Index

Overview

1. Understanding control

2. Increase feelings of security and certainty

3. Boundaries and Expectations

4. Self-Efficacy

5. Have fun and enjoy good humor

6. Physiological

7. Friends and Relationships

8. Meditation

9. Music

10. Gratitude

11: Forgiveness and letting go

12. Faith

13. Prayer

14. Believe Christ

15 Stand in Holy Places

Conclusion:

Conclusion:

While there are lots of things which can cause stress, they do not affect all people the same. One event may cause one person to totally break down; while the same event is taken in stride by someone else. The events in and of themselves do not cause our internal state of stress, it is the how we process what has happened, our skills in dealing with what has happened, our interpretation of what has happened, plus our own resiliency and self-efficacy.

15 Stand in Holy Places:

While many things are outside our control, where we stand is almost always within our control. Choosing to stand in the midst of evil, or dangerously close to the edge, is a choice. Standing in Holy Places is always the best, most peaceful, choice.
Standing in Holy Places can be situationaly dependent.  For example, generally speaking, on Sunday, it is in church and in the home, or in the home of someone you are comforting, teaching, and lifting.  It can also be in a hospital room, both as a visitor and a health care provider.

14. Believe Christ:

14. Believe Christ, live the commandments, and teach your children to do the same. It is my testimony that this really is where you will find “safety and peace.” (Children’s Songbook, page 146; Hymns, number 303)
Many people say they believe in Jesus Christ; but make limited or not attempts to learn and do what He says. To Believe Christ is to believe that His really is a better way, though we may not see it at the time.  To Believe Christ is to readjust our vision from the here and now to the eternities.

Believing Christ

"To have faith in Jesus Christ, we must learn to believe his promise of eternal life."  To read the article in the Ensign: http://lds.org/ensign/1992/04/believing-christ?lang=eng&query=%22believe+Christ%22

“It is not easy to be at peace in today’s troubled world. Necessarily peace is a personal acquisition. … It can be attained only through maintaining constantly a repentant attitude, seeking forgiveness of sins both large and small, and thus coming ever closer to God.”
― Spencer W. Kimball  goodreads

13. Prayer:

13. Prayer: Teach by word and example that we have a loving Father in Heaven who we can turn to in times of trials, and ease. Trials because He can and will help, Ease, for direction, practice, and the building of a close relationship.
While prayers are not always answered when and in the way we would like, having faith in a loving Father in Heaven and knowing that He will watch over and provide for us according to our needs as He sees them is a great comfort.

Types of prayer, optimism, and well-being of middle-aged and older patients undergoing open-heart surgery.

"Abstract:

To specify the psychological mechanism through which faith factors may influence health-related well-being, we followed a sample of middle-aged and older patients for their experiences associated with open-heart surgery. Structural equation modeling analysis in an earlier report demonstrated a parallel-pathway explanatory model in which preoperative optimism and acute stress response functioned as positive and negative mediators, respectively, of the influence of using prayer for coping. This current analysis addresses an additional question: Which styles or types of prayer usage may have potential protection in postoperative outcomes? Three interviews were conducted with 295 patients (age 62±). Items from established instruments were used to assess postoperative mental health, optimism, acute stress, prayer coping, and chronic conditions. Structural equation modeling was used to test a theoretical conceptual model. The major finding was unexpected. Of the four major types, only the use of "petitionary" prayer was related to better postoperative well-being, mediated through optimism, whereas "conversational" prayer was associated with poor outcomes, mediated through acute stress. Optimism appeared to counterbalance this undesirable stress effect. Interpretations were sought on the basis of the literature and theories, especially those that have linked "petitionary" prayer with disadvantaged populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)"

http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2007-19918-011

Lifetime Trauma, Prayer, and Psychological Distress In Late Life

"Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to see whether prayer helps older people cope more effectively with the adverse effects of lifetime trauma. Data from a nationwide survey of older adults reveal that the size of the relationship between traumatic events and depressive symptoms is reduced for older people who believe that only God knows when it is best to answer a prayer, and when they believe that only God knows the best way to answer it. The findings further reveal that these beliefs about prayer outcomes are especially likely to offset the effects of traumatic events that arose during childhood."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831652/

Dealing with Stress and Discouragement

Read the article in the Ensign: http://lds.org/ensign/1990/02/dealing-with-stress-and-discouragement?lang=eng&query=stress+prayer

Intercessory Prayer: A Delicate Celestial Orchestration Between Spiritual and Physical Worlds:  The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2007.0013

