Religious connectedness among urban African American families who have a child with disabilities.

The role of religion and its relation to adjustment for 52 African American caregivers who had a child with mental retardation was examined. Comparative studies of cultural/ethnic contexts of families with a child who has disabilities often cite religion as a salient factor in family adjustment. This finding was expanded upon through (a) a focus on the African American population, (b) the relation of adjustment to religious experiences considered relevant to most African American families, and (c) documentation of the validity and reliability of the participants' responses to the Religious Connectedness Questionnaire. Religion in personal and family life and church support were related to positive outcomes in adjustment. Analysis of open-ended responses co-validated the quantitative outcomes.