Special Issue "Measures of Spirituality/Religiosity"
Quicklinks
A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2010)
Special Issue Editors
Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Arndt Büssing
Professorship of Quality of Life, Spirituality and Coping, Center for Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Health, University Witten/Herdecke, Gerhard-Kienle-Weg 4, D-58313 Herdecke, Germany
Website: http://www.uni-wh.de/universitaet/personenverzeichnis/details/show/Employee/buessing/
E-Mail: arndt.buessing@uni-wh.de
Phone: +49 2330623246
Fax: +49 2330623358
Interests: spirituality/religiosity; coping; quality of life; health service research; integrative medicine; health psychology; mind-body interventions; questionnaires
Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Zwingmann
The Protestant University of Applied Sciences Rhineland-Westphalia-Lippe, Immanuel-Kant-Str. 18-20, D-44803 Bochum, Germany
E-Mail: christian.zwingmann@web.de
Phone: +49 2241 8668717
Fax: +49 2118 87973144
Interests: psychology of religion; religion and health; assessment of spirituality/religiosity; health services research; rehabilitation research
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
There are various instruments from distinct scholar disciplines (i.e., religious studies, chaplaincy, psychology, sociology, medicine, nursing etc.) which were developed to measure spirituality/religiosity either as a generic instrument or in the context of disease (coping). One may differentiate instruments which measure distinct attitudes and convictions, or measure the frequency of peoples´ engagement in distinct forms of spiritual/religious practices (intensity), and instruments which address the spiritual needs of patients. Moreover, these instruments may also differ with respect to their underlying concepts of spirituality and religiosity. From a theoretical point of view, it is sound to distinguish individuals´ religious from spiritual attitudes. While this differentiation is important in countries with a more secular and liberal background, this distinction is meaningless in countries with vital theistic beliefs. In fact some questionnaires address religiosity within the Judeo-Christian God concept, while other address spirituality with reference to more secular concepts of the Devine, or in the context of a pluralistic `search for meaning´. But what about Eastern Spirituality, what about the spirituality of agnostics and atheist? - It might be difficult to decide which instrument can be used for the unique research topic.
The aim of this special issue thus is to pay attention to well established instruments (and to update the knowledge), but also to describe the unique features and intentions of newly developed instruments, which may have potential to be used in larger studies to develop knowledge relevant to spiritual care and practice. This issue should become a resource of relevant instruments in the wide range of organized religiosity, the individual experience of the divine, and the open approach in the search for meaning and purpose in life.
High quality manuscripts are welcomed which briefly describe the background of questionnaire development, its unique features and intentions, and a sound description of items, scales, and validity measures.
Prof. Dr. Arndt Büssing
Guest Editor
Submission
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Papers will be published continuously (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed Open Access quarterly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. For the first couple of issues the Article Processing Charge (APC) will be waived for well-prepared manuscripts.
English correction and/or formatting fees of 250 CHF (Swiss Francs) will be charged in certain cases for those articles accepted for publication that require extensive additional formatting and/or English corrections.
Keywords
- questionnaires
- research
- spirituality
- religiosity
- well-being
- quality of life
Published Papers (10 papers)
|
Received: 21 September 2010; in revised form: 22 October 2010 / Accepted: 27 October 2010 / Published: 29 October 2010
Show/Hide Abstract
| Download PDF Full-text (79 KB)
Abstract: The Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire is a brief (10-item, or five-item short form version), reliable and valid self report measure assessing strength of religious faith and engagement suitable for use with multiple religious traditions, denominations, and perspectives. It has been used in medical, student, psychiatric, substance abuse, and among general populations nationally and internationally and among multiple cultures and languages. Brief non denominational self report measures of religious and faith engagement that have demonstrated reliability and validity are not common but can have potential for general utility in both clinical and research settings. This article provides an overview of the scale and current research findings regarding its use in both research and clinical practice.
|
|
Received: 28 September 2010; in revised form: 13 October 2010 / Accepted: 22 October 2010 / Published: 29 October 2010
Show/Hide Abstract
| Download PDF Full-text (213 KB)
Abstract: The SpREUK questionnaire (SpREUK is an acronym of the German translation of "Spiritual and Religious Attitudes in Dealing with Illness") was developed to investigate how patients with chronic diseases living in secular societies view the impact of spirituality in their dealing with illness (in terms of reactive coping). The aim was to operationalize and quantify patients’ search for a transcendent source of support; their reliance on such a source of help; and whether they regard their illness as a chance for reflection and subsequent change of life and behavior. The contextual 15-item SpREUK has very good internal consistency estimates (ranging from 0.86 to 0.91), and differentiates three factors, i.e., Search (for Support/Access), Trust (in Higher Guidance/Source), and Reflection (Positive Interpretation of Disease). It avoids exclusive religious terminology and appears to be a good choice for assessing patients’ interest in spiritual/religious concerns, which is not biased for or against a particular religious commitment. This reliable and valid instrument is suited for patients in secular and also in religious societies.