Intercessory prayer as an intervention for stress in critically-ill neonates
"Abstract: The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of Christian intercessory prayer (CIP) on (a) physiological and behavioral stress levels and (b) physical outcomes of critically ill, extremely preterm (PT) neonates during the first four weeks of life. Outcome measures included salivary cortisol, behavioral state and incidence of acute complications (e.g. long term ventilation or death) during the first four weeks of life. This study used a blinded, randomized, 2-group, pre-test/post-test design and was conducted in a large Level III Neonatal ICU in a university teaching hospital on the Texas Gulf Coast. Forty-two preterm neonates between 26 to 32 weeks completed gestational age were admitted to the study after obtaining appropriate parental consent. The intervention utilized Christian intercessors that prayed daily for healing for infants randomized to the prayer group. Descriptive statistics, t-tests and Chi Square were used to describe the sample and to test the hypotheses. Results showed that while there was no statistical significance between the groups for any outcome measures, outcomes were noted for salivary cortisol, behavioral state and acute complications for the prayer group. Therefore it can be tentatively concluded that CIP could possibly improve stress, behavioral levels and physiological outcomes of the preterm infant."
http://gradworks.umi.com/32/34/3234211.html

12. Faith:

12. Faith: Help your children develop faith and let them see faith exercised in your own life. Help them build a foundation of faith through; a. love (Gal. 5:6), b. truth, c. works (James 2:26), and d. humility (Moro 7:39, Ether 12:27, Alma 37:33). Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote in Mormon Doctrine (p.262); “Faith and truth cannot be separated: if there is to be faith, saving faith, faith unto life and salvation, faith that leads to the celestial world, there must first be truth.” (see also Alma 32:21) “You will be asked to exercise faith in truths you have not yet come to prove through your own experience or through the sacred witness of the Holy Ghost. Enduring happiness is rooted in unchangeable truth lived in faith.” (Richard G. Scott: To Acquire Knowledge and the Strength to Use It Wisely: Ensign June 2002.)

Work is an absolute requirement of faith. Few things cause or exacerbate stress more than inaction when action is needed. If something needs to be done. Do it. Do not procrastinate. D & C 88: 124 “Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.”
Remember: “The Good is the Greatest Enemy of the Best.” Do what needs doing, when it needs doing. If you are unsure of a direction. Study it out, discuss with people you trust, come up with a plan and take it to your Father in Heaven. When you have direction, “Do IT”!
Religion, Stress, and Mental Health in Adolescence: Findings From ADD Health
"A growing body of multidisciplinary research documents associations between religious involvement and mental health outcomes, yet the causal mechanisms linking them are not well understood.  Ellison and his colleagues (2001) tested a series of hypotheses derived from the life stess paradigm which linked religious involvement to adult well=being and distress.  In the present study those proposed mechanisms are tested in a population of adolescents, a particularly understudied group in religious research. Analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) reveals that religious involvement works to prevent the occurrence of school and health stressors, which reduces depression. For sucide ideation, religious involvement works to mobilize social resources.  Implications for theory and research are discussed."
http://www.jstor.org/pss/3512165

The influence of religiosity on positive and negative outcomes associated with stress among college students

"Abstract:

This study presents the impact of religious coping on promoting positive outcomes and minimizing negative outcomes associated with stress among college students. Analyses are based on 742 college students at a large, church-sponsored school in the Western United States who completed a cross-sectional survey. Religiosity had a beneficial influence on both positive and negative outcomes associated with stress among college students. Among the negative outcomes associated with stress, religiosity had the greatest influence on lowering feelings of anger when things happen outside of one's control or minimizing upset feelings because of an unexpected event. Among the positive outcomes associated with stress, religiosity had the greatest effect on promoting feelings of confidence in one's ability to handle personal problems. Thus, higher levels of religiosity have the potential to prevent negative outcomes but promote positive outcomes associated with stress."
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/cmhr/2009/00000012/00000005/art00006

Happily Ever After?: Religion, Marital Status, Gender and Relationship Quality in Urban Families

"Abstract:

Researchers have found that religious participation is correlated with marital satisfaction. Less is known about whether religion also benefits participants in nonmarital, intimate relationships or whether religious effects on relationships vary by gender. Using data from the first three waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we find that religious participation by fathers, irrespective of marital status, is consistently associated with better relationships among new parents in urban America; however, mothers' participation is not related to relationship quality. These results suggest that religious effects vary more by gender than by marital status. We conclude that men's investments in relationships appear to depend more on the institutional contexts of those relationships, such as participation in formal religion."

