The relationship between religious coping and hope and optimism in patients, relatives and hospital staff

The aim of the study is to examine the relationship between religious coping and hope and optimism levels of patients, relatives of patients and healthcare professionals together with some demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status, education level, socio-economic level) and to determine the direction and level of effect of religious coping attitudes on hope and optimism. The study was conducted on 208 people, 94 women and 114 men, over the age of 18, living in Van province and its surroundings. A quantitative approach was adopted in the study, and the relational screening method and descriptive method were used. Personal Information Form, Trait Hope Scale, Optimism-Pessimism Scale, Religious Coping Styles Scale were used. In addition to demographic characteristics, the Personal Information Form also included questions about subjective perception of religiosity and worship. The obtained data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS 25.0 program. Significant findings were found between demographic variables and hope, optimism and religious coping. The agentic thinking mean scores of male participants were higher than female participants. It was determined that married individuals had higher positive religious coping levels than single individuals. It was determined that the optimism levels of participants with a postgraduate education level were higher than the participants who were high school graduates. The pessimism levels of individuals who were primary, secondary and high school graduates were found to be higher than those with a postgraduate education level. It was observed that the agentic thinking mean scores of those with high income levels were higher than those with low and medium income levels. A positive relationship was found between the participants' ages and positive religious coping; as the participants' age scores increased, their positive religious coping levels also increased. A positive relationship was found between positive religious coping levels and subjective perceptions of religiosity, performing prayers, and the frequency of praying. While a negative relationship was observed between negative religious coping and optimism and its sub-dimensions, a positive relationship was found between negative religious coping and pessimism. As the participants' positive religious coping level increases, their trait hope, alternative ways of thinking, action thinking and optimism levels also increase, while their pessimism levels decrease. As individuals' negative religious coping levels increase, their pessimism also increases. According to the findings obtained in the study, it was determined that negative religious coping positively predicts pessimism. Positive religious coping positively predicts optimism and trait hope, and negatively predicts pessimism.