The DOI matches its Crossref record; 68 of the 68 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Mental Disorders, Religion and Spirituality 1990 to 2010: A Systematic Evidence-Based Review
Abstract
Religion/spirituality has been increasingly examined in medical research during the past two decades. Despite the increasing number of published studies, a systematic evidence-based review of the available data in the field of psychiatry has not been done during the last 20 years. The literature was searched using PubMed (1990-2010). We examined original research on religion, religiosity, spirituality, and related terms published in the top 25 % of psychiatry and neurology journals according to the ISI journals citation index 2010. Most studies focused on religion or religiosity and only 7 % involved interventions. Among the 43 publications that met these criteria, thirty-one (72.1 %) found a relationship between level of religious/spiritual involvement and less mental disorder (positive), eight (18.6 %) found mixed results (positive and negative), and two (4.7 %) reported more mental disorder (negative). All studies on dementia, suicide, and stress-related disorders found a positive association, as well as 79 and 67 % of the papers on depression and substance abuse, respectively. In contrast, findings from the few studies in schizophrenia were mixed, and in bipolar disorder, indicated no association or a negative one. There is good evidence that religious involvement is correlated with better mental health in the areas of depression, substance abuse, and suicide; some evidence in stress-related disorders and dementia; insufficient evidence in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and no data in many other mental disorders.
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In the citing paper
“religious involvement is correlated with better mental health in the areas of depression, substance abuse, and suicide [59].”
In the citing paper
“Studies have repeatedly established positive links between spirituality, religion and health.”
In the citing paper
“Overall, research in the mental health area indicates that R/S is associated with improved well-being, feelings of meaning and peace,3 and reductions in suicide rates, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.4,5”
From How psychiatrists think about religious and spiritual beliefs in clinical practice: findings from a university hospital in São Paulo, Brazil (2019) · cites this paper as [5]
In the citing paper
“Religion/spirituality has been associated, for example, with lower rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, and substance misuse, better recovery in cases of depression and greater overall well-being.1–4”
From A preliminary survey on the religious profile of Brazilian psychiatrists and their approach to patients' religiosity in clinical practice (2016) · cites this paper as [4]
Citations
Cites
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
(2018) · Journal of Clinical Psychiatry · doi:10.5505/kpd · Cited by 13,703
Handbook of Religion and Health
Koenig, H. G., McCullough, M. E., & Larson, D. B. (2004) · American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/00019442-200405000-00015 · Cited by 3,262
Research on Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health: A Review
Koenig, H. G. (2009) · The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/070674370905400502 · Cited by 1,442 · cited 1×
“This began a deep divide that would separate religion from mental health care for the next century (Koenig 2009).”
BackgroundSelf-citationHandbook of Religion and Health
Koenig, H. G., VanderWeele, T. J., & Peteet, J. R. (2023) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190088859.001.0001 · Cited by 1,160
Concerns about measuring spirituality in research
Koenig, H. G. (2008) · Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/nmd.0b013e31816ff796 · Cited by 730
Self-citationReligiosity and remission of depression in medically ill older patients
Koenig, H. G., George, L. K., & Peterson, B. L. (1998) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.155.4.536 · Cited by 658
Self-citationDimensions of Religiosity and Their Relationship to Lifetime Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders
Kendler, K. S., Liu, X.-Q., Gardner, C. O., McCullough, M. E., Larson, D. B., & Prescott, C. A. (2003) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.160.3.496 · Cited by 586
Religious coping and depression among elderly, hospitalized medically ill men
(1992) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.149.12.1693 · Cited by 544
Religion, psychopathology, and substance use and abuse; a multimeasure, genetic-epidemiologic study
(1997) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.154.3.322 · Cited by 516
Religious affiliation and suicide attempt
Dervic, K., Oquendo, M. A., Grunebaum, M. F., Ellis, S., Burke, A. K., & Mann, J. J. (2004) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.161.12.2303 · Cited by 449
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Cooper, H. M. (1984). The integrated research review: A systematic approach. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
- Koenig, H. G. (2011). A research agenda for the field (ch. 3). Spirituality & health research: Methods, measurement, statistics, and resources (pp. 47–74). Philadelphia, PA: Templeton Foundation Press.
Cited by
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Items 501–514 of 514
Alodhialah, A. M., Almutairy, B. M., Alshaibany, F. F., Alshehri, W. M., & Eid, T. (2026) · BMC Nursing · doi:10.1186/s12912-026-04877-5
Trombley, C. (2026) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-026-02704-4
The Over-Medicalization of Mental Disorder, Suffering, & Meaning-Making
Finley, K. (2026) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-09479-7_3
Nezlek, J. B. (2026) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-026-02718-y
Chukr, M., Qatza, A., Khaled, M., Attiya, B., Siddiq, A., & Elsayed, M. M. (2026) · BMC Medical Education · doi:10.1186/s12909-026-09937-7
Ghojazadeh, M., Abdi, S., Nikniaz, Z., Farhangi, M. A., & Nikniaz, L. (2025) · Mental Health Religion & Culture · doi:10.1080/13674676.2024.2425997
Financial strain, food insecurity, and religious/spiritual beliefs on depressive symptoms
Roh, S., Lee, Y.-S., Dinata, E., Yoon, S., Steel, J., Talbot, E. P., & Stone, S. T. (2026) · Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment · doi:10.1080/10911359.2026.2701997
Cherniak, A. D., Shmulewitz, D., Levitin, M. D., Skvirsky, V., Kor, A., Lev‐Ran, S., & Mikulincer, M. (2026) · International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction · doi:10.1007/s11469-026-01699-z
Weelink, J., Geerling, B., Kronenberg, L. M., Schaap‐Jonker, H., & Boonstra, N. (2026) · Perspectives In Psychiatric Care · doi:10.1155/ppc/9358591
Evolutionary Explanations for Associations between Religiosity and Mental Health
Dornisch, S. J. (2026) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009743617
Respess, S., & Counted, V. (2026) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-29101-1_7
Cahill, J. D., & Gallagher, K. (2026) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108689229.010
Cultural Humility in Psychiatric Prescribing
Jegede, O. O. (2026) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108689229.023
Harrichand, J. J. S., & Lockhart, J. R. (2026) · Journal of LGBTQ Issues in Counseling · doi:10.1080/26924951.2026.2729977
Metadata
- Authors
- Bonelli, R. M., & Koenig, H. G.
- Affiliations
- Sigmund Freud Privatuniversität Wien (AT)
- King Abdulaziz University (SA)
- Corresponding author
- Koenig, Harold G.
- ORCID
- Koenig, Harold G.
- Venue
- Journal of Religion and Health
- Published
- 2013-02-19
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 657-673
- ISSN
- 0022-4197 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-6571
- OpenAlex
- W2035389447
- Cited by
- 516
- References
- 68
- Citations by year
- 2026: 25 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 46 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 55 · 2019: 52 · 2018: 46 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 36 · 2015: 36 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 12
- FWCI
- 40.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Journal of Religion and Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Religion and Society Interactions
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Workplace Spirituality and Leadership
- Keywords
- religion, spirituality, religiosity, mental illness, mental health, depression, substance abuse, suicide, dementia, stress-related disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, religious intervention
- MeSH terms
- Mental Disorders, Humans, Religion and Psychology, Evidence-Based Medicine, Spirituality
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