Loren Toussaint
Luther College, Psychology, Faculty Member
- Psychology, Public Health, Health Psychology, Sociology of Religion, Mental Health, Applied Statistics, and 13 moreHealth Promotion, Spirituality, Psychology of Religion, Multivariate Statistics, Sociology of Health, Spirituality & Psychology, Medical Statistics, Science and Spirituality, Forgiveness, Psychology & Spirituality, Forgiveness and Reconciliation, Forgiveness and counselling, and Research Methodologyedit
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Research Interests: Sociology, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Social Psychology, Coping Strategies, and 15 moreMedicine, Perspective Taking, Prosocial Behavior, Empathy, Social behavior, Forgiveness, Humans, Female, Male, Gender Difference, Attitude, Interpersonal Relations, Questionnaires, Sex Factors, and Social Behavior
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Suicide is a significant public health problem, and suicide risk, as well as engagement in non-suicidal self injury, is often predicated on thwarted interpersonal functioning, feelings of internal distress, and a sense of hopelessness,... more
Suicide is a significant public health problem, and suicide risk, as well as engagement in non-suicidal self injury, is often predicated on thwarted interpersonal functioning, feelings of internal distress, and a sense of hopelessness, all of which we argue are conceptually related to self-forgiveness. Maladaptive cognitive-emotional characteristics, including ruminative thoughts, feelings of shame and guilt, and negative emotions, are often present when a person is unforgiving of the self, perhaps for a transgression committed or a behavior omitted which caused harm. As well, the self-punitive impact of a perceived transgression may result in social withdrawal, and a desire to escape, both of which are strong predictors of suicide risk. Preliminary results, including in adolescents, college students, and veterans, suggest that self-forgiveness is beneficially related to self-injury and suicide risk. In original data collection for this chapter, using a community sample, we found that self-forgiveness was inversely related to lifetime history of suicide attempt, suicide ideation in the past year, and likelihood of making a future suicide attempt. Current self-forgiveness was also related to a greater likelihood of forgiving others in the future and, in turn, to less suicide risk. Therapeutically bolstering self-forgiveness may promote adaptive coping via cognitive restructuring (e.g., resolving the transgression), reductions in distress (e.g., less negative mood), and an ability to transcend seemingly hopeless or unforgivable situations, thereby reducing suicide risk.
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Introduction: Alcohol misuse is a major public health concern, resulting in an estimated 88,000 deaths annually in the U.S. Negative religious coping (NRC) is a known risk factor for alcohol misuse; yet, research has not examined... more
Introduction: Alcohol misuse is a major public health concern, resulting in an estimated 88,000 deaths annually in the U.S. Negative religious coping (NRC) is a known risk factor for alcohol misuse; yet, research has not examined potential protective factors that might weaken this linkage. Forgiveness and humility are commonly-studied spiritual factors linked to positive health-related outcomes, but they have not been explored in the context of NRC and alcohol misuse. In our study, we assessed the potential protective role of forgiveness and humility in the association between NRC and alcohol misuse, among religious believers and non-believers. Methods: Participants in this IRB-approved study were recruited online via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and self-identified as religious believers (n = 146) or non-believers (n = 120). After providing informed consent, participants completed self-report surveys including the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Brief RCOPE, Heartland Forgiveness Scale (Forgiveness of Others), and a single item measure of humility. Results: At the bivariate level, for religious non-believers, humility was positively associated with forgiveness (r = .27, p \u3c .01) and negatively associated with NRC (r = -.20, p \u3c .05) and AUDIT scores (r = -.17, p \u3c .05). Forgiveness was negatively associated with NRC (r = -.18, p \u3c .05) and NRC was positively associated with AUDIT scores (r = .28, p \u3c .01). For religious believers, humility was positively associated with forgiveness (r = .25, p \u3c .01) and negatively associated with AUDIT scores (r = -.17, p \u3c .05). Forgiveness was negatively associated with NRC (r = -.29, p \u3c .01) and AUDIT scores (r = -.20, p \u3c .01) and NRC was positively associated with AUDIT scores (r = -.22, p \u3c .01). At the multivariate level, for religious believers, forgiveness moderated the relation between NRC and AUDIT scores (R2Δ = .04, p = .01), but humility did not. For religious non-believers, humility moderated the relation between NRC and AUDIT scores (R2Δ = .07, p \u3c .01, but forgiveness did not. Conclusions: Negative religious coping is a significant risk factor for alcohol misuse among religious believers and non-believers. In the context of NRC, positive psychological constructs may provide a novel approach to reducing alcohol misuse. Forgiveness of others was protective against alcohol use problems for religious believers engaging in NRC, whereas humility was protective for religious non-believers. As a tenet of most religions, forgiveness of others may be particularly significant for religious believers in resolving NRC, of which a feature is feeling abandoned by other religious believers. For non-believers, NRC may manifest as questioning the existence of God, and humility may promote a sense of comfort in their uncertainty. Positive psychology interventions such as forgiveness therapy or the PROVE humility intervention may be effective interventions for alcohol misuse, in the context of NRC
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Chronic widespread pain and fibromyalgia are prevalent disorders with multiple symptoms. There is growing evidence that these disorders are stress related syndromes where distress is transformed into pain through sympathetic system... more
Chronic widespread pain and fibromyalgia are prevalent disorders with multiple symptoms. There is growing evidence that these disorders are stress related syndromes where distress is transformed into pain through sympathetic system rigidity. Patients are challenged with restrictions in social and leisure activities, household and outdoor activities as well in working capacity and they report that their ability to interact with their family and friends as well as with health professionals is impaired. All of these affected domains are potential sources for interpersonal and intrapersonal stress resulting from negative emotions such as anger, shame, and guilt. In this respect forgiveness of others and of oneself are unique coping methods involving affective, behavioral, motivational and cognitive components that offer a potential remedy to clear the harmful effects of the aforementioned emotions in patients with chronic pain.
