The influence of spirituality and religion on coping for combat-deployed military personnel

Abstract

A paucity of research exists examining the role of spirituality/religion (S/R) as a protective factor for combat-deployed military personnel. The purpose of this study is to (a) define the underlying structure of items from an author-developed instrument measuring coping, beliefs, and support; and (b) examine how S/R affiliation, activities, and practices affect coping responses for 279 combat-deployed military personnel. Significant predictors of coping included support, age, Christian affiliation, and frequency of S/R practices. The authors found that beliefs, S/R practices prior to deployment, previous combat deployments, and first deployment were not significant predictors of coping. Implications for counselors and future research are addressed.