http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/sof/summary/v086/86.3.wolfinger.html

Fewer Rainy Days for Those Who Praise: A Psychological Examination of Religion and Depression
"Abstract
Current research indicates paucity in studying the intersection between specific facets of religion and psychological functioning. The current study addresses symptoms commonly manifested in university students adjusting to new expectations. The study addresses the interface between religion and mental health, particularly depression, which is a complex and multifaceted issue. The foundation of the current research was the Dollahite and Marks (2009) model which identified religion as a meta-variable based on three identified dimensions: beliefs, practices, and faith community. The purpose of the current study is to explore the complex relationships between religion, stress, and depression. The hypotheses predict (1) an inverse relationship between religion and depression, (2) a direct relationship between stress and depression, and (3) a buffering effect of religion on the relationship between stress and depression. In light of the rising needs in research, these predictions were based on a look at specific facets of religion. The participants provided survey data comprised of 212 psychology students in a convenience sample. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that females show higher levels of depression than do males and that social support is negatively related to depression. The current research showed significant findings in (1) the negative relationship between spiritual beliefs and depression, (2) the positive relationship between stress and depression, (3) the buffering impact of religious practices and faith community involvement as these variables interact with stress in relation to depression. The findings contributed to the existing body of research in that the negative relationship between beliefs and depression supported the Marks (2006) research. The positive relationship between stress and depression supported the research of Lee (2007) and the meta-analysis of Liu and Alloy (2010). Finally, the buffering effects of religious practices and faith community involvement on the relationship between stress and depression contributed to the complex findings of the research of Strawbridge, Shema, Cohen, Roberts, & Kaplan (1998). Above all, this study showed the dire need for future studies on religion and pathology and well-being using groundwork models such as the Dollahite and Marks (2009) conceptual model."
http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-06272011-152252/

Religious coping and psychological adjustment to stress: A meta-analysis

Abstract

"A growing body of literature suggests that people often turn to religion when coping with stressful events. However, studies on the efficacy of religious coping for people dealing with stressful situations have yielded mixed results. No published studies to date have attempted to quantitatively synthesize the research on religious coping and psychological adjustment to stress. The purpose of the current study was to synthesize the research on situation-specific religious coping methods and quantitatively determine their efficacy for people dealing with stressful situations. A meta-analysis of 49 relevant studies with a total of 105 effect sizes was conducted in order to quantitatively examine the relationship between religious coping and psychological adjustment to stress. Four types of relationships were investigated: positive religious coping with positive psychological adjustment, positive religious coping with negative psychological adjustment, negative religious coping with positive psychological adjustment, and negative religious coping with negative psychological adjustment. The results of the study generally supported the hypotheses that positive and negative forms of religious coping are related to positive and negative psychological adjustment to stress, respectively. Implications of the findings and their limitations are discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol."
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jclp.20049/abstract

The link between religion and health: psychoneuroimmunology and the faith factor (online book)

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wuWh0eWk8ZwC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=faith+stress&ots=NpHsceWhNt&sig=tuDn7256ZfkfXVl4yYUo9Uy8Quw#v=onepage&q=faith%20stress&f=false

11: Forgiveness and letting go:

Forgiveness and letting go: Carrying around grudges, bitterness, and anger is stressful and can take a lot of energy. When under stress (and when not) forgive quickly. You just don’t have the extra energy to carry around the additional burden. Many years ago while working with adults I taught a repeating workshop. During part of the workshop we talked about letting go. My partner would be with the group and I would come in late with a backpack. I would talk about how much pain I was in and how much my back hurt. Invariably someone would have the common sense to suggest I remove what was obviously a very heavy pack. At first I would ignore them; but after a while I would acknowledge their comments and concerns, and remove the pack. However; I would continue to carry this bulky and heavy back pack in my arms while opening it and one by one removing very large rocks, talking about each one. They all represented stressful events or relationships in my life. One by one, after talking about each for a while, I would allow the rock to land on the table with a thud.I remember one woman picking up a large rock while I wasn’t looking, wrapping it in tissue, and putting it into her purse. There was something she wasn’t ready to let go of and now this rock represented that burden.
Now this is something I would always explain. Some situations and events are serious enough that they need to be reported and you need to take appropriate precautions. You can forgive and let go; but at the same time, love yourself enough to never allow yourself, your children, or anyone else for that matter, to be put in the same dangerous situation again. You can let go of the hate and burdens associated with what occurred and still report to the proper authorities. Perhaps this will lead to the person getting help that s/he needs; but more importantly your report and your refusal to allow it to happen to you again, may save you, your children, or someone else.
(One often overlooked but key principle of forgiveness is not judging in the first place. While we must judge the safety of situation and even people, we seldom really know or understand their motivation and/or their own struggles.
Many years ago while a therapist in a small town, I used to tell my children that there were many people that I knew, was friendly with, and genuinely liked; however, that did not mean that they were safe. I did not want my children to assume that just because I knew and was kind to someone that they were safe for my children to be around on their own.)

