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Spiritual Struggle Among Patients Seeking Treatment for Chronic Headaches: Anger and Protest Behaviors Toward God

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Abstract

This study examined anger and protest behaviors toward God among 80 US adults seeking treatment for chronic headaches (66 women, 14 men; 71 completed treatment). Measures were administered before and after an intensive 3-week outpatient treatment program. At both times, anger and protest toward God correlated with lower pain acceptance, more emotional distress, and greater perceived disability. However, when considered simultaneously, anger predicted sustained distress, whereas protest behaviors (e.g., complaining, questioning, arguing) predicted both reduced distress and an increased sense of meaning. These findings suggest the utility of distinguishing between anger toward God and behaviors suggesting assertiveness toward God.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for funding support from the John Templeton Foundation, Grant #36094.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7123, USA

    Julie J. Exline

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Neurological Center for Pain, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Steven J. Krause

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Karen A. Broer

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  1. Julie J. Exline
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  2. Steven J. Krause
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Correspondence to Julie J. Exline.

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Dr. Julie Exline, Dr. Steven Krause, and Dr. Karen Broer declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Exline, J.J., Krause, S.J. & Broer, K.A. Spiritual Struggle Among Patients Seeking Treatment for Chronic Headaches: Anger and Protest Behaviors Toward God. J Relig Health 55, 1729–1747 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0259-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0259-y

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