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Religiousness and depression: Evidence for a main effect and the moderating influence of stressful life events.
Abstract
The association between religiousness and depressive symptoms was examined with meta-analytic methods across 147 independent investigations (N = 98,975). Across all studies, the correlation between religiousness and depressive symptoms was -.096, indicating that greater religiousness is mildly associated with fewer symptoms. The results were not moderated by gender, age, or ethnicity, but the religiousness-depression association was stronger in studies involving people who were undergoing stress due to recent life events. The results were also moderated by the type of measure of religiousness used in the study, with extrinsic religious orientation and negative religious coping (e.g., avoiding difficulties through religious activities, blaming God for difficulties) associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, the opposite direction of the overall findings.
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“Several researches showed an association between strong religiousness and lower levels of depressive symptoms, decreased stress, or enhanced relaxation;126”
From Pain and Evil: From Local Nociception to Misery Following Social Harm (2020) · cites this paper as [126]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Smith, T. B., McCullough, M. E., & Poll, J.
- Affiliations
- Brigham Young University (US)
- University of Miami (US)
- Venue
- Psychological Bulletin
- Published
- 2003-07
- Volume
- 129
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 614-636
- ISSN
- 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1455
- OpenAlex
- W2126015108
- Cited by
- 1,150
- References
- 237
- Citations by year
- 2026: 28 · 2025: 39 · 2024: 43 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 48 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 62 · 2019: 58 · 2018: 56 · 2017: 50 · 2016: 56 · 2015: 59 · 2014: 80 · 2013: 78 · 2012: 75
- FWCI
- 2.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- correction (2007-12-03)
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ScholarsArchive (Brigham Young University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Religion and Society Interactions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Keywords
- religiosity, depression, depressive symptoms, life events, moderating effect, extrinsic religiosity, negative religious coping, religious coping, religiosity measurement, gender differences, age differences, ethnic differences
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Defense Mechanisms, Depression, Humans, Internal-External Control, Life Change Events, Religion and Psychology
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