| Abstract: | Forgiveness is a key component of the tenets of religions across the globe. However, it is only recently that scientific research on health has focused on forgiveness as an important component of well‐being. Research in the West has indicated that forgiveness is associated with increases in physical health and well‐being, and that rumination may mediate the relationship between forgiveness and health. However, little is known about the relationship between forgiveness, rumination, and health in non‐Western populations such as India. The purpose of the current study was to measure forgiveness, rumination, stress, and physical health in Indian college students, and compare their responses to that of a US sample. Participants were 188 college students (92 males and 96 females) from Mumbai, India. Results indicated that lower levels of forgiveness predicted increased rumination and stress, but not physical symptoms. Similar to data in the US, rumination mediated the relationship between forgiveness and stress. There were no significant differences in forgiveness, rumination, or stress between the Indian and US samples. Results suggest the universality of these variables across cultures. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
