Research Interests: Judaism and Religiosity
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Demographic discrepancies in dental healthcare utilization and access to care have historically been studied and attributed to such factors as socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity. Such potential discrepancies and contributing... more
Demographic discrepancies in dental healthcare utilization and access to care have historically been studied and attributed to such factors as socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity. Such potential discrepancies and contributing factors amongst the Jewish population have been little explore. Objective: To examine the frequency of dental visits among Jewish subgroups and explored possible explanatory factors for differences in dental healthcare utilization, such as financial constraints, dental anxiety, religious perspectives on health, lack of perceived need, poor accessibility, and scheduling conflicts. Basic research design: Cross-sectional study. Participants: A religiously diverse non-clinical sample of 169 Jews completed measures on demographics, dental visit frequency, dental anxiety, and general religiousness. Results: On average, Orthodox Jews visit the dentist less often than non-Orthodox Jews (OR = 0.43) and Ultra-Orthodox Jews markedly less (OR = 0.23). Moreover, differences between these groups in dental visits were largely mediated by differences in dental anxiety, poor accessibility, lack of perceived need and scheduling conflicts. Conclusion: These results identify a population that is at risk for poor oral health and suggests possible preventive and corrective interventions.
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Purpose This study compared attention control and flexibility in school-age children who stutter (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS) based on their performance on a behavioral task and parent report. We used a classic... more
Purpose This study compared attention control and flexibility in school-age children who stutter (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS) based on their performance on a behavioral task and parent report. We used a classic attention-shifting paradigm that included manipulations of task goals and timing to test effects of varying demands for flexibility on switching accuracy and speed. We also examined associations between task performance, group, and relevant aspects of temperament. Method Participants included 33 children (15 CWS, 18 CWNS) between 8 and 11 years of age. Children sorted stimuli that differed on two dimensions (color and shape) based on sorting rules that varied from block to block or trial to trial. Timing manipulations included intervals of 200-, 600-, or 1,200-ms durations for critical trial components. Temperament data were obtained via the Children's Behavior Questionnaire. Results All children showed expected performance costs in response to block and t...
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Previous research suggests that patients receiving spiritual psychotherapy may have better outcomes when treatment is provided by nonreligious clinicians, compared to religious clinicians. We examined these effects within a large and... more
Previous research suggests that patients receiving spiritual psychotherapy may have better outcomes when treatment is provided by nonreligious clinicians, compared to religious clinicians. We examined these effects within a large and clinically heterogeneous sample of patients (N = 1,443) receiving Spiritual Psychotherapy for Inpatient, Residential, and Intensive Treatment (SPIRIT; Rosmarin et al., 2019) by a diverse sample of clinicians (n = 22). In addition to demographics, patients completed a brief measure of their experience in SPIRIT; clinicians completed measures of previous mental health training, previous training in spiritual psychotherapy, and attitudes toward spiritual psychotherapy, and also provided details regarding modalities, clinical interventions, and spiritual interventions utilized at each SPIRIT session. Perceived benefit of SPIRIT was greater when treatment was delivered by non-religious clinicians. Mediating factors on these effects were evaluated using correlations and multiple regression analyses. Of 26 potential explanatory factors, only 4 were significant, all of which related to the therapeutic process. Nonreligious clinicians were more likely to utilize dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), facilitate coping, encourage spiritual coping, and explore the relevance of spirituality to mental health, all of which also predicted better perceived benefit from SPIRIT. All four variables jointly, but not severally, mediated relationships between clinician religion and perceived benefit of SPIRIT. These findings suggest that DBT may be the most effective modality for delivering spiritual psychotherapy to acute patients, particularly in a group setting. Future research should further examine preferences for clinical modalities and techniques among religious and nonreligious clinicians, and effects of such preferences on perceived benefit, in a variety of settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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The present study examined the extent to which general religiousness moderated the relationship between religious coping and mental health in a sample of 572 Jewish adults. Hierarchical linear regression was utilized to examine... more
The present study examined the extent to which general religiousness moderated the relationship between religious coping and mental health in a sample of 572 Jewish adults. Hierarchical linear regression was utilized to examine interactions between religiousness and positive/negative religious coping and their effects on mental health. Results indicated that positive religious coping predicted higher subjective well-being, but not (higher or lower) depression or anxiety, and negative religious coping predicted lower subjective well-being, greater depression, and elevated anxiety. Surprisingly, general religiousness—regardless of how it was measured (e.g., religious practices, intrinsic religiosity, religious affiliation)—did not moderate relationships between religious coping and mental health. These findings suggest that religious coping associates with mental health across the entire spectrum of religious involvement for Jews, highlighting that religious coping is an important mental health variable in this population, irrespective of individual religious differences.
