Religious/Spiritual and Secular Coping Among Individuals with Cystic Fibrosis and Their Caregivers
General Material Designation
[Thesis]
First Statement of Responsibility
D'Angelo, Christina
Subsequent Statement of Responsibility
Mrug, Sylvie
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.
2020
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item
117
DISSERTATION (THESIS) NOTE
Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree
Ph.D.
Body granting the degree
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Text preceding or following the note
2020
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
Cystic fibrosis (CF) - a genetic, progressive disease affecting approximately 30,000 individuals in the United States - has been linked with psychological maladjustment and clinical difficulties among both affected individuals and their caregivers, specifically as the disease progresses and becomes more difficult to treat. Religious/spiritual and secular coping strategies, however, can offset many of the detrimental effects. Yet despite the salient effects that coping can have, aspects of coping among individuals with CF and their caregivers are still largely understudied and poorly understood. In general, less is known about religious/spiritual coping specifically including how it changes across the lifespan, how it differs by populations (e.g., individual with chronic illness versus caregivers) and, importantly, how it is measured among these populations (Study 1). In addition, there is a need to understand the links between both religious/spiritual and secular coping among youth with CF and their caregivers (Study 2). Lastly, both religious/spiritual and secular coping styles relate to physical health behaviors and outcomes. Despite this knowledge, few studies have investigated these links over time to understand the reciprocal relations between health indicators and coping styles (Study 3). Therefore, the present studies aimed to address these gaps in the literature, providing a comprehensive view of coping with CF. In general, findings elucidated our understanding of coping with CF and identified important targets for intervention.