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Long COVID affects approximately 10–30% of individuals after an acute COVID-19 infection (Ceban, Ling, et al. 2022; Ortona and Malorni, 2022). Numerous symptoms, including extreme fatigue, can persist for months, resulting in social and... more
Long COVID affects approximately 10–30% of individuals after an acute COVID-19 infection (Ceban, Ling, et al. 2022; Ortona and Malorni, 2022). Numerous symptoms, including extreme fatigue, can persist for months, resulting in social and economic hardship for individuals and their families (Ortona and Malorni 2022). Therefore, approaches that offer some relief from Long COVID are urgently needed. Research suggests that Long COVID symptoms are akin to those of chronic conditions, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and are likely caused by inflammation and immune dysfunction (Scordo et al., 2021). Amygdala and Insula Retraining (AIR), a neuroplasticity program, has successfully alleviated chronic conditions (Gupta 2010; Sanabria-Mazo et al. 2020; Toussaint et al. 2012). In this randomized controlled trial, AIR was tested against a structurally equivalent health and wellness intervention for its effectiveness in treating the symptom of fatigue among Long...
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Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common and disabling disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain, fatigue, and dyscognition. Previous studies have shown strong positive correlations between pain, fatigue, and dyscognition. However,... more
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common and disabling disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain, fatigue, and dyscognition. Previous studies have shown strong positive correlations between pain, fatigue, and dyscognition. However, bidirectional relationships, particularly with dyscognition modeled as a predictor, have rarely been established. The purpose of this study was to examine the bidirectional, predictive nature of the relationships between these FM symptoms. Pain, fatigue, and dyscognition were measured via the Brief Pain Inventory, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, and Multiple Ability Self-Report Questionnaire at baseline and a 2-year follow-up in a large sample of 450 well-characterized female patients with FM. Relationships between FM symptoms were evaluated using a cross-lagged, longitudinal model. Dyscognition, pain, and fatigue were positively correlated at both baseline and follow-up (rs .13 -.53, Ps<.01). Dyscognition at baseline was predictive of dyscognition (B=.76, β=.75, P<.001), pain, (B=.01, β=.09, P=.033) and fatigue (B=.05, β=.08, P=.050) at follow-up. Pain at baseline was predictive of pain (B=.59, β=.59, P<.001), dyscognition (B=.88, β=.07, P=.022), and fatigue (B=.85, β=.11, P=.004) at follow-up. Fatigue at baseline was only associated with fatigue (B=.61, β=.60, P<.001) at follow-up. Dyscognition is predictive of future pain and fatigue in patients with FM. Continued work should examine dyscognition as a clinical predictor of future severity of core symptoms such as pain and fatigue.
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Background: In chronic pain care a multidimensional perspective with attention to patients’ cognitions, emotions, and their ability to cope is needed (1). Previous studies are also pointing to the role of experiencing meaningfulness in... more
Background: In chronic pain care a multidimensional perspective with attention to patients’ cognitions, emotions, and their ability to cope is needed (1). Previous studies are also pointing to the role of experiencing meaningfulness in life in the adjustment to disability.Therefore care should additionally focus on the existential domain of patients’ lives to live up to a holistic care approach (2). However, there are only a few studies on how FM patients are satisfied with practitioners’ attention to multiple aspects of life with a chronic pain condition. Objectives: To assess perceived satisfaction with chronic pain care and its associations with health variables in a cohort of patients with FM. Methods: We invited 18 FM self-help groups in Germany to participate anonymously in our survey and sent them in total 192 paper-and-pencil surveys. Sociodemographics, disease related variables (e.g. pain, general health) and psychological variables [e.g. depression, anxiety, hope, stress] ...
