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To cite this article: Savvas Daniel Georgiades (2016) Christian Faith as a Resiliency Factor
in Coping with Immigration and Unemployment: Mental Health Implications, Journal of
Spirituality in Mental Health, 18:1, 24-42, DOI: 10.1080/19349637.2015.1112251
Article views: 3
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JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH
2016, VOL. 18, NO. 1, 24–42
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2015.1112251
ABSTRACT KEYWORDS
The resiliency of Christian faith in coping with immigration and coping; counseling and
unemployment is assessed. Analysis is based on data from two psychotherapy; faith
distinct research projects, one on immigration (n = 123) and development; mental health;
the other on unemployment (n = 120). Although Christian faith religion and spirituality;
resilience
appears an immense resiliency factor for many respondents,
for the chronically unemployed individuals it becomes obso-
lete and a feeble support system. Respondents estimate that
the Church has a critical role to play in the pursuit of social
justice and the protection of fundamental human rights. Study
limitations, mental health and church implications as well as
potential future research directions are highlighted.
that individuals experiencing high levels of stress did not seek out relief
through their church unless they truly trusted their pastor. Another impor-
tant finding in Crea’s study was that respondents found the parishes suppor-
tive for stress related to death in the family, illness, or the birth of a child but
not very helpful for other daily challenges such as taking care of an elder
parent or depression.
Lewis, Varvatsoulias, and Williams (2012) found that Greek churchgoers
in London tended to be introvert and entertained high structure and disci-
pline in their lives with the women being deeper thinkers about spiritual
dimensions than men. In alliance with Lewis et al., Stefanaki et al. (2014)
found in a rural Greek sample a strong link between faith and a sense of
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stages of development based on their age to mature and solidify their faith: (a)
primal or undifferentiated faith (birth to 2 years); (b) mythic–literal faith; (c)
synthetic–conventional faith; (d) individuative–reflective faith; (e) conjunctive
faith; and (f) universalizing faith. At the last stage of faith development, the
individual gains the capacity to treat others with compassion as he/she views
them as members of a universal community. Lastly, according to attachment
theory (Bowlby, 1960) individuals who develop safer attachments to their
caregivers as children are more prone to building stronger and more secure
relationships with God.
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Research focus
There is a dearth of knowledge on Greek faith and its impact on formidable
social challenges such as immigration and unemployment. In reference to
Greek parishioners, Crea (2012) notes, “little research appears to address how
life stressors impact religious involvement” (p. 227). Moreover, according to
Crea (2012) very few studies have evaluated perceived church support among
parishioners in the Greek Orthodox Church (Crea, 2012) and according to
Krindatch (2008) the latter is immensely challenged by the distancing of
youth and young adults from religious circles.
To understand better the current processes and dynamics surrounding
Greek faith and its impact as a resiliency factor in coping with such
severe social challenges as unemployment and immigration, the present
study examined the following research hypotheses:
H1: Greeks derive immense resiliency from their faith in dealing with severe
hardships such as unemployment and immigration.
H2: Greeks attend church more when they maintain a personal liking for
their pastor.
H3: Older Greeks attend church more, like their priest more, and have
stronger faith.
H4: More frequent Greek churchgoers like their priest more and are more
connected to their extended family because of being more traditional.
H5: Low income/education Greeks attend church more, like their priest more,
and have stronger faith as they are exposed to greater life challenges.
H6: Greeks of stronger faith abuse their children less, suffer less from
depression, contemplate less suicide, and are less likely to abuse sub-
stances during hard times than other Greeks.
28 S. D. GEORGIADES
Method
Data from two research projects with Greek samples are used herein: (a) a
study on Greek immigrants in Australia conducted between December 2013
and January 2014; and (b) a study on unemployment in Cyprus with Greek
Cypriots completed in the summer of 2014. Both studies were reviewed by
the Institutional Review Board of the University of North Carolina at
Pembroke. The first study was partially supported by a University grant
while the second by a Hopes Grant.
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randomly selected phone numbers from the District Nicosia telephone direc-
tory or through the snowball method. Specifically, all pages in the directory
were numbered and a page was randomly chosen from: www.random.org
setting as requested range the number one to the total number of pages. All
listings on the chosen page were numbered and once again a random number
was drawn to nominate the household contacted. This procedure was repeated
until the desired number of respondents was reached but proved to be quite
strenuous. Still, a total of 104 unemployed persons were spotted this way of
whom 76 consented to study participation. All persons called in association
with additional contacts the researcher had in Nicosia helped single out another
63 unemployed individuals in the community with phone numbers. From this
group, 44 persons agreed to participation. Altogether, 167 unemployed indivi-
duals were summoned to the research of whom 120 individuals conceded. The
eventual response rate of this study was .72. Importantly, it is likely that during
the screening process some unemployed individuals hid their unemployment
status out of embarrassment and/or because they did not wish to participate in
the study. In the event this speculation is true, the authentic response of the
study could have been lower.
