Religious Coping among Caucasian and Latina Dementia Caregivers

This cross-sectional study examined ethnic differences in global measures of religiosity and religious coping among 147 female Caucasian and 110 Latina family caregivers of relatives with dementia. Latinas not only attended religious services more frequently, prayed more often, and rated religion as more important in their lives, they also used positive religious coping strategies more than Caucasian caregivers. Overall health was inversely related to positive religious coping for both ethnic groups, whereas the care-recipient's cognitive status and the caregiver's mental health were not related to religious coping. Finally, a higher degree of acculturation was related to a less frequent use of positive religious coping strategies. If these differences in religiosity between Caucasian and Latina caregivers can be replicated, they have important implications for the design of psychoeducational and therapeutic intervention strategies.