1–17. doi:10.3167/isr.2012.270202.
Unterman, A. (1995). Some orthodox perspective. In J. Magonet (Ed.), Jewish explorations of sexuality (pp. 67–74). Providence, RI: Berghahn Books.
Veit, C. T., & Ware, J. E. (1983). The structure of psychological distress and well-being in general population. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51(5), 730–742. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.51.5.730.
Weaver, A. J., Flannelly, K. J., & Stone, H. W. (2002). Research on religion and health: The need for a balanced and constructive critique. Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling, 56, 213–218.
Webb, A. P., Ellison, C. G., McFarland, M. J., Lee, J. W., Morton, K., & Walters, J. (2010). Divorce, religious coping, and depressive symptoms in a conservative protestant religious group. Family Relations, 59(5), 544–557. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2010.00622.x.
Wood, B. T., Worthington, E. L., Exline, J. J., Yali, A. M., Aten, J. D., & McMinn, M. R. (2010). Development, refinement, and psychometric properties of the Attitudes Toward God Scale (ATGS-9). Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 2(3), 148–167. doi:10.1037/a0018753.
Yakushko, O. (2005). Influence of social support, existential well-being, and stress over sexual orientation on self-esteem of gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 27(1), 131–143. doi:10.1007/s10447-005-2259-6.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shilo, G., Yossef, I. & Savaya, R. Religious Coping Strategies and Mental Health Among Religious Jewish Gay and Bisexual Men. Arch Sex Behav 45, 1551–1561 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0567-4
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0567-4