Negative religious coping linked to mind-body stress disconnect

A new study published in ‘Psychology of Religion and Spirituality’ has identified a disconnect between psychological stress and physical cardiovascular responses in individuals who utilize ‘negative religious coping.’

While people facing acute stress typically experience a rise in heart rate and blood pressure, those who engage in negative religious coping—such as feeling abandoned by God, questioning divine intentions, or viewing hardships as spiritual punishment—report higher levels of mental stress but show a less pronounced physical reaction in their blood pressure than expected.

Lead author Ailbhe Dempsey from the University of Limerick noted that while religion is often a source of comfort, negative coping styles are consistently associated with poorer psychological well-being. The research highlights that the expected coupling of mental tension and physical cardiovascular activation does not always occur when spiritual struggles are involved.