Journal of Religion & Health最新文献

{"title":"Moral Injury as a Wound of Meaning and Conscience: An Introductory Synthesis of Conceptual Foundations, Spiritual Dimensions, and Clinical Implications.","authors":"Tugba Yilmaz, Yusuf Ziya Koç, Eda Şen, Rüşen Sinecem","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02674-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02674-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Moral injury (MI) refers to moral, relational, and existential suffering that may follow exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs), including violence, betrayal, systemic injustice, or interpersonal abuse. Although initially conceptualized within military contexts, moral injury has increasingly been documented across civilian, occupational, and clinical populations such as healthcare professionals, first responders, and humanitarian workers. Despite rapid growth in the literature, the construct remains theoretically fragmented and diagnostically undefined, complicating assessment and intervention. This narrative review synthesizes conceptual, empirical, and methodological literature on moral injury with particular attention to its psychological, moral, and existential dimensions. The literature suggests that moral injury is best understood as a multidimensional form of trauma-related harm characterized by moral emotions such as guilt, shame, anger, and betrayal, alongside disruptions in meaning-making, relational trust, and moral identity. These experiences may also involve existential and spiritual struggles related to conscience, responsibility, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Measurement approaches have increasingly shifted toward multidimensional outcome measures that distinguish exposure to morally injurious events from the emotional and existential consequences that follow. Emerging clinical interventions emphasize meaning-oriented, compassion-based, and moral repair processes aimed at restoring moral identity, relational trust, and a sense of purpose. Overall, moral injury represents a distinct but overlapping construct within the broader trauma spectrum that cannot be adequately captured by fear-based models alone. Future progress requires conceptually aligned measurement strategies and integrative clinical approaches that address moral, relational, and existential suffering while recognizing the role of meaning-making and spiritually informed healing processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147844740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: Moral Injury in the DSM-5-TR: Syndrome Spectrum vs. Categorical Disorder.","authors":"Harold G Koenig, Lindsay B Carey, Jennifer S Wortham","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02653-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02653-y","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785127","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Between Faith and the Needle: Intrinsic Religiosity, Belief in Science, and COVID-19 Vaccination in a Six-Religion Multilevel Path Model.","authors":"Dariusz Drążkowski, Radosław Trepanowski, Jarosław Piotrowski, Magdalena Żemojtel-Piotrowska","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02666-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02666-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the crucial role of vaccination for global health, yet uptake has differed widely across religious groups. Religiosity may reduce vaccine acceptance by lowering belief in science, but cross-faith comparisons remain scarce. This study (N = 1,730) examined how intrinsic religiosity and belief in science jointly predict COVID-19 vaccination intentions and behaviors among Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and non-believers. Multilevel path analysis showed substantial group differences. Non-believers reported the strongest belief in science, followed by Buddhists and Hindus, while Muslims, Catholics, and Protestants scored lower. Across all groups, higher religiosity was related to weaker belief in science, most strongly among Protestants and Catholics, and least among Hindus. Belief in science predicted COVID-19 vaccination intentions across all groups and self-reported vaccination status in most groups, except Catholics and non-believers. Mediation results indicated that lower belief in science explained the religiosity-vaccination link, especially among Protestants and Muslims. These findings offer one of the first broad cross-religious comparisons of the interplay between faith, belief in science, and vaccination. Thus, public health strategies should be tailored to religious contexts, emphasizing the role of trusted leaders and culturally sensitive messaging to strengthen belief in science and improve vaccine uptake worldwide.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reframing Obesity as Collective Vulnerability in Black Churches in The USA: Implications for Clergy Leadership, Health Equity, and Pastoral Identity.","authors":"Linda Carper, Naa-Solo Tettey, Harold Griffin","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02673-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02673-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and intensified longstanding racial health inequities in the USA, disproportionately affecting African American communities with high burdens of chronic disease. This study examines how African American clergy in Houston, Texas, interpreted and responded to the convergence of COVID-19 and obesity-related vulnerability within their congregations, and how these conditions reshaped theological meaning, pastoral identity, and health-related leadership within Black church contexts. Using a hermeneutic interpretive phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten Protestant clergy engaged in health-related ministry during the pandemic. Findings indicated that clergy experienced COVID-19 not only as a public health crisis but as a theological disruption that reshaped pastoral priorities. Four interrelated patterns emerged: Obesity was reframed from a lifestyle issue to a matter of survival and collective vulnerability; clergy became more aware of embodied vulnerability; health engagement accelerated in response to congregational loss; and clergy expanded their role as trusted interpreters of public health information amid medical mistrust. Chronic disease prevention shifted from a secondary activity to a core dimension of pastoral identity. Although behavioral concepts such as decision-making and confidence were evident, they were shaped by theological meaning, moral responsibility, and commitment to the congregation. These findings suggest that crisis conditions can transform how health is understood and addressed within Black churches. Efforts to reduce chronic disease disparities and advance health equity should engage faith institutions not only as partners in outreach but as central contributors to how health meaning is formed within communities shaped by structural inequity.