Results
The immigration study
Table 1 shows the socio-demographic attributes of the Greek Australian
sample surveyed. As can be seem, it included 64 women and 58 men. Most
respondents were first generation immigrants, some were second-generation
and very few were third generation. None was of low socioeconomic status
with most considering themselves to be middle class. Most respondents were
married (39%), divorced (18%), or widowed (16%); one fifth was single; and
about one tenth in a serious nonmarital relationship.
Table 2 displays correlations between church attendance frequency (CAF)
and priest perception (PP) and between each of the foregoing and age, closeness
to extended family, SES, child abuse risk, and depression. As can be seen a very
strong positive correlation was found between PP and CAF. CAF had also very
strong positive correlations with age and closeness to extended family and
correlated negatively with SES. PP had also strong positive correlations with
age and closeness to extended family and correlated negatively with SES.
Neither CAF nor PP correlated in any way with child abuse risk and depression.
Table 2. Correlations Between Church Attendance Frequency and Priest Perception With Basic
Sociodemographic Variables and Other Dispositions and Characteristics.
Variables CAF PP
Priest perception .76**
Age .71** .54**
Closeness to extended family .57** .52**
Socioeconomic status −.25**(Spearman) −.23*
Child abuse risk −.12 −.11
Depression .01 −.12
Note. CAF = church attendance frequency; PP = priest perception.
*p < .05. **p < .01.
Socioeconomic status
Low 54 45
Mediocre 55 46
High 11 9
Marital status
Married (engaged or in a serious relationship) 62 52
Single (or divorced/separated or widowed) 58 48
Number of children 2 1.44 0–5 children
Discussion
It is clear that Greek faith operates as an immense resiliency mechanism for
many Greeks going though highly stressful adversities such as unemployment
and immigration. This finding is consistent with various theoretical analyses
JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 33
Argue et al.’s (1999) evidence on the relationship between faith and age.
Nevertheless, the unemployment study does not support the age hypoth-
esis. Instead, it concludes a negative correlation between age and religiosity.
Still, this latter finding must be interpreted with great caution, as older
individuals in this study had been unemployed for longer periods, which
may have induced them to question more the existence of God and diminish
their faith. As such, the latter finding may not be representative of the
mainstream population of older Greeks. On another front, the observation
in the unemployment study that younger individuals were not any less
committed to religious practices may support Flere and Kirbis’s (2009)
claim that new age parallels traditional religion.
Importantly, in the immigration study connection to the extended family
associating more with older Greeks was a strong predictor of faith and
church attendance. This evidence can be also interpreted in the context of
the generational impact on faith among immigrants with first-generation
immigrants being more religious and adhering more to traditional family
values than second- or third-generation immigrants (Harris & Verven, 1998;
McAndrew & Voas, 2014).
Furthermore, in the immigration study socioeconomic status was nega-
tively correlated with both church attendance and sympathy towards priests.
This observation lends support to previous research (Brandt & Henry, 2012).
However, the second study is in disagreement with these findings by con-
cluding a strong positive correlation between socioeconomic status and faith
as well as between education and faith. The latter finding questions
Petropoulos’s (1979) evidence of no correlation between Greek faith and
education. Given the ambiguity of the relationship between socioeconomic
status and faith and educational level and faith, future research will need to
examine in more depth and with larger samples these links.
The present analysis does not associate Greek faith with child maltreat-
ment or with any protection from depression refuting previous research in
other cultural contexts on the connection between religiosity and child
maltreatment (Dyslin & Thomsen, 2005; Reinert & Edwards, 2009) and
34 S. D. GEORGIADES
having a key role to play in eradicating the social injustices and structural
oppression associated with unemployment. Respondents felt strongly that the
Greek Orthodox Church needs to invest its vast wealth and clout to exert
direct influence on the decision makers to institute more just social policies,
create more employment opportunities for the unemployed, and support
them more sufficiently both spiritually and with needed materialistic
resources in their transition from joblessness to a job market return.
support groups that help these populations alleviate their protracted stress
and frustration and rediscover their faith. Such collaborative models have
been shown in other cultural contexts to be quite effective (VanderWaal,
Hernandez, & Sandman, 2012).
In reference to practice with Greek immigrants, mental health providers
need to be attuned to the spiritual needs of this population particularly for
those who are first generation immigrants and/or maintain more traditional
value/belief systems and are by nature harder to acculturate. The study also
suggests that other groups who can benefit tremendously from spiritual
development interventions are those feeling wretched by substance abuse
and/or contemplating suicide. Specialized support groups could be developed
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Study limitations
Both studies had relatively small samples. The first study relied exclusively on
a convenience sample and the second on a partially randomized sample. This
implies that the external validity of these findings may be quite limited. There
were also threats to the internal validity of the findings as standardized
measures were not employed. Another threat to internal validity in both
studies is social desirability bias due to the self-report nature of the data,
which was not controlled.
