Negative Religious Coping as a Mediator Between Perceived Prejudice and Psychological Distress Among African Americans: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

This study examined positive religious coping (e.g., prayer) and negative religious coping (e.g.. blaming the Devil) as mediators between perceived prejudice (everyday discrimination, stigma consciousness, perceived invisibility) and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, hostility). Structural equation modeling revealed that negative religious coping fully mediated the relationship between prejudice and psychological distress. Content analysis of participants' descriptions of their experiences with prejudice also showed that negative religious coping significantly mediated the relationship between prejudice and the frequency with which negative emotions were expressed. Positive religious coping did not mediate either analysis. Implications for culturally sensitive counseling interventions are discussed.