|
|
Received: 21 September 2010; in revised form: 16 November 2010 / Accepted: 24 November 2010 / Published: 1 December 2010
Show/Hide Abstract
| Download PDF Full-text (139 KB)
Abstract: There is need for a brief measure of religiosity that can be included in epidemiological surveys to examine relationships between religion and health outcomes. The Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) is a five-item measure of religious involvement, and was developed for use in large cross-sectional and longitudinal observational studies. The instrument assesses the three major dimensions of religiosity that were identified during a consensus meeting sponsored by the National Institute on Aging. Those three dimensions are organizational religious activity, non-organizational religious activity, and intrinsic religiosity (or subjective religiosity). The DUREL measures each of these dimensions by a separate “subscale”, and correlations with health outcomes should be analyzed by subscale in separate models. The overall scale has high test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation = 0.91), high internal consistence (Cronbach’s alpha’s = 0.78–0.91), high convergent validity with other measures of religiosity (r’s = 0.71–0.86), and the factor structure of the DUREL has now been demonstrated and confirmed in separate samples by other independent investigative teams. The DUREL has been used in over 100 published studies conducted throughout the world and is available in 10 languages.
|
|
Received: 11 October 2010; in revised form: 22 November 2010 / Accepted: 3 December 2010 / Published: 8 December 2010
Show/Hide Abstract
| Download PDF Full-text (177 KB)
Abstract: Background: Research has examined the connection between religiosity, spirituality (SpR) and health, and the potential of these variables to prevent, heal and cope with disease. Research indicated that participation in religious meetings or services was associated with a lower risk of developing oral disease. We intended to test a Hebrew version of the SpREUK 1.1 questionnaire, which is reported to be a reliable and valid measure of distinctive issues of SpR, and to test its relevance in the context of oral illness among a Jewish population. Methods: In order to validate the SpREUK-Hebrew instrument, minor translational and cultural/religious adaptations were applied. Reliability and factor analyses were performed, using standard procedures, among 134 Jewish Israeli subjects (mean age 38.4 years). Results: Analysis of reliability for internal consistency demonstrated an intra-class correlation of Cronbach's alpha = 0.90 for the intrinsic religiosity/spiritual and the appraisal scales, and of 0.90 for the support through spirituality/religiosity scales. Inter reliability agreement by kappa ranged between 0.7 and 0.9. We were able to approve the previously described factorial structure, albeit with some unique characteristics in the Jewish population. Individuals´ time spent on spiritual activity correlated with the SpREUK scales. The instrument discriminated well between religious subgroups (i.e., ultra Orthodox, conventional religious and less-religious). Preliminary results indicate an association between measures of spirituality and oral health. Conclusions: The traditional and cultural adaptation of the tool was found to be appropriate. SpREUK-Hebrew was reliable and valid among a Jewish population. This method could therefore be employed in comparative studies among different cultural and religious backgrounds.
|
|
Received: 11 November 2010; in revised form: 29 November 2010 / Accepted: 6 December 2010 / Published: 9 December 2010
Show/Hide Abstract
| Download PDF Full-text (126 KB)
Abstract: The Four Domains Model of Spiritual Health and Well-Being was used as the theoretical base for the development of several spiritual well-being questionnaires, with progressive fine-tuning leading to the Spiritual Health And Life-Orientation Measure (SHALOM). SHALOM comprises 20 items with five items reflecting the quality of relationships of each person with themselves, other people, the environment and/or God, in the Personal, Communal, Environmental and Transcendental domains of spiritual well-being. SHALOM has undergone rigorous statistical testing in several languages. SHALOM has been used with school and university students, teachers, nurses, medical doctors, church-attenders, in industry and business settings, with abused women, troubled youth and alcoholics. SHALOM provides a unique way of assessing spiritual well-being as it compares each person’s ideals with their lived experiences, providing a measure of spiritual harmony or dissonance in each of the four domains.
|
|
Received: 29 December 2010; in revised form: 5 January 2011 / Accepted: 10 January 2011 / Published: 12 January 2011
Show/Hide Abstract
| Download PDF Full-text (110 KB)
Abstract: The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) is a 16-item self-report measure designed to assess ordinary experiences of connection with the transcendent in daily life. It includes constructs such as awe, gratitude, mercy, sense of connection with the transcendent and compassionate love. It also includes measures of awareness of discernment/inspiration and a sense of deep inner peace. Originally developed for use in health studies, it has been increasingly used more widely in the social sciences, for program evaluation, and for examining changes in spiritual experiences over time. Also it has been used in counseling, addiction treatment settings, and religious organizations. It has been included in longitudinal health studies and in the U.S. General Social Survey which established random-sample population norms. It has publications on its psychometric validity in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German and Mandarin Chinese. Translations have been made into twenty languages including Hindi, Hebrew and Arabic and the scale has been effectively used in a variety of cultures. The 16-item scale does not have a psychometrically representative shorter form although a 6-item adaptation has been used. The DSES was developed using extensive qualitative testing in a variety of groups, which has helped its capacity to be useful in a variety of settings. It was constructed to reflect an overlapping circle model of spirituality/religiousness and contains items that are more specifically theistic in nature, as well as items to tap the spiritual experience of those who are not comfortable with theistic language. The scale has been used in over 70 published studies. This paper will provide an overview of the scale itself, describe why it has proved useful, and discuss some studies using the scale. See http://www.dsescale.org/ for more information on the scale.
