Citation

Ai AL, Peterson C, Tice TN, Huang B, Rodgers W, Bolling SF. J. Health Psychol. 2007; 12(4): 580-596.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1359105307078164

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

To address the inconsistent findings and based on Hegel's dialectic contradictive principle, this study tested a parallel mediation model that may underlie the association of using prayer for coping with cardiac surgery outcomes. Three sequential interviews were conducted with 310 patients who underwent open-heart surgery. A structural equation model demonstrated that optimism mediated the favorable effect of prayer coping. Prayer coping was also related to preoperative stress symptoms, which had a counterbalance effect on outcomes. Age was associated with better preoperative mental health, but age-related chronic conditions were associated with poor outcomes; both of these were mediated through the same mediators.