CROSSROADS… Exploring research on religion, spirituality and health Newsletter of the Center for Spirituality, Theology & Health Volume 9 Issue 1 July 2019 This newsletter provides updates on research, news and events (b=1.20, p<0.05), time contributed to community activities (b=0.17, related to spirituality and health, including educational resources p<0.002), time contributed to charity (b=0.20, p<0.002), and time and funding opportunities. Please forward to colleagues or contributed to a place of worship (b=0.31, p<0.002). Sense of students who might benefit. Our goal is to create a community mission did not predict anxiety symptoms or diagnosis, health of researchers, clinicians, clergy, and laypersons interested in behaviors, or number of physical health problems. Researchers spirituality and health and keep them informed and updated. An concluded: “The formation of a sense of mission may provide a EVENTS CALENDAR concludes the newsletter and describes novel target for promoting multiple facets of psychological well- spirituality and health related presentations happening at Duke and being, prosocial character, and possibly mental health among around the world. This is your newsletter and we depend on you young adults.” to let us know about research, news, and events in this area. Citation: Chen, Y., Kim, E. S., Koh, H. K., Frazier, A. L., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2019). Sense of mission and subsequent All e-newsletters are archived on our website. To view previous health and well-being among young adults: An outcome-wide editions (July 2007 through June 2019) go to: analysis. American Journal of Epidemiology, 188(4), 664-673. http://www.spiritualityandhealth.duke.edu/index.php/publications/cr Comment: Based on these sophisticated and carefully controlled ossroads analyses in this large sample of young adults, a sense of mission or calling in life appears to predict future well-being and better self- care among younger adults. Sense of mission or calling was also strongly associated with frequency of attendance at religious LATEST RESEARCH services. Sense of Mission or “Calling” and Future Health in Church as a Source of Support for Black Young Adults Adolescents Researchers at the Human Flourishing Program, Harvard Institute Investigators from the Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture, for Quantitative Social Science and T.H. Chan School of Public and Health, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Health, analyzed longitudinal data from the Growing up Today Arbor, analyzed data on 1,170 Black adolescents ages 13-17 Study (GUTS). The GUTS surveyed children of nurses who participating in the National Survey of American Life - Adolescent participated in the Nurses Health Study, children who were initially (NSAL-A) Supplement study (a random national sample of U.S. ages 9-14 in 1996. A total of 16,882 GUTS in 1996 participants adolescents). The study included 810 African-Americans and 360 were surveyed annually or biennially through 2013. In 2007, a Black Caribbeans. Church support network questions were only question that asked about sense of mission was included in the asked of those who attended religious services at least a few times survey and administered to 9,860 young persons whose average a year (n=726 and 316, respectively). Church support was age at the time was 23.0, which serves as the baseline for this assessed by 2 questions measuring support received (overall study. Mental and physical health outcomes were reevaluated in assistance and financial assistance), 3 questions measuring 2010 or 2013. Data on covariates were obtained at the 2005 and emotional support received, and 3 questions assessing support 2007 assessments and controlled for in the analyses. Sense of given to others in their congregation. Regression models mission was assessed by the question: “I have a sense of mission controlling for covariates (ethnicity, age, gender, family income, or calling in my life,” with response options ranging from 1 (strongly region, religious attendance, and frequency of participating in other agree) to 4 (strongly disagree), which were reverse coded. congregational activities) examined correlates of support. Covariates controlled for in analyses included age, gender, race, Results: Results indicated that 7 of 10 African-Americans and 6 of location of residence, socioeconomic status, household income, 10 Black Caribbeans attending religious services reported religious service attendance, maternal attachment, and prior receiving support from church members on a “very” or “fairly often” values of the health outcome variables in 2005 and 2007. Data basis. Slightly over half of both groups indicated they provided were analyzed using generalized estimating equations (GEE) assistance to others