Date of Defense
12-11-2024 12:30 PM
Location
H1-1078
Document Type
Thesis Defense
Degree Name
Master of Science in Clinical Psychology
College
CMHS
Department
Clinical Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Zahir Vally
Keywords
depression, perceived stress, psychological inflexibility, religiosity, religious coping styles.
Abstract
This study examines the association between depression and perceived stress, with a particular focus on the mediating function of psychological rigidity and religious coping strategies in a sample of 18–30-year-old Arab Muslims. Online questionnaires measuring psychological flexibility, perceived stress, depression, religious coping, and demographics were filled out by participants. Higher stress levels were expected to be associated with higher levels of depression (H1), and the study postulated that both negative and positive psychological inflexibility and religious coping would mitigate this association (H2a and H2b, respectively). Significant positive relationships were found between religious coping qualities, depression, and perceived stress. A mediation analysis showed that psychological inflexibility and religious coping acted as mediators between perceived stress and depression, which had a significant impact on the latter. There was a high correlation between perceived stress and psychological rigidity, as well as positive and negative coping strategies. Stress had a substantial impact on depression scores; whereas psychological rigidity and negative coping contributed to an increase in depression, good coping decreased it. Psychological inflexibility was found to have strong indirect impacts, negative coping to have moderate effects, and positive coping to have no significant effects. These results offer significant new perspectives on the management of stress and depression among young Arab Muslims. They imply that therapies promoting psychological flexibility and lowering negative religious coping may be especially beneficial in alleviating the impact of stress on mental health within this cohort. Culturally appropriate mental health treatments can be informed by an understanding of these dynamics.
Included in
THE MEDIATING ROLE OF RELIGIOUS COPING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLEXIBILITY IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED LIFE STRESS AND DEPRESSION IN AN ARAB MUSLIM SAMPLE
H1-1078
This study examines the association between depression and perceived stress, with a particular focus on the mediating function of psychological rigidity and religious coping strategies in a sample of 18–30-year-old Arab Muslims. Online questionnaires measuring psychological flexibility, perceived stress, depression, religious coping, and demographics were filled out by participants. Higher stress levels were expected to be associated with higher levels of depression (H1), and the study postulated that both negative and positive psychological inflexibility and religious coping would mitigate this association (H2a and H2b, respectively). Significant positive relationships were found between religious coping qualities, depression, and perceived stress. A mediation analysis showed that psychological inflexibility and religious coping acted as mediators between perceived stress and depression, which had a significant impact on the latter. There was a high correlation between perceived stress and psychological rigidity, as well as positive and negative coping strategies. Stress had a substantial impact on depression scores; whereas psychological rigidity and negative coping contributed to an increase in depression, good coping decreased it. Psychological inflexibility was found to have strong indirect impacts, negative coping to have moderate effects, and positive coping to have no significant effects. These results offer significant new perspectives on the management of stress and depression among young Arab Muslims. They imply that therapies promoting psychological flexibility and lowering negative religious coping may be especially beneficial in alleviating the impact of stress on mental health within this cohort. Culturally appropriate mental health treatments can be informed by an understanding of these dynamics.