Mental Health Dynamics of Interfaith Spirituality in Believers and Non-Believers: The Two Circuit Pathways Model of Coping with Adversities: Interfaith Spirituality and Will-to Exist, Live and Survive

Objective: The study was designed to examine the differential effects of spirituality on the mental health of believers and non-believers coping with adversities. Method: Spirituality, "will-to-exist-live-and-survive (WTELS)", cumulative traumas, perceived posttraumatic growth, psychopathology, existential anxieties, self-esteem, and reappraisal were measured in two samples of main believers (Egypt, Turkey, and Kuwait, N = 1210) and mostly non- believers (UK, N = 178). The study used path analysis supplemented by PROCESS macro and multigroup invariance to analyze the data. Results: identified two positive invariant coping paths for believers, one through WTELS and the other through spirituality. A similar positive path of WTELS, but not spirituality, was found in the non-believers. Conclusion: While believers and non-believers utilize their WTELS pathway to cope with adversities, the believers utilize the additional pathway of spirituality. The non- believers still utilize self-transcendence strategies of non-theistic or secular spirituality. The results have conceptual and clinical implications for developing differential prevention and intervention strategies.