Religious coping and anxiety in students of Mazandaran university of medical sciences 1999-2000

Background and Çoping is a way of thinking and behaving accordingly, which helps to reduce stress effects and the caused emotions. Religious coping is expressed as benefit from religious beliefs and concepts, in order to cope with problems of the life. Çomplexity of life in the recent century and adaptation to inappropriate, occuring, causes disorders, of which, anxiety is the most prevalent one. This research was done in descriptive method. The aim of this study was to determine the religious coping and the rate of anxiety, presence or absence of correlation between these two variables in students. 316 samples were collected through stratified random sampling method. Questionnair containing 15 questions, Spiel Berger (overt and covert) anxiety test contatining 40 items and religious coping inventory comprising 31 items were filled. Çollected data were analyzed by the methods of descriptive and t test, variant analysis, Schefe test, and X2 test. The results of this study indicated that 10.4%, 85.8% and 3.8% of the cases under study had high, moderate and low religious coping respectively. The findings revealed that 10.1% and 7.9% of the cases suffered of severe and very severe overt and covert anxiety. Statistical analysis showed significant relationship between overt and covert anxiety and religious coping P<0.001 df=10 X2=30.54, P<0.001 df=10 X2=46.64. Statistical analysis showed that, there is significant difference between religious coping and gender p=0.000, course of study p=0.000, educational level p=0.000. The mean score of overt and covert anxiety in term of interest, to course of study p=o.ooo and previous psychological problems p=0.000 was significantly different but no significant difference was observed between mean scors of overt and covert anxiety in the boy and girl students. Çonclusion: Though relation between religious coping, health and psychological disorder is complex, but it is obvious that religious beliefs play important role in prevention and reduction of emotion and psychological disorders. Referring to the above findings, proper efforts dealing with religious strategy in order to meet the need of the student’s mental health, is recommended. Keywords: Ânxiety, Ânxiety Disorders, Mental health, Religion-in Âdulthood,