The last article posted under Gratitude also spoke of the importance of forgiveness in wellbeing. The following articles provide additional information.
Meditation Lowers Stress and Supports Forgiveness Among College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
"Abstract:
Objective and Participants: The authors evaluated the effects on stress, rumination, forgiveness, and hope of two 8-week, 90-min/wk training programs for college undergraduates in meditation-based stress-management tools. Methods: After a pretest, the authors randomly allocated college undergraduates to training in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR; n = 15), Easwaran's Eight-Point Program (EPP; n = 14), or wait-list control (n = 15). The authors gathered pretest, posttest, and 8-week follow-up data on self-report outcome measures. Results: The authors observed no post-treatment differences between MBSR and EPP or between posttest and 8-week follow-up (p > .10). Compared with controls, treated participants (n = 29) demonstrated significant benefits for stress (p < .05, Cohen's d = -.45) and forgiveness (p < .05, d = .34) and marginal benefits for rumination (p < .10, d = -.34). Conclusions: Evidence suggests that meditation-based stress-management practices reduce stress and enhance forgiveness among college undergraduates. Such programs merit further study as potential health-promotion tools for college populations."
http://heldref-publications.metapress.com/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=issue,14,17;journal,17,81;linkingpublicationresults,1:119928,1

The effects of forgiveness therapy on depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress for women after spousal emotional abuse.

"Abstract

Emotionally abused women experience negative psychological outcomes long after the abusive spousal relationship has ended. This study compares forgiveness therapy (FT) with an alternative treatment (AT; anger validation, assertiveness, interpersonal skill building) for emotionally abused women who had been permanently separated for 2 or more years (M = 5.00 years, SD = 2.61; n = 10 per group). Participants, who were matched, yoked, and randomized to treatment group, met individually with the intervener. Mean intervention time was 7.95 months (SD = 2.61). The relative efficacy of FT and AT was assessed at p < .05. Participants in FT experienced significantly greater improvement than AT participants in depression, trait anxiety, posttraumatic stress symptoms, self-esteem, forgiveness, environmental mastery, and finding meaning in suffering, with gains maintained at follow-up (M = 8.35 months, SD = 1.53). FT has implications for the long-term recovery of postrelationship emotionally abused women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)"

http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/ccp/74/5/920/

Process-Based Forgiveness Interventions: A Meta-Analytic Review

"Abstract:

Objective: To investigate the impact of forgiveness interventions designed to help individuals who have suffered because of betrayals, offenses, or victimization. Forgiveness is believed to be a mechanism through which individuals can experience increases in hope and positive emotions and relief from negative emotions, cognitions, and behaviors. Method: Fourteen published reports of process-based forgiveness interventions that included a comparison group are meta-analyzed. Results/Conclusions: Samples that received forgiveness interventions forgave more (effect size [ES] = .82) and enjoyed increased positive affect (ES = .81) and self-esteem (ES = .60) and less negative affect (ES = .54). Such gains were largely maintained at follow-up periods. Individually delivered programs are superior to group delivery, and some forgiveness programs are superior to others. Further moderators are discussed."

http://rsw.sagepub.com/content/18/5/465.short

Effects of a group forgiveness intervention on forgiveness, perceived stress, and trait-anger

"Abstract: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 6-week forgiveness intervention on three outcomes: (a) offense-specific forgiveness, (b) forgiveness-likelihood in new situations, and (c) health-related psychosocial variables, such as perceived stress and trait-anger. Participants were 259 adults who had experienced a hurtful interpersonal transgression from which they still felt negative consequences. They were randomized to a forgiveness-training program or a no-treatment control group. The intervention reduced negative thoughts and feelings about the target transgression 2 to 3 times more effectively than the control condition, and it produced significantly greater increases in positive thoughts and feelings toward the transgressor. Significant treatment effects were also found for forgiveness self-efficacy, forgiveness generalized to new situations, perceived stress, and trait-anger. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 62: 715–733, 2006."

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jclp.20264/abstract