Negative religious coping is associated with blunted cardiovascular reactivity and higher self-reported stress in response to acute psychological stress.

Negative religious coping (NRC) is associated with adverse mental health and well-being. However, the majority of research focuses on general life stress; few studies have examined NRC in response to a standardized acute psychological stressor. The present study examined the relationship between NRC and physiological and psychological responses to acute stress. Young adults (N = 81, Mage = 19.63 years, age range = 18.27–28.87 years, 65.4% female, 18% Hispanic, and 64.2% White) completed baseline and stress task phases, and cardiovascular activity was measured throughout. NRC was assessed using the Brief Religious Coping Scale. Hierarchical linear regressions adjusting for baseline measures, religiousness, sex, neuroticism, and depression scores demonstrated that lower diastolic blood pressure reactivity was associated with higher NRC. Higher self-reported stress in response to the task was associated with higher NRC. Systolic blood pressure and heart rate reactivity were not associated with NRC in the final models. In response to standardized acute stress, NRC is associated with increased feelings of stress, but not increased physiological responses to stress.