Religiosity, Religious Coping, and Distress: A Prospective Study of Catholic and Evangelical Hispanic Women in Treatment for Early-stage Breast Cancer

Religious involvement was measured in a sample of 49 lower socio-economic status Hispanic women who were newly diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Religious coping and emotional distress were assessed at pre-surgery, post-surgery, and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Among Catholic women, greater religiosity tended to be associated with more distress throughout the year; among Evangelical women, in contrast, greater religiosity tended to be associated with less distress throughout the year. These correlations were significantly different at two measurement points. Similarly, religious coping tended to have divergent effects in the two groups. Among Catholics, church attendance at 6 months predicted greater distress at 12 months; among Evangelical women, obtaining emotional support from church members at 6 months predicted less distress at 12 months. These various differences are interpreted in terms of differences in the ideologies of the two religious groups.