Reviewing the use of the Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE) across diverse cultures and populations

To discern the religious coping methods which individuals employ when confronting life stressors, Pargament devised the Religious Coping Scale (RCOPE) in 1997. Subsequently, in 1998, Pargament et al. formulated an abbreviated iteration, the Brief RCOPE, intended for both research and practical application. The Brief RCOPE has been found to be a reliable and valid measure, however much of the research looking into the psychometric properties of this measure has been conducted in the United States. The aim of the current review was to draw together findings from studies which have investigated the reliability and/or validity of the measure amongst populations outside of the United States. A narrative approach was adopted, involving searches of academic databases using keywords and the application of specific inclusion criteria. It was found that the reliability of the measure has been demonstrated across a number of countries, and across a range of different religions. The measure has also demonstrated good convergent, construct and concurrent validity in diverse cultures. The findings from this review suggest that the Brief RCOPE can be used in a range of diverse religions and cultures. However, more research is needed to ascertain the accuracy of the measure with other religions and cultures and with those in minority groups.