An investigation into whether experiential avoidance acts as a mediator in the relationship between religious coping and depression in an adult Muslim population.

Background Depression presents differently in Muslims (Sami & El-Gawad, 1995). Religious coping and experiential avoidance (EA) are ways of coping with depression in many populations and religions but how these manifest or interact in Muslims is unknown. The way individuals cope with stressors may lead to the development of depression (Beck, 1987b). Positive religious coping (PRC) and acceptance are adaptive forms of coping and correlate with better quality of life (Gardner, Krägeloh and Henning, 2014). Negative religious coping (NRC) and EA are maladaptive forms of coping correlating with depression (Hayes et al., 2004; Pargament Feuille & Burdzy, 2011). Islam fosters acceptance and positive action. An a priori prediction is that well-adjusted, practicing Muslims will engage in PRC and acceptance, whilst those engaging in NRC and EA will display more depressive symptoms. Aims To investigate whether religious coping and EA are implicated in the development of depression in Muslims. To date no study has addressed both constructs together in a Muslim sample. The study aimed to fill this gap and further the understanding of depression in Muslims. Doctoral Thesis: An investigation into whether Dina Bedair experiential avoidance acts as a mediator in the relationship between religious coping and depression in an adult Muslim population iii Method Participants were recruited from a community sample of Arabic-speaking Muslims in the United Kingdom. Data were collected with an Arabic questionnaire pack including EA, religious coping and depression measures. Analysis A cross-sectional, correlation and mediation design was adopted to test the hypotheses. Results NRC moderately, positively correlated with depression. EA strongly positively correlated with depression. PRC was not related to depression. EA mediated the relationship between NRC and depression. Conclusion EA could be a clinical target for depressed Muslims, e.g. using existing therapies like acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT; Hayes & Wilson 1994) or by incorporating Islamic concepts into other therapies like CBT to reduce NRC and increase acceptance. There is a need to develop standardised Arabic measures for use with this population