|
|
Received: 20 December 2010; in revised form: 3 February 2011 / Accepted: 11 February 2011 / Published: 22 February 2011
Show/Hide Abstract
| Download PDF Full-text (489 KB)
Abstract: The Brief RCOPE is a 14-item measure of religious coping with major life stressors. As the most commonly used measure of religious coping in the literature, it has helped contribute to the growth of knowledge about the roles religion serves in the process of dealing with crisis, trauma, and transition. This paper reports on the development of the Brief RCOPE and its psychometric status. The scale developed out of Pargament’s (1997) program of theory and research on religious coping. The items themselves were generated through interviews with people experiencing major life stressors. Two overarching forms of religious coping, positive and negative, were articulated through factor analysis of the full RCOPE. Positive religious coping methods reflect a secure relationship with a transcendent force, a sense of spiritual connectedness with others, and a benevolent world view. Negative religious coping methods reflect underlying spiritual tensions and struggles within oneself, with others, and with the divine. Empirical studies document the internal consistency of the positive and negative subscales of the Brief RCOPE. Moreover, empirical studies provide support for the construct validity, predictive validity, and incremental validity of the subscales. The Negative Religious Coping subscale, in particular, has emerged as a robust predictor of health-related outcomes. Initial evidence suggests that the Brief RCOPE may be useful as an evaluative tool that is sensitive to the effects of psychological interventions. In short, the Brief RCOPE has demonstrated its utility as an instrument for research and practice in the psychology of religion and spirituality.
|
|
Received: 22 November 2010; in revised form: 25 February 2011 / Accepted: 9 March 2011 / Published: 15 March 2011
Show/Hide Abstract
| Download PDF Full-text (236 KB)
Abstract: The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp-12) is a 12-item questionnaire that measures spiritual well-being in people with cancer and other chronic illnesses. Cancer patients, psychotherapists, and religious/spiritual experts provided input on the development of the items. It was validated with a large, ethnically diverse sample. It has been successfully used to assess spiritual well-being across a wide range of religious traditions, including those who identify themselves as “spiritual yet not religious.” Part of the larger FACIT measurement system that assesses multidimensional health related quality of life (HRQOL), the FACIT-Sp-12 has been translated and linguistically validated in 15 languages and has been used in dozens of studies examining the relationships among spiritual well-being, health, and adjustment to illness.
|
|
Received: 23 May 2011; in revised form: 13 June 2011 / Accepted: 30 June 2011 / Published: 4 July 2011
Show/Hide Abstract
| Download PDF Full-text (216 KB)
Abstract: Religion is generally recognized as a major resource for dealing with stressful events, but its relationship with secular coping strategies continues to be debated. The present article provides a systematic review of the way in which analyses of the sub-scale turning to religion of the widely used Brief COPE [1] instrument are presented in peer-reviewed research articles, in order to investigate how the wealth of data published using this instrument can inform how religious coping relates to other coping strategies. Of the 212 identified articles that included turning to religion in their analyses, 80 combined sub-scale scores to form higher-order coping factors, 38 of which based on exploratory factor analyses of their own datasets. When factor analyses had used individual items as indicators, religious coping was more likely to load together with maladaptive coping strategies, and more likely with adaptive coping strategies when analyses were conducted at sub-scale level. To a large extent, the variation in the results from exploratory factor analyses appears to be due to the diverse and often inappropriate factor analytic techniques used to determine the factor structure of the Brief COPE instrument. Reports from factor analyses of the Brief COPE therefore have very little value when trying to make general conclusions about the role of religious coping in relation to secular coping methods.
|
|
Received: 29 June 2011; in revised form: 17 July 2011 / Accepted: 9 August 2011 / Published: 11 August 2011
Show/Hide Abstract
| Download PDF Full-text (300 KB)
Abstract: There is a multitude of instruments for measuring religiosity/spirituality. Many of these questionnaires are used or even were developed in the context of studies about the connection between religiosity/spirituality and health. Thus, it seems crucial to note that measures can focus on quite different components along a hypothetical path between stressors and health. We present an instructive model which helps to identify these different components and allows the categorization of instruments of religiosity/spirituality according to their primary measurement intention: intensity/centrality, resources, needs, coping, and quality of life/well-being. Furthermore, we point out possibilities as to how religiosity and spirituality can be differentiated. We argue that the distinction between religiosity and spirituality is important in countries with a more secular background where a growing number of people identify themselves as “spiritual, but not religious”.
|
Last update: 16 March 2012