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perceptions and Perspectives of Mission-Involved Members on Lifestyle, Non-communicable Diseases, and Health Promotion in Seventh-Day Adventist Churches in Argentina.","authors":"Gabriela Roces, Laíza Domiciano Pinto Carvalho, Anna Carolina Marin Dantas, Sandaly Oliveira da Silva Pacheco, Fabio Juliano Pacheco","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02672-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02672-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Faith-based organizations provide effective platforms for implementing basic health programs because of their social engagement and influence on personal health decisions. This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions and perspectives of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church members in Argentina about risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and health promotion within their churches and the surrounding community. This is a qualitative exploratory study with 30 focus groups, each comprising 4-7 local church members, representing 119 churches across 13 provinces in Argentina. Semi-structured audio-recorded interviews were conducted, designed to gather insights into participants' perceptions and perspectives. Subsequent meetings focused on training in lifestyle and NCDs, and the collaborative development of health promotion strategies. Information from the interviews was transcribed, coded, and manually analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Church leaders identified hypertension, diabetes, and obesity as the most prevalent NCDs affecting church members and the broader community. Major risk factors include sedentarism, poor nutrition, and mental stress. While church members' lifestyles were perceived to be better than those of the general community, they were still considered suboptimal. Health promotion programs were deemed necessary, with members suggesting that tailored approaches to their churches and communities may significantly improve lifestyles. By the end of the training, leaders proposed adapted health programs to meet the perceived needs of each community. Perceptions of NCDs risk factors were identified, and perspectives on health programs were viewed positively to foster beneficial changes that support healthier lifestyle habits in SDA church members and their surrounding communities in Argentina.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spiritual Care During COVID-19: An Exploratory Study of the Experience of Hospital Chaplains in the Amazon Region.","authors":"Luiz Francisco Rocha E Silva, John Lennon Moura Lima, Ianna Laisa Souza Sirqueira, Fábio Marcon Alfieri","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02652-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02652-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a scenario of physical, social, and emotional illness that significantly increased the need for spiritual care, particularly in hospital environments, where individuals were more vulnerable, fragile, and anxious. In this context, the hospital chaplain played a strategic role within the multidisciplinary care team for hospitalized patients, serving as the primary provider of spiritual care. This article presents an experiential report of the role of hospital chaplains in providing spiritual support to the multidisciplinary team, patients, and their families in a nonprofit, religiously affiliated hospital in the Brazilian Amazon during the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergence of the coronavirus in the hospital led to decisions that reoriented care routines to ensure quality services and the safety of both patients and staff, significantly impacting the chaplaincy service's provision of spiritual support. Like other healthcare professionals, chaplains adapted their practices. Notable changes included restricted access to patients and family members, the elimination of physical contact, continuous use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and strict adherence to hygiene protocols. Visits became shorter and required greater preparation, aiming to ensure safety for all. The chaplaincy's collaboration with the multidisciplinary team was essential in providing emotional and spiritual assistance. Through worship services, prayers, active listening, and a welcoming presence, chaplains supported professionals in facing fear, exhaustion, and grief, thereby strengthening resilience. Ultimately, spiritual care became a key pillar for collective recovery, fostering hope, meaning, and daily renewal amid the crisis.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Religious Involvement and Depressive Symptoms in Mainland China: A Trend Analysis of Older Adults, 2012-2023.","authors":"Linghan Ge, Liwen Zeng, Terrence D Hill, Weidong Wang, Ming Wen","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02669-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02669-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Do population changes in the institution of religion contribute to population changes in mental health? To answer this question, we used seven rounds of national trend data from the 2012-2023 Chinese General Social Survey (n = 24,150) to formally test whether population changes in religious involvement were associated with population changes in depressive symptoms among older adults in Mainland China. In terms of changes in religious involvement, we observed secularization or downward trends in (1) any religious belief, (2) affiliation with Buddhism, folk beliefs, Islam, and Christianity, and (3) religious participation. With respect to changes in depressive symptoms, our results suggested downward trends or population improvements from 2015 to 2021. Our most important finding is that trends in religious involvement were unrelated to trends in depressive symptoms. Because religious belief, religious affiliation, and religious participation were mostly unrelated to depressive symptoms in our analyses, adjusting for religious involvement had no substantive impact on trends in depressive symptoms. Although religious involvement and depressive symptoms are changing in the population of older Chinese adults, these fluctuations likely have little to do with each other. Ultimately, our analyses challenge the notion that population-level shifts in religious involvement exert any consistent effect on the depressive symptoms of older adults in Mainland China.