Psychological perspectives on faith-driven persistence in self-employment: The mediating role of mental health and well-being

This study builds on research at the intersection of religion and entrepreneurship by examining the psychological underpinnings of how religious faith promotes goal persistence among self-employed individuals. Applying random-effects and structural equation modeling on a sample of 725 self-employed individuals in the United States drawn from two time periods, we examine the effects of religious coping on the mental health and well-being and goal persistence of the self-employed. We introduce a fully mediated psychological model of faith-driven persistence highlighting the influential role of three dimensions of mental health and well-being (purpose in life, personal growth, environmental mastery) in linking religious faith to goal persistence. We reveal that religious affiliation alone is not enough but that individuals must hold and use religious faith to experience this psychological effect. Altogether, this study contributes to the limited research on the psychological aspects of religion in entrepreneurial well-being and entrepreneurial persistence literature