The relationship between Americans’ spiritual/religious beliefs and behaviors and mental health: New evidence from the 2016 General Social Survey

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-48
Author(s):  
Stephanie A. Bosco-Ruggiero
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
The Relationship

scholarly journals The Impacts of Positive Psychology and Individualism on Mental Health Status of the Elderly in China: Evidence From Chinese General Social Survey Data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yujie Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Class ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Chinese General Social Survey ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background Many previous studies have proved that positive psychology can promote mental health. However, little is known about how and when it promotes mental health in older adults. Methods The data of this study were sourced from the 2017 wave of Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), involving 1,537 older adults aged 60 and above. OLS regression model was used to explore the impact of positive psychology on mental health of the elderly. Moreover, stata 16.0 was used to measure the moderating effect of individualism on the relationship between positive psychology and mental health. Results After controlling for demographic characteristics, socio-economic status and lifestyle factors, the regression results suggest that positive psychology was associated with mental health (coefficient = 0.112, p < 0.01). In addition, the positive relationship was significantly stronger for people who were older, married, lived in urban areas, with higher education and higher subjective social class position, and higher exercise frequency. Moreover, the moderating effect analysis results suggest that individualism strengthened the relationship between positive psychology and mental health. Conclusions This study reveals that positive psychology has a positive effect on mental health among the elderly, and the positive health effect shows significant age, marital status, living areas, education background, social class position and physical exercise inequalities. Furthermore, this study also provides new evidence indicating that individualism positively moderates the relationship between positive psychology and mental health. Promoting positive psychology can be a promising way for China to promote psychological care for the elderly in the future.

scholarly journals Thank God? The Effect of Religious Attitudes and Behaviors on Emotions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jadon Sokoll-Ward
Keyword(s):  
Religious Affiliation ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Religious Service Attendance ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Religious Attitudes ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Relationship

What is the effect of one’s religious attitudes and behaviors on the frequency of different emotions? I propose that a stronger religious affiliation and a higher frequency of attending religious services will lead to feeling happy and ashamed more often and feeling sad, anxious, and mad less often. Further, I propose that a higher frequency of prayer will lead to feeling sad, anxious, mad, and ashamed more often and feeling happy less often. I analyze the frequency of these emotions in 892 respondents to the 1996 General Social Survey, a nationally representative dataset obtained via face to face interviews. Regression analysis revealed that more frequent prayer leads to feeling sad and ashamed more often, and more frequent religious service attendance leads to feeling anxious less often. Demographic control variables are also found to have an effect on how frequently one feels sad, mad, and anxious. The results offer partial support for the hypotheses. Further research is necessary to reconcile these differences and to explain the mechanisms by which the relationship between religiosity and emotions operates.

Suicide Bereavement and Differences in Religiosity

Crisis ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-185
Author(s):  
William Feigelman ◽  
Julie Cerel ◽  
John L. McIntosh ◽  
David Brent ◽  
Nina Gutin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Religious Life ◽  
Religious Participation ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Suicide Bereavement ◽  
Current Sample ◽  
Suicide Bereaved

Abstract. Background: The trauma from experiencing a loved one's suicide is often seen as an instigator of change in a person's religious life. Aims: We sought to examine whether suicide-bereaved adults were any differently disposed to religious participation and observances compared with the nonbereaved and whether religiously involved bereaved had any better mental health compared with religiously disaffiliated bereaved. Method: The 2016 General Social Survey (GSS) presented 11 new questions identifying suicide bereavement status. We examined how the bereaved (n = 516) compared with the nonbereaved (n = 916) in terms of their religious beliefs and participation. We also investigated whether suicide bereaved religiously committed adherents, who prayed at least weekly (n = 372), showed any better mental health compared with bereaved who were religiously disaffiliated (n = 102). Results: Initially, results showed the bereaved more inclined to pray and to believe in an afterlife compared with the nonbereaved. However, after sex differences were controlled for, most of the remaining differences between these contrasted groups faded. Limitations: Caution is advised regarding generalizations from these data to all subgroups of suicide bereaved due to the modest number of respondents in many subpopulations. The GSS does not include potentially important grief-related indices, and importantly, most of the current sample were friends of the deceased and not first-degree relatives. Conclusion: We discuss the implications of these findings and the need for further research on the interconnections between religiosity and suicide bereavement.

Trends in Confidence in Institutions, 1973–2006

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom W. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Analysis ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
The State ◽  
Demographic Model ◽  
Contemporary Society ◽  
Government Programs ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Event Driven ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter examines trends in institutional confidence measured by the General Social Survey between 1973 and 2006. It begins by considering the construct of institutional confidence and describing the items and scales used to measure it. After presenting overall levels of confidence in 13 institutions during this period, it examines trends in general confidence scales and in individual institutions. Cohort analysis helps to illuminate these trends. The chapter next investigates correlates of institutional confidence, including experiences with specific institutions, party-in-power effects, education, misanthropy, opinionation, and a general demographic model. It briefly considers the relationship between institutional confidence and support for government programs and political matters. It closes by assessing the state and role of institutional confidence in contemporary society, and both general and event-driven models of trends in confidence.

scholarly journals Income and Area Effects on Voluntary Association Membership in Canada

2010 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 573-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Jane Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Income Inequality ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Voluntary Association ◽  
Economic Disadvantage ◽  
Contextual Influences ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Individual Income ◽  
Modelling Techniques ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Voluntary Association Membership

Applying multi-level modelling techniques to 2003 Canadian General Social Survey and 2001 Census Profile data , this study investigates the influence of individual income, contextual poverty and income inequality on voluntary association membership in Canada. Both individual and contextual effects on membership are uncovered, in addition to a significant cross-level interaction between individual income and area level income inequality. As individual income increases so do the odds of voluntary association membership, an effect that is fairly consistent between areas. Increases in area level poverty are associated with decreases in the odds of membership. While no main effect is found for area level income inequality, cross-level interactions indicate that the relationship between individual income and membership is moderated by area income inequality. The study findings support claims about the negative social effects of individual and contextual economic disadvantage and confirms the importance of examining contextual influences on social outcomes.