Conclusion
The study of faith as it relates to cultural dynamics and psychosocial disposi-
tions, trends, and outcomes appears to be in its infancy. Some of the findings
appear equivocal and much extrapolation is called for as there are not many
studies that address various psychosocial constructs and outcomes in specific
cultural contexts relative to specific religious practices and traditions. As Crea
(2012) remind us, very little is known about the impact of faith on Greeks and
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best practices that parishes and churches may employ to draw in Greek
parishioners as well as empower them in hard times. The present study con-
firms some of the stress-buffering effects and resiliency outcomes of Greek faith
but remains silent about others. Future research needs to explore further the
associations reviewed herein as well as best practices that churches can employ
to reinvigorate faith, magnetize new parishioners, and provide the necessary
supports so that the latter can lead happy, meaningful lives and remain resilient
during adversity. Assuredly communities can benefit tremendously when men-
tal health providers and churches collaborate closely with each other and are
creative and innovative in promoting paramount social change, supporting
vulnerable individuals and families, and empowering the latter to exert momen-
tous clout upon various critical socio-political and social justice spheres.
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Appendices
(4) What is the nationality of your significant other (e.g., husband, wife, boyfriend, girl-
friend)? Please circle one:
Greek Australian Other (Please explain) ____________
(5) How often do you go back to Greece (or Cyprus)? Please circle one:
Every year Every 2–4 years Every 5–8 years Every 9–15 years
Less than once every 16 years Never
(6) To what extent do you maintain Greek customs in your family?
A lot Somewhat Very little Not at all
(7) How often do you go to the Greek Orthodox Church?
Very often Often Sometimes Rarely Never
(8) How helpful do you find the priest of your church to be? Please circle one:
Very helpful Helpful Not very helpful Not at all helpful Nonapplicable
(9) Overall, how close are you to your extended family that lives in Australia (cousins,
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aunts, etc.)?
Very close Close A little close Not at all close Nonapplicable
(10) Have you ever been helped by a social worker and/or a psychological counselor in the
past?
Yes No
(11) If you were to be helped by a social worker and/or a psychological counselor, how
would you like them to treat you? Please describe in detail how a social worker would
ideally treat you?
(12) How much do you trust social workers in Australia? Please circle one:
A lot Somewhat Very little Not at all
(13) To what extent do you believe children should be disciplined through spanking?
A lot Somewhat Very little Not at all
(14) When people age and need care where do you think they should be best taken care of?
Please circle one:
In their own home With relatives In nursing homes
(15) How much do you trust the police in Australia? Please circle one:
A lot Somewhat Very little Not at all
(16) How safe do you feel it is to live in Australia? Please circle one:
A lot Somewhat Very little Not at all
(17) Have you ever been a victim of physical violence in Australia? Please circle one:
No Yes
If yes, by whom? (Please explain) __________________________________________
(18) As an immigrant in Australia, if applicable, what were the biggest adjustment challenges
that you faced?
____________________________________________________________________
(19) Have you ever been convicted of any crime in Australia?
If yes, what crime? _________________ When? _________
(20) How easy is it in Australia for someone to improve his/her financial situation if he/she
works hard? Please circle one:
Very easy Easy Not very easy Not easy at all
(21) How often did you feel depressed in the last year?
Very often Often Sometimes Rarely Never
If applicable, what caused you to be depressed?
(22) What are the things you are proud of in the Greek culture, if any?
(23) What are the things you are ashamed of in the Greek culture, if any?
JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 41
Hello, I am social work professor at an American University and I’m conducting a study to
evaluate the psychosocial impact of unemployment in Cyprus. Are you or any other adult
above age 18 in your household currently unemployed and has been so for at least a month?
(If yes): (As I stated earlier) I am conducting a study on unemployment and I am hoping to
generate findings that may be useful to the Cyprus Government in clarifying the psychosocial
impact of unemployment so that hopefully more supportive services can be put in place for
the unemployed. The phone interview takes about 10 minutes to complete and all informa-
tion you share will be maintained strictly confidential. Even though parts of your answers
may be published, there will be no identifying information that will personally relate you to
the information published. You have the right to avoid answering any question by asking me
to move on to the next one. All data will be kept locked in a cabinet and will be destroyed as
soon as they are analyzed. If at any point during the interview you wish a referral to a
psychological support center, please advise me accordingly and I will give you a couple of
local numbers. Moreover, if you wish to know the results of this study you can contact me in
about a year at an email that I can provide to you at the end of the interview. Would you like
to participate in this study?