in their congregation on a very or fairly often models and p values were corrected for multiple comparisons basis. Among African-American adolescents, those in north-central using the conservative Bonrerroni correction (threshold p<0.002). US, those more frequently attendinged religious services, and Results: 27.4% a participants indicated strong agreement to those more involved in congregational activities were more likely to having a sense of mission or “calling” in life. At baseline in 2007, receive emotional support. Among Black Caribbeans, those who positive responses to sense of mission or calling were significantly were younger, attended religious services more frequently, and positively correlated with religious service attendance participated in congregational activities more often, and were from (p<0.001) and were inversely related to depressive symptoms Caribbean countries other than Jamaica, Haiti, and Trinidad- (p<0.001). Sense of mission/calling in 2007 was predicted greater Tobago, were more likely to receive emotional support. Among life satisfaction (b=0.33, p<0.002), positive affect (b=0.42, African Americans, frequency of providing help to others was p<0.002), self-esteem (b=0.33, p<0.002), emotional processing predicted primarily by frequency of religious attendance and (b=0.43, p<0.002), and emotional expression (b=0.21, p<0.002) in participation in congregational activities; among Black Caribbeans, 2010 or 2013, and was inversely related to depressive symptoms providing help to others was predicted by younger age, male (b=-0.11, p<0.01). Sense of mission also predicted greater use of gender, higher household income, participation in congregational preventative healthcare (b=1.15, p<0.002), short sleep duration EXPLORE…in this issue 1-4 LATEST RESEARCH 4-6 NEWS, EVENTS & RESOURCES 6-7 TRAINING, FUNDING Opportunities, and CALENDAR activities, and country of origin other than Jamaica, Haiti, and associated with social acceptance of and helping suicidal persons, Trinidad-Tobago. Researchers concluded: “Information about although was also associated with disclosure disapproval. sociodemographic and religious differences in involvement with Researchers concluded that “the protective function of religion in church support exchanges can be used to align Black educated segments of the population (university students) and in adolescents’participation in ways that are developmentally university students residing in Muslim countries where freedom appropriate and consistent with their life experiences.” from religion is restricted or religion is normative and/or Citation: Hope, M. O., Taylor, R. J., Nguyen, A. W., & Chatters, L. compulsory is likely to be limited.” M. (2019). Church support among African American and Black Citation: Eskin, M., Poyrazli, S., Janghorbani, M., Bakhshi, S., Caribbean adolescents. Journal of Child and Family Studies, E- Carta, M. G., Moro, M. F., ... & Hamdan, M. (2019). The role of pub ahead of press religion in suicidal behavior, attitudes and psychological distress Comment: Given the heavy influences that negative peers groups among university students: A multinational study. Transcultural can have on adolescents’ attitudes and behaviors, identifying ways Psychiatry, E-pub ahead of press. to increase church-based support among African-American and Comment: The authors’ conclusion above is not nearly as strong Black Caribbean youth may help to reduce drug use, crime, and as they claim. Yes, psychological distress and suicidal attempts other antisocial behaviors in these young people. were more frequent in Muslims overall; however, suicidal ideation was lower. Furthermore, strength of belief was inversely related to Religion and Suicide in College Students from 12 suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and psychological distress in Countries Muslims, the only religious group in which all three of these Researchers at multiple international universities collaborated to findings were present. Also, while it has been claimed that Muslims conduct this survey of 5,572 college students from Confusian conceal or hide suicide more often because of the stigma countries (China, Japan), Muslim (Iran, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi associated with it, there was no evidence of that in this study. Arabia, Turkey, Tunisia), Protestant (United Kingdom, U.S.), and Catholic (Austria, Italy) countries. Religiosity was assessed by Collaboration between Faith Communities at the religious affiliation and strength of religious belief (on a 7-point State Level to Prevent Suicide scale from “none whatsoever” to “very strong”). Suicidal behavior Researchers in the U.S. Veterans Administration and several was measured using a 5-item scale assessing past suicidal universities analyzed state-level documents