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Research Interests: Psychology and Judaism
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Research Interests: Religion, Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Science, and 15 moreSocial Psychology, Anxiety Disorders, Cognition, Mediation, Medicine, Humans, Female, Clinical, Male, Religion and psychology, Middle Aged, Adult, Health surveys, Psychological Models, and Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
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Although a majority of premarital education occurs in religious contexts, research in this area is limited. The current authors studied the religious service delivery model of premarital education among 1244 married Orthodox Jews. Results... more
Although a majority of premarital education occurs in religious contexts, research in this area is limited. The current authors studied the religious service delivery model of premarital education among 1244 married Orthodox Jews. Results indicate that education focusing on the religious approach and practices regarding the sexual relationship is significantly associated with greater marital quality. The findings also suggest a need for increased premarital education related to communication and conflict resolution.
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Research Interests: Religion, Psychology, Anxiety Disorders, Adolescent, Medicine, and 15 moreJudaism, Humans, Implicit Association Test, Female, Male, Jews, Attitude, Religion and psychology, Aged, Middle Aged, Longitudinal Studies, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Reproducibility of Results, and Religion Health
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Research Interests: Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Parenting, Adolescent, Social Identification, and 15 moreMedicine, Judaism, Family Psychology, Israel, Humans, Female, Male, Family Functioning, Religion and psychology, Family Relations, Adult, Family Conflict, Psychological Stress, Object Attachment, and Selective Sampling
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This chapter puts forth a clinical approach to the integration of Jewish spiritual beliefs and practices into standard cognitive behavioral therapy for a variety of mental health disorders. We will explore how incorporating Jewish... more
This chapter puts forth a clinical approach to the integration of Jewish spiritual beliefs and practices into standard cognitive behavioral therapy for a variety of mental health disorders. We will explore how incorporating Jewish principles and values within the course of psychological treatment can provide a uniquely effective path toward cognitive and behavioral change. It is expected that drawing upon the psychological insights contained within the Jewish tradition can have emotionally transformative effects not only for Jews but for individuals of any faith.
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Caring for children is a known psychosocial stressor; however, its effects on psychological functioning may have substantial cross-cultural variance. We explored relationships between family size and a variety of psychological outcomes... more
Caring for children is a known psychosocial stressor; however, its effects on psychological functioning may have substantial cross-cultural variance. We explored relationships between family size and a variety of psychological outcomes among Orthodox Jews in four separate studies: (1) an international treatment-seeking sample (n = 82), (2) a community sample from Canada (n = 226), (3) an out-patient clinical sample from greater New York (n = 82), and (4) a large dyadic sample of Israeli couples (n = 789). Surprisingly, results suggested that family size was not associated with greater stress, anxiety, depression, global functioning, family functioning, family communication, family satisfaction, or even parenting stress. It is possible that the high religious value placed on family life as well as structural adaptions in families buffer against potential stressors associated with child rearing, and further research on these potential effects is warranted.
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ABSTRACT Perceptions of psychological symptoms may be influenced by religiousness, particularly when symptom presentation is shaped by a socio-religious context. We therefore examined whether among Jews, Orthodox affiliation was related... more
ABSTRACT Perceptions of psychological symptoms may be influenced by religiousness, particularly when symptom presentation is shaped by a socio-religious context. We therefore examined whether among Jews, Orthodox affiliation was related to recognition of scrupulosity as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Seventy Orthodox and 23 non-Orthodox Jews were randomized to view one of two matched vignettes describing religious or non-religious OCD. Whereas Orthodox Jews were equally likely to recognize both vignettes as OCD, non-Orthodox Jews were less likely to recognize the religious than the non-religious presentation as OCD. Furthermore, Orthodox Jews were equally likely to recommend professional treatment for both scrupulosity and non-religious OCD, whereas non-Orthodox Jews were less likely to recommend professional treatment for scrupulosity compared to non-religious OCD. These findings may suggest that familiarity with Orthodox practices increases sensitivity to distinctions between scrupulosity and normative eligion, thereby increasing recognition of the need for professional treatment.
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Previous research suggests that religiousness correlates with less criminal behavior and that this relationship is partially mediated by higher self-control. Because most studies are cross-sectional, causality remains uncertain as stable... more
Previous research suggests that religiousness correlates with less criminal behavior and that this relationship is partially mediated by higher self-control. Because most studies are cross-sectional, causality remains uncertain as stable between-subject factors may influence self-control, religiousness, and offending, confounding their relationships. Moreover, directionality may be reversed with higher self-control leading to both higher religiousness and less offending. The current research aimed to directly exclude these possibilities using longitudinal data from 1,354 adolescents participating in the Pathways to Desistance Study. Results indicated that short-term, within-subject increased religiousness predicted decreased future criminal behavior and that this effect was partially mediated by increased self-control. A reversed model in which past self-control predicted future religiousness was not significant. These findings suggest that religiousness may be causally related to offending, and self-control is likely one of multiple mediating processes. Additional research in this area appears warranted and may yield effective strategies for reducing criminal behavior and improving self-control.