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Private Religious Practices and Life Satisfaction among Filipino Catholics: Validation of a Theistic DSES and the Mediating Role of Spiritual Experience.","authors":"Renz Louis T Montano, Homer J Yabut","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02670-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02670-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Religiosity and spirituality are central to the lives of Filipinos, yet limited research has examined their role in well-being. Although traditionally viewed as distinct constructs, religiosity and spirituality are deeply intertwined among Filipinos, with religious practice serving as a pathway for cultivating spiritual experience. Given the established role of spiritual experience in well-being, daily spiritual experience may represent a key mechanism through which religious practice translates into greater life satisfaction, yet research directly examining this mediating pathway remains limited. A further concern is that widely used spirituality measures, including the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES; Underwood and Teresi, Annals of Behavioral Medicine 24:22-33, 2002), have been criticized for containing items that overlap with mental and social health outcomes, raising tautological questions about observed associations. The present study addressed both concerns. A theistic 5-item version of the DSES was validated among Filipino Catholics and demonstrated superior psychometric fit over the full 13-item version. Using this validated measure, the study examined whether private religious practices predict life satisfaction and whether daily spiritual experience mediates this relationship in a sample of 1,189 Filipino Catholics (M_age = 18.86, SD = 4.67). Results showed that private religious practices positively predicted life satisfaction, with daily spiritual experience serving as a significant mediator. These findings suggest that private religious practices enhance life satisfaction by fostering an experiential sense of closeness to God that is distinct from general psychological well-being, while also providing a psychometrically robust measure of theistic spirituality for future research among the Filipino faithful.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Moral Injury Among Pakistani Lawyers: Measurement, Psychometric Properties, and Validation.","authors":"Iffat Mazhar, Saba Ghayas, Syeda Tooba Akhtar, Rehana Ilyas, Wajeeha Tahir","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02644-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02644-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present research aimed to develop a psychometrically sound measure of moral injury for lawyers. In study I, deductive and inductive approaches were used to generate an initial item pool. Furthermore, the item pool was reviewed and finalized with the help of experts' opinions. In order to explore factor structure and ensure psychometric properties of the scale, a purpose sample comprised of lawyers (N = 226, mean age = 31, SD = 5.2) was recruited. Results indicated a three-factor structure of moral injury-betrayal, transgression, and value system conflict. Four items were retained in each factor: betrayal (1,2,3,4), transgression (5,6,7,8), and value system conflict (9,10,11,12). In study II, another independent sample was recruited to confirm the factor structure. The three-factor structure produced by EFA was found to fit the data with three-factor solution with initial item loadings > 0.40. The Chi-square value was 70.41 (df = 51), with CFI = 0.97, GFI .95, TLI = 0.96, RMR = 0.01, and RMSEA = 0.04. The alpha reliability of the overall scale and subscales was 0.78, 0.70, 0.82, and .74, respectively. Study III demonstrated evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. Positive correlation of moral injury with pathological lying (r = 0.50, p < 0.01) and decisional fatigue (r = 0.49, p < 0.01) ensured its convergent validity, while a non-significant relationship with internet addiction provided evidence of discriminant validity.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Universality of the Resilience Paradox on the Example of Paulinus of Nola's Letters to the Trauma-Experiencing Faithful.","authors":"Iwona Niewiadomska, Marcin Wysocki","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02668-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02668-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of this article is to conduct a comparative analysis of letters written by Paulinus of Nola, addressed to the faithful experiencing trauma, with the literature on the Conservation of Resources Theory (COR) by Stevan Hobfoll. The comparison focuses on the occurrence of the resilience paradox in the face of traumatic experience. The conducted comparative analysis leads to the conclusion that in the letters addressed to the faithful in trauma, Paulinus utilizes the resilience paradox (initiating resource gains after experiencing significant resource losses), mechanisms of which have been extensively described in the COR theory. Paulinus points out that resource gain spirals in traumatic situations should involve external resources (showing compassion, support, love, closeness, kindness, caring for the suffering person and being a role model for them), as well as internal resources (readiness to listen to the Word of God, reinforcing hope and faith, expressing joy and trust in God, pursuing significant life goals, adopting an ascetic way of life and ascetic attitude to life, experiencing grief in a constructive way while strengthening the sense of self-efficacy by engaging in life-serving pursuits). The resilience assets mentioned by Paulinus are consistent with the stress-reducing factors in the COR concept (sense of security, emotional tranquillity, sense of individual and/or collective efficacy, sense of connection, hope). This type of analysis is significant for two reasons. First, patristic literature lacks research concerning the psychological mechanisms encompassed within the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, including the occurrence of the paradox principle. Second, it seems worthwhile to initiate a series of publications that would present the ways in which the Church Fathers shaped psychological resilience among the faithful experiencing various forms of life trauma. Such knowledge-both theoretical and practical, developed in a certain sense over the centuries-may be utilized by specialists, including clergy, psychologists, and therapists, to foster constructive strategies for coping with contemporary traumas.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}