Religiosity Related to Grief Levels of Bereaved Mothers and Fathers

Abstract

In previous research, religiosity has been associated with decreased death anxiety. This study looked at religiosity, as measured by church affiliation and attendance, in relation to bereaved mothers' and fathers' scores on the GEI, including death anxiety. Using a MANCOVA to control for social desirability, high church attendance for both groups had a significant inverse relationship with death anxiety. An inverse relationship also existed for the same mothers' and fathers' adjusted mean scores on the scales of anger and guilt. Mothers who attended church more frequently also reported significantly less loss of control, rumination, depersonalization, and optimism/despair than mothers who attended less frequently. Church attendance appeared to have a less significant association with fathers' grief levels.