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Spirituality/religion (S/R) is clinically relevant to recovery from alcohol use disorders (AUDs)/substance use disorders (SUDs) and also associated with less self-injury; however, the interplay of these factors has not been adequately... more
Spirituality/religion (S/R) is clinically relevant to recovery from alcohol use disorders (AUDs)/substance use disorders (SUDs) and also associated with less self-injury; however, the interplay of these factors has not been adequately evaluated. Participants (n = 1443) were culled from a larger study among psychiatric patients. We assessed for S/R using self-report measures, and medical records were reviewed for demographics, clinical diagnoses, psychiatric medications, and self-harm engagement. Self-harm engagement was significantly higher among patients without AUD/SUD. S/R distress was higher among participants with AUD/SUD, but S/R community activity and importance of religion were lower. Interest in discussing S/R in treatment did not significantly differ across patients. Religious affiliation, importance of religion, and belief in God were associated with less self-harm, but effects were not moderated by presence of AUD/SUD. S/R factors are associated with lower self-harm, irrespective of the presence or absence of AUD/SUD. In contrast with clinical lore, S/R may be equally salient to psychiatric patients with AUD/SUD versus other disorders.
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ABSTRACT Studies examining religion's effects on mental health have insufficiently focused on basic moderators of observed effects. Given that Orthodox Jewish religious culture places greater ritual obligations on men than women, but... more
ABSTRACT Studies examining religion's effects on mental health have insufficiently focused on basic moderators of observed effects. Given that Orthodox Jewish religious culture places greater ritual obligations on men than women, but is gender-equivalent regarding faith, we expected Orthodox Jewish men and women to experience different levels of anxiety in relation to religious practice but not intrinsic religiosity, and that no gender differences would exist among non-Orthodox Jews. In a community sample of 414 Jewish adults (51% Orthodox), religious practice differed predictably based on denomination and gender norms, and intrinsic religiosity was higher for Orthodox Jews. Both practice and intrinsic religiosity were associated with less anxiety overall. However, contrary to expectations, there were no interactions with gender. These results suggest that the effects of Jewish religious observance and belief on anxiety may not be gender-specific, even within communities that ascribe to more traditional religious values and gender roles.
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Abstract Cross-sectional studies have found significant positive relationships between scrupulosity symptoms, i.e. obsessive-compulsive symptoms with religious or ethical content, and both explicit and implicit negative conceptions of God... more
Abstract Cross-sectional studies have found significant positive relationships between scrupulosity symptoms, i.e. obsessive-compulsive symptoms with religious or ethical content, and both explicit and implicit negative conceptions of God as well as their interaction. This study aimed to test the role of these conceptions by examining whether they predict scrupulosity symptoms prospectively. Sixty-five participants drawn from a larger study on Judaism and Mental Health completed a measure of explicit beliefs about God, a related implicit measure and a measure of scrupulosity - the Penn Inventory of Scrupulosity-Revised (PIOS-R) - at two time points approximately one year apart. Implicit associations emerged as a positive prospective predictor of scrupulosity symptoms in regression analysis. Neither explicit negative beliefs nor the interaction between implicit and explicit beliefs emerged as prospective predictors. Results suggest that negative conceptions of God may not be causal in the development of scrupulosity. The emergence of implicit associations as a positive prospective predictor may reflect the fact that the PIOS-R partly measures religiosity. Alternatively, positive associations may predict the content of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in people vulnerable to developing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Limitations and suggestions for future studies are discussed.
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Research Interests: Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Cognition, Fluency disorders, Perception and Cognition, and 12 moreStuttering, Language Disorder, Medicine, Cognitive Flexibility, Music Perception and Cognition, Child Psychology, Language Culture and Communication, Perseveration, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Communication Disorder, Medical and Health Sciences, and Speech Pathology and Audiology
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ABSTRACT Perceptions of psychological symptoms may be influenced by religiousness, particularly when symptom presentation is shaped by a socio-religious context. We therefore examined whether among Jews, Orthodox affiliation was related... more
ABSTRACT Perceptions of psychological symptoms may be influenced by religiousness, particularly when symptom presentation is shaped by a socio-religious context. We therefore examined whether among Jews, Orthodox affiliation was related to recognition of scrupulosity as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Seventy Orthodox and 23 non-Orthodox Jews were randomized to view one of two matched vignettes describing religious or non-religious OCD. Whereas Orthodox Jews were equally likely to recognize both vignettes as OCD, non-Orthodox Jews were less likely to recognize the religious than the non-religious presentation as OCD. Furthermore, Orthodox Jews were equally likely to recommend professional treatment for both scrupulosity and non-religious OCD, whereas non-Orthodox Jews were less likely to recommend professional treatment for scrupulosity compared to non-religious OCD. These findings may suggest that familiarity with Orthodox practices increases sensitivity to distinctions between scrupulosity and normative eligion, thereby increasing recognition of the need for professional treatment.