Religious attitude and anxiety: The mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties

Given the role of religion as one of the variables that influence anxiety, this study aimed to investigate the relations of religious attitude dimensions with anxiety and emotion regulation difficulties. The study is descriptive correlational, and study population includes all students of University of Tehran in the 2015-2016 academic year, of whom 201 students (91 female and 110 male) were selected through multistage cluster sampling and completed Religious Attitude Scale-Short Form (RAS-R), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale or (DERS-16), and Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Data were analyzed with Pearsonian correlation coefficient and path analysis. Results showed that there are significant relationships between religious attitude dimensions with difficulties in emotion regulation and anxiety. Religious world view, Morality, and Inner spirituality dimensions are indirectly linked with anxiety through emotion regulation difficulties. The worships dimension is not related with emotion regulation difficulties but negatively correlates with anxiety. Based on the findings of this study, one could conclude that religious attitude dimensions can directly and indirectly effect anxiety. Therefore, religious attitudes should be taken into consideration in when addressing pathology and treatment protocols of anxiety disorders.