Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
Abstract
Chronic pain affects about one-fifth of the worlds population. Although a biopsychosocial model is often applied, religious and spiritual factors are frequently neglected in the conceptualization of pain and its impact. Prior research has identified how religious and spiritual (R/S) struggles are associated with depression, pain catastrophizing, and pain disability in pain patients. However, few investigations have assessed how struggles affect the relationship between pain and well-being. The present study explored how R/S struggles affect the relationship between pain and well-being when tested as mediators and moderators, while accounting for the effects of age, gender, race, income, education, and religious affiliation. Greater pain was associated with disability, pain catastrophizing, and depression, as well as lower life satisfaction. Greater pain was also associated with meaning in life and fewer R/S struggles, which was unanticipated. Higher overall struggles were correlated with disability, catastrophizing, anxiety, depression, and less meaning. Struggles were also correlated with more life satisfaction, which was unanticipated. Examination of R/S struggles as both mediators and moderators provided useful information as to how they affect the relationship between pain and outcomes. With increasing pain, findings suggest lower struggles are associated with reduced catastrophizing, depression, and anxiety, but increased life satisfaction and meaning in life. The primary exception was demonic struggles, where lower demonic struggles were associated with less life satisfaction as pain increased. Findings highlight how R/S struggles may modify the effect of pain on wellbeing, and therefore require further examination due to their complexity. Potential explanations for unexpected findings are explored in the discussion section of this paper. Additional details regarding strengths, limitations, implications, and future directions are provided.
Recommended Citation
Todd, Brianna Marie, "Relationship Between Spiritual Struggles And Health Outcomes In Adult Chronic Pain Patient Populations" (2024). All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2047.
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/etds/2047