Aging, religious doubt, and psychological well-being

The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) To see whether religious doubt is related to psychological well-being and (b) to test for age differences in the relationship between these constructs. The data come from a national s ample of Presbyterians. The findings suggest that doubt is associated with greater psychological distress and diminished feelings of well-being. Moreo ver, the results reveal that the deleterious effects of doubt are greater f or younger than for older people. Implications for practice with adults acr oss the life span are suggested.