The Negative Associations Between Materialism and Pro-Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors: Individual and Regional Evidence From China

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 611-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dian Gu ◽  
Shuqing Gao ◽  
Rong Wang ◽  
Jiang Jiang ◽  
Yan Xu
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Attitudes ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
World Value Survey ◽  
Environmental Behaviors ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Chinese General Social Survey

Previous studies have shown that materialism is related to environmentalism, but unstable findings still exist. To clarify the relationships between materialism and pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors, the present study addressed some methodological issues and provided both individual- and regional-level evidence from China. Using data from the World Value Survey and the Chinese General Social Survey, we observed that materialism was negatively associated with pro-environmental attitudes (Study 1, n = 2,300; Study 2, n = 3,672) and pro-environmental behaviors (Study 2). Moreover, we found that pro-environmental attitudes partially mediated the association between materialism and pro-environmental behaviors in Study 2. We further searched for additional regional evidence in Study 3, and we found that the more materialistic regions are, the more energy is consumed. Results indicate that materialism is associated with decreases in pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. We conclude with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of the research findings.

scholarly journals Using the General Social Survey – National Death Index cohort to study the relationship between neighbourhood fear and mortality in the USA

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e030330
Author(s):  
Erin Grinshteyn ◽  
Peter Muennig ◽  
Roman Pabayo
Keyword(s):  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
National Death Index ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Time To Death ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Adjusted Model ◽  
The Relationship

ObjectivesFear of crime is associated with adverse mental health outcomes and reduced social interaction independent of crime. Because mental health and social interactions are associated with poor physical health, fear of crime may also be associated with death. The main objective is to determine whether neighbourhood fear is associated with time to death.Setting and participantsData from the 1978–2008 General Social Survey were linked to mortality data using the National Death Index (GSS-NDI) (n=20 297).MethodsGSS-NDI data were analysed to assess the relationship between fear of crime at baseline and time to death among adults after removing violent deaths. Fear was measured by asking respondents if they were afraid to walk alone at night within a mile of their home. Crude and adjusted HRs were calculated using survival analysis to calculate time to death. Analyses were stratified by sex.ResultsAmong those who responded that they were fearful of walking in their neighbourhood at night, there was a 6% increased risk of death during follow-up in the adjusted model though this was not significant (HR=1.06, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.13). In the fully adjusted models examining risk of mortality stratified by sex, findings were significant among men but not women. Among men, in the adjusted model, there was an 8% increased risk of death during follow-up among those who experienced fear at baseline in comparison with those who did not experience fear (HR=1.08, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.14).ConclusionsResearch has recently begun examining fear as a public health issue. With an identified relationship with mortality among men, this is a potential public health problem that must be examined more fully.

scholarly journals The Role of Religiosity in Dietary Beliefs and Behaviors among Urban African American Women

2005 ◽  
Vol 12 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 84-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl L. Holt ◽  
Debra L. Haire-Joshu ◽  
Susan N. Lukwago ◽  
Laura A. Lewellyn ◽  
Matthew W. Kreuter
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Dietary Factors ◽  
American Women ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

The relationship between religiosity and health has been investigated in many studies, with most finding positive associations. However, little is known about the role of religiosity in dietary factors, particularly among African American women. We used a self-administered questionnaire to examine the association between religiosity and dietary beliefs and behaviors among African American women. Women with strong religious beliefs and behaviors reported more interest in eating more fruits and vegetables, perceived their consumption as being more important, and consumed more fruits and vegetables than women low in religious beliefs and behaviors. These findings highlight the role of both religious beliefs and behaviors as they relate to diet-related beliefs and behaviors in this population.

scholarly journals Religiosity As a Moderator between Income and Happiness

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nkosingiphile Mabaso
Keyword(s):  
General Social Survey ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Life Circumstances ◽  
The Relationship

Does religiosity act as a buffer to all negative life circumstances? To explore this question, I study the relationship between income and happiness and I analyze the effect religiosity has on this relationship. I propose that income will have a bigger impact on the happiness of those who are non- or less religious compared to those who are very religious. The very religious believe that tough times are tests and they believe that God will, in due season, bless them too. This helps them stay happy and hopeful, even if they are not living in the best conditions. I use the General Social Survey, face-to-face interviews with adults (18 years and older) living in U.S. households, of 2016. I analyze the responses of 1,569 respondents. Consistent with existing research, income is significantly and positively correlated with happiness. However, the correlation between happiness and income is greater among those who are non- or less religious than among those who are very religious. The results confirm that religiosity acts as a buffer to negative life circumstances.

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