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Background: Childhood obesity represents a public health crisis in the United States, affecting 13.9% of preschool-aged children. Most pathophysiologic mechanisms leading to obesity are introduced in early childhood, making this a... more
Background: Childhood obesity represents a public health crisis in the United States, affecting 13.9% of preschool-aged children. Most pathophysiologic mechanisms leading to obesity are introduced in early childhood, making this a critical period to consider. The Food and Fitness Initiative (FFI) is a community-based wellness program that focuses on healthy eating and physical activity, implemented in Northeast Iowa. A previous study showed that FFI lowered the rate of increase of body mass index (BMI) levels in school-aged children exposed to the initiative. Our aim is to describe the impact on BMI after implementing …
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Previous studies indicate that perceptions of nature and thought-provoking silence can have positive consequences for individual functioning. The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationships between religious coping... more
Previous studies indicate that perceptions of nature and thought-provoking silence can have positive consequences for individual functioning. The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationships between religious coping (assessed with the Brief RCOPE), perceptions of nature and silence (a subscale of the Perception of Change Questionnaire), well-being (the World Health Organization's five-item Well-Being Index) and life satisfaction (the Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale). An online questionnaire was completed between 2021–2022 by 1,010 Polish Catholics ages 18 to 73, 61% of whom were women. Structural equation modeling showed that positive religious coping was positively related to well-being (β = 0.08, p = 0.011) and life satisfaction (β = 0.22, p < 0.001). In contrast, negative religious coping was related to reduced well-being (β = −0.07, p = 0.040) and life satisfaction (β = −0.25). In addition, more frequent perceptions of nature and reflective ...
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BackgroundThis article reports the Polish adaptation of the Questionnaire to Assess Affective and Cognitive Empathy (QAACE) by Zoll and Enz – a multidimensional self-report questionnaire used to measure empathy in children aged 8-14. The... more
BackgroundThis article reports the Polish adaptation of the Questionnaire to Assess Affective and Cognitive Empathy (QAACE) by Zoll and Enz – a multidimensional self-report questionnaire used to measure empathy in children aged 8-14. The QAACE is based on a two-factor cognitive-emotional model of empathy. It has a number of international adaptations and offers a convenient Polish-language tool for use with young children and adolescents.Participants and procedureThe sample consisted of 677 children aged 8-13. The survey was conducted on school premises, during classes, by an appro-priately prepared researcher.ResultsConfirmatory factor analysis revealed a good fitting measurement model representing the original underlying factor struc-ture of the QAACE among Polish children. The reliability of the questionnaire as measured by Cronbach’s α and McDon-ald’s ω was good. The reliability of the scale as assessed by the test-retest method (after four weeks) was .80. We assessed the validit...
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In the concluding chapter of this book, we consider the emergent themes arising from the different research teams and also focus on the key questions we identified at the outset. As such, we examine both commonalities and differences in... more
In the concluding chapter of this book, we consider the emergent themes arising from the different research teams and also focus on the key questions we identified at the outset. As such, we examine both commonalities and differences in how forgiveness is defined. We observe that there is considerable agreement about the multidimensional nature of forgiveness but that some dimensions have less well developed research bases than do others. We note that the stress-and-coping model of forgiveness is a commonly used conceptual framework from which to organize and guide continuing research in the area of forgiveness and health. Other useful models are developed throughout the book, and we offer a reciprocal-effects forgiveness-intersections model as a flexible model for the area. We conclude with items we believe are important for research agendas of investigators moving forward in the study of forgiveness and health.
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Physical exercise is an indispensable element in the multidisciplinary treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). The present study examined if men diagnosed with FMS engaged in any type of physical activity or exercise, the perceived... more
Physical exercise is an indispensable element in the multidisciplinary treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). The present study examined if men diagnosed with FMS engaged in any type of physical activity or exercise, the perceived effects from exercise, and who specifically recommended exercise. A qualitative cross-cultural study was performed in fibromyalgia clinical units in Spain and the United States. A total of 17 participants, 10 men from Spain and 7 men from the US, were included. In Spain, a focus group was completed in two parts, one month apart in 2018. In the US, five individual interviews and one joint interview with two men were completed in 2018. Three central themes appeared in the qualitative data: (1) Understanding what constitutes physical activity or exercise, (2) Facilitating or discouraging the performance of physical exercise, and (3) Effects of physical activity or exercise on psychological and social symptoms. The actual practice of exercise by patients wi...
