Page 78 - JCBP-3-2

Journal of Clinical and
Basic Psychosomatics Coping with a crisis

2.2. Participants and setting frequency and helpfulness of both religious and non-
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A convenience sampling technique was used to obtain religious coping strategies. Each item is measured on a
participants for this study. The sample for this study 4-point Likert scale (0 = Never used; 1 = Seldom used [at
consisted of 192 students (including 180 undergraduate least once in 6 months]; 2 = Sometimes used [at least once
and 12 graduate students) and 93 faculty/staff (including in a month]; and 3 = often used [at least once daily]). The
48 staff and 45 faculty) at a mid-sized Midwestern public scale culminates in a total score with a maximum score of
university in the U.S., thus totaling 285 total participants. 60 and has demonstrated an internal consistency reliability
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The sample was recruited out of a total of 4578 students estimate of 0.82. Consistent with previously reported
and 694 faculty and staff that were randomly selected. reliability measurements for the spiritual coping strategies
scale, the internal consistency reliability estimate for this
Specifically, participants received an electronic study was α = 0.89. Two subscales can be created out of
message informing them of the nature of the study and the measure to identify specifically religious based coping
assuring them that their participation was voluntary and methods (n = 9) and non-religious coping strategies
anonymous. This message also informed participants that (n = 11) with both subscales indicating strong reliability
there would be no negative consequences if they chose not (religious coping, α = 0.82; non-religious coping, α = 0.74).
to participate in the study. Finally, the message presented
a website that included a copy of the survey. A follow-up 2.3.3. Social media intensity
message was sent to participants a week later reminding The Facebook Intensity Scale consists of six items; each
them to complete the survey. Participants were asked not item is measured on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly
to identify themselves in any way on the survey to maintain 20
anonymity. Furthermore, no attempts were made to access disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). For the purposes of this
participants’ IP addresses, and thus, the investigators had study, the scale was adapted to reflect use of all social
no way of linking individual participants to their responses. media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat,
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All study participants provided written informed consent Twitter, etc.). Ellison et al. reported high internal
before participating. Data were collected from March 1, consistency reliability for the Facebook Intensity Scale
2022, to May 15, 2022, transferred to a Microsoft Excel with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.83. Similarly, the internal
spreadsheet (Version 16, Microsoft Corp.), and stored on consistency reliability estimate for this study was α = 0.87.
the investigators’ password-protected computers. This 2.3.4. Mental health (anxiety, depression, and stress)
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study met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to
the legal requirements, of the U.S. and received approval The DASS-21 is a condensed version of the original
from the Institutional Review Board at the University 42-item instrument, which includes three subscales
Wisconsin-La Crosse (project number: 22-KS-266; to assess symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress,
approved on April 29, 2022). respectively. Like the Spiritual Coping Strategies Scale,
each item of the DASS-21 is measured through a 4-point
2.3. Data sources and measurement Likert scale (0 = Did not apply to me at all; 1 = Applied
Participants completed an online survey consisting of items to me to some degree, or some of the time; 2 = Applied to
from the Spiritual Coping Strategies Scale; the Facebook me to a considerable degree, or a good part of the time;
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Intensity Scale; the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress and 3 = Applied to me very much, or most of the time).
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Scales (DASS-21); the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS); Construct validity for the DASS-21 was confirmed through
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and selected demographic items (age, gender, and campus a factor analysis. Moreover, the internal consistency
status). Two additional questions asked specifically for the reliability estimate for the DASS-21 subscales for this
average time spent on social media per day (h, min) as well study were strong for the depression (α = 0.93), anxiety
as the total count of social media friends. (α = 0.84), and stress (α = 0.86) subscales, respectively.
These reliability values are stronger than those found in the
2.3.1. Demographic items scale’s initial development where the depression (α = 0.91),
Participants answered items to indicate their gender (female, anxiety (α = 0.80), and stress (α = 0.84) subscales also
male, gender not listed please specify, or prefer not to say), demonstrated acceptable reliability. 24
age (in years), and their campus status (undergraduate
student, graduate student, staff member, or faculty member). 2.3.5. Resilience
The BRS consists of six items including 3 that are “positively
2.3.2. Spiritual coping worded” and 3 that are “negatively worded.” Like the
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The English version of the Spiritual Coping Strategies Facebook Intensity Scale, each item is measured through
Scale consists of 20 items and is designed to assess the a Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5

Volume 3 Issue 2 (2025) 72 doi: 10.36922/jcbp.4563