Review of the Psychology of Religious Coping and Its Applications in Clinical Settings

Recent surveys continue to show the importance of spirituality in the lives of most people in the United States (Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion, 2006), particularly when the term is distinguished from religion to emphasize the personal experience of the sacred (Zinnbauer et al., 1997). A recent national survey found that the majority of college students see spirituality as an important aspect of their search for identity, meaning, and purpose (Lindholm, 2007). These findings suggested a need for increased attention to the role of spirituality in campus life. In addition, the psychological literature consistently shows that religion and spirituality appear to have a meaningful role in the coping process, especially for oppressed populations, such as women, ethnic minorities, the elderly, and the poor (Pargament, 1997). Thus, it makes sense for university counseling center clinicians who are committed to human diversity to understand the role of religion and spirituality in the coping process and to be able to integrate students’ religious resources into counseling.