ABSTRACT
The onset or exacerbation of medical illness that requires hospitalization is an acute stressor for many younger and older persons. The high prevalence of depression among medical patients testifies to this fact (see Chapter 8). When faced with the stress of physical illness, particularly when other psychosocial and economic resources are limited, the person's ability to cope may be overwhelmed. Religion represents one source of comfort for such patients (Swanson aand Harter 1971; Rosen 1982; Conway 1985; Manfredi and Pickett 1987; Baldree, Murphy, and Powers 1982; Koenig, Moberg, and Kvale 1988a). The term "religious coping" refers to the dependence on religious belief or activity to help manage emotional stress or physical discomfort.
