Intrinsic and Extrinsic Religiosity in Relation to Religious Guilt, Shame, and Psychological Well-Being in Arab Adults: A Network and Mediation Analysis
摘要
Religious self‑conscious emotions, especially guilt and shame, shape psychological well-being, yet their specific roles in distress and resilience remain underexplored in Arab Muslim contexts. This study examines the relationships between intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity, religious guilt and shame, resilience, and psychological distress among Libyan Arabs using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), network analysis, and mediation modeling. Participants were 215 Libyan adults (72.1% female, aged 18–54) recruited via social media. Measures included the Muslim Religiosity Scale (MRS), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale–8 (DASS-8), and items assessing religious guilt and shame. CFA supported a two-factor structure distinguishing guilt and shame (CFI = .95, RMSEA = .06, SRMR = .04). Correlation analyses revealed that both religious guilt (r = .31) and religious shame (r = .34) were strongly associated with intrinsic religiosity. Extrinsic religiosity correlated positively with resilience total score (r = .16) and negatively with depression (r = −.25) and stress (r = −.13). Intrinsic religiosity was higher among males (r = .19). Network analysis identified religious guilt as more central than shame, with “I feel guilty if I miss prayers” a key node. Mediation analysis indicated that depression mediated the association between resilience and religiosity dimensions, with nonsignificant direct effects. Network analysis suggested resilience played a limited bridging role between religiosity and distress. Findings highlight religious guilt’s stronger influence on distress compared to shame and suggest that psychological distress shapes religious engagement more than resilience does. Culturally sensitive interventions should address the mental health impact of religious guilt, and future research should explore protective factors in Arab Muslim populations.