Transcendental Awe of God and Dimensions of Well-Being: Exploring the Mediating Role of Meaning in Life.

Scholars have long speculated that experiencing awe-an emotional state where people believe they are in the presence of something grand-might be beneficial for well-being. We explore a manifestation of awe that is unique to religion-awe of God. Drawing on a national sample from the United States, being in awe of God was associated with lower depression, higher life satisfaction, and better self-rated health, associations partially mediated by the sense of meaning in life.

Humble with God? How Education and Race Shape the Association Between God-Mediated Control and Humility in Later Life.

Background: In contrast to the vibrant interdisciplinary literature on other virtues, such as forgiveness and gratitude, the study of humility has developed more slowly. Over the 2 decades, there has been a proliferation of research on humility. In this study, we assess the interrelationship between a core feature of religious life, , and humility.

Religious Doubt, Financial Strain, and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Mexican Americans.

PURPOSE: A number of studies suggest that positive aspects of religion (e.g., social support from fellow church members) help older people cope more effectively with stress.

Religion and preventive service use: do congregational support and religious beliefs explain the relationship between attendance and utilization?

Religious individuals are more likely to engage in healthy practices, including using preventive services; however, the underlying mechanisms have not been adequately explored. To begin addressing this, the current study examines the association between religious attendance, four aspects of congregational support, two health-related religious beliefs, and the use of preventive services (cholesterol screening, flu shot, and colonoscopy) among a national sample of Presbyterian adults (n = 1,076). The findings show that two aspects of congregational support are relevant to these types of behavioral health.

Social Involvement in Religious Institutions and God-Mediated Control Beliefs: A Longitudinal Investigation.

This study examines the relationships among race, education, formal as well as informal involvement in the church, and God-mediated control. Formal involvement in the church was assessed by the frequency of attendance at worship services, Bible study groups, and prayer groups. Informal involvement was measured with an index of spiritual support provided by fellow church members.

Health and living arrangements among older Americans: does marriage matter?

Objective: This research examines how physical and mental health influence living arrangements among older Americans and whether these effects differ for married and unmarried persons.

Methods: Data came from the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old study. These two intervals were pooled, and hierarchical multinomial logistic regressions were used to analyze pooled time lags.

Changes in functional status among older adults in Japan: successful and usual aging.

This research aimed to chart the trajectories of functional status in old age in Japan and to assess how self-rated health and cognitive functioning differentiate these trajectories and account for interpersonal differences. Data came from a 5-wave panel study of a national sample of 2,200 Japanese older adults between 1987 and 1999. The sample as a whole showed an accelerated increase in functional limitations with age.