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According to past research, religious attitudes can strongly influence individuals’ beliefs and behaviors. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between spirituality (the Scale of Spirituality; dimensions include... more
According to past research, religious attitudes can strongly influence individuals’ beliefs and behaviors. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between spirituality (the Scale of Spirituality; dimensions include religious spirituality, expanding consciousness, searching for meaning, sensitivity to art, doing good, and sensitivity to inner beauty), religious fundamentalism (the Religious Fundamentalism Scale), support for right-wing authoritarianism (the Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale), climate concerns (the Environmental Concern Scale), and pro-environmental behavior (the Pro-Environmental Behavior Scale). The cross-sectional study involved 512 Poles aged 18–63 (M = 34.63, SD = 5.96; Mdn = 33), including 51% females. Multiple regression analysis revealed that two dimensions of spirituality (sensitivity to art and doing good) and religious fundamentalism are significant and opposite predictors of climate concern and pro-environmental behavior. Spirituality app...
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Spirituality is widely believed to play an important role in securing health, and modern health care is increasingly being combined with spiritual care. This state of affairs is generating widespread interest in the construct from... more
Spirituality is widely believed to play an important role in securing health, and modern health care is increasingly being combined with spiritual care. This state of affairs is generating widespread interest in the construct from practitioners and researchers, resulting in the need to develop accurate and comprehensive measures of spirituality. The purpose of this study was to adapt the Polish version of the Interfaith Spirituality Scale (IFS), which consists of twenty-two statements, as well as its short version, including four statements. The IFS is not limited to any one religious denomination, making it possible to conduct research across diverse communities. The analyses were conducted on a sample of 642 Poles aged 18–68, 48% of whom were women. The Polish version of the scale showed high internal consistency (α = 0.96 for the IFS and α = 0.81 for the short version). Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the structure of the IFS consists of a unitary second-order factor wit...
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Background Childhood obesity represents a public health crisis in the United States. Thus, focusing on early childhood is crucial to modify the consequences associated with obesity. The Food and Fitness Initiative (FFI) is a... more
Background Childhood obesity represents a public health crisis in the United States. Thus, focusing on early childhood is crucial to modify the consequences associated with obesity. The Food and Fitness Initiative (FFI) is a community-based wellness program implemented in Northeast Iowa since 2009. FFI focuses on healthy eating and physical activity. Our aim is to describe the impact on body mass index (BMI) after implementing FFI in a Northeast Iowa Community Action Head Start (HS) population. Methods Retrospective BMI data was collected from all children attending 14 HS sites from 2012 to 2018. Children with BMI measurements during July to December of the first year in HS were included in the study. Follow-up data the second year in HS was obtained. Overweight and obesity prevalence, as well as, BMI changes between year 1 and 2 in HS were analyzed. Results Data from 1013 children were collected, 850 (84%) had qualifying BMI measurements during their first year in HS and 352 of tho...
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PURPOSE To explore the perception of the illness and the experience of the illness for relatives of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS This qualitative interpretative study adopted a grounded theory research... more
PURPOSE To explore the perception of the illness and the experience of the illness for relatives of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS This qualitative interpretative study adopted a grounded theory research methodology with a purposive sample. We conducted a focus group with 11 family members of FMS patients. There were six men and five women, five were spouses and six were children (four husbands and one wife, and five daughters and one son). RESULTS Three categories of family perceptions of FMS emerged: (1) manifestations of FMS; (2) FMS is regarded as a psychological problem; (3) FMS interferes with traditional gender roles. Three categories of family members' experience of living with FMS patients were identified: (1) emotional concerns and exhaustion; (2) overprotective family members; and (3) escape coping. CONCLUSIONS Family members feel emotionally burdened, can be overprotective and over-involved and find it difficult to set limits ultimately succumbing to a vicious cycle of caregiving and emotional exhaustion from which they find it difficult to escape. As the perceptions and experiences of family members of FMS patients are not commonly studied, the present findings offer new insights for families and elucidate important points of intervention.Implications for rehabilitationBecause family members tend to dismiss fibromyalgia as a psychological problem for which ignoring or distracting the patient is the best approach to coping, rehabilitation programs should give family members education and training to develop the ability to better understand fibromyalgia and reduce stereotypes about the condition.Rehabilitation programs should work to identify and manage marital and family systems dysfunction that may be interfering with fibromyalgia patients' adjustment and quality of life.Family members often engage in maladaptive escape coping to manage the demands of living with patients with fibromyalgia, and rehabilitation professionals should be ready to engage and refer to allied specialists to assist family members in finding alternatives for more effective coping approaches that improve patient and family mental health and social relations.Rehabilitation programs for fibromyalgia patients should use a gender perspective and emphasize patient and spouse equality in activities of daily living as many patients and family members feel uncomfortable about not fulfilling traditional gender roles.