Does Spirituality or Religion Positively Affect Mental Health? Meta-analysis of Longitudinal Studies
Open accessAbstract
The objective of this meta-analysis was to determine the longitudinal positive effect of religion or spirituality (R/S) on mental health. We summarized 48 longitudinal studies (59 independent samples) using a random effects model. Mental health was operationalized as a continuous and a dichotomous distress measure, life satisfaction, well-being, and quality of life. R/S included participation in public and private religious activities, support from church members, importance of religion, intrinsic religiousness, positive religious coping, meaningfulness, and composite measures. The meta-analysis yielded a significant, but small overall effect size of r = .08 (95% CI: 0.06 to 0.10). Of eight R/S predictors that were distinguished, only participation in public religious activities and importance of religion were significantly related to mental health (r = .08 and r = .09, respectively; 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.11 and 0.05 to 0.12, respectively). In conclusion, there is evidence for a positive effect of R/S on mental health, but this effect is small.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The text we found for this paper looks like another document, so the self-check wasn’t run.
Cites
Borenstein, M., Hedges, L. V., Higgins, J. P. T., & Rothstein, H. R. (2009) · doi:10.1002/9780470743386 · Cited by 14,225 · see citing works
Rudd (2006) · doi:10.1002/(issn)1097-4679 · Cited by 2,635 · see citing works
The consequences of perceived discrimination for psychological well-being: A meta-analytic review.
Schmitt, M. T., Branscombe, N. R., Postmes, T., & Garcia, A. (2014) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/a0035754 · Cited by 1,804 · cited 2× · see citing works
“In a meta-analysis of 14 studies on the effect of perceived discrimination on well-being an overall effect size of r = − .15 was found (Schmitt et al., 2014).”
BackgroundMethodHappiness Is a Stochastic Phenomenon
Lykken, D., & Tellegen, A. (1996) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.1996.tb00355.x · Cited by 1,719 · see citing works
On the Use of Beta Coefficients in Meta-Analysis.
Peterson, R. A., & Brown, S. P. (2005) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-9010.90.1.175 · Cited by 1,643 · see citing works
Smith, T. B., McCullough, M. E., & Poll, J. (2003) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.129.4.614 · Cited by 1,150 · see citing works
Concerns about measuring spirituality in research
Koenig, H. G. (2008) · Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/nmd.0b013e31816ff796 · Cited by 730 · see citing works
Religion and mental health: evidence for an association
Koenig, H. G., & Larson, D. B. (2001) · International Review of Psychiatry · doi:10.1080/09540260124661 · Cited by 603 · see citing works
Religiosity and mental health: A critical reevaluation and meta-analysis.
Bergin, A. E. (1983) · Professional Psychology Research and Practice · doi:10.1037/0735-7028.14.2.170 · Cited by 501 · see citing works
Journal of Religion and Health
(2013) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/10943.1573-6571 · Cited by 414 · see citing works
Yonker, J. E., Schnabelrauch, C. A., & DeHaan, L. G. (2011) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2011.08.010 · Cited by 403 · see citing works
Rood, L., Roelofs, J., Bögels, S. M., Nolen–Hoeksema, S., & Schouten, E. G. W. (2009) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2009.07.001 · Cited by 360 · see citing works
Wachholtz, A. B., & Pargament, K. I. (2005) · Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s10865-005-9008-5 · Cited by 350 · see citing works
Measuring Spirituality as a Universal Human Experience: A Review of Spirituality Questionnaires
Meezenbroek, E. D. J., Garssen, B., van den Berg, M., van Dierendonck, D., Visser, A. P., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2010) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-010-9376-1 · Cited by 322 · see citing works
Self-citationCausal inference and longitudinal data: a case study of religion and mental health
VanderWeele, T. J., Jackson, J. W., & Li, S. (2016) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-016-1281-9 · Cited by 322 · see citing works
Spirituality and well‐being in cancer patients: a review
Visser, A., Garssen, B., & Vingerhoets, A. (2010) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.1626 · Cited by 320 · see citing works
Self-citationA Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Spirituality and Quality of Life
Sawatzky, R. G., Ratner, P. A., & Chiu, L. (2005) · Social Indicators Research · doi:10.1007/s11205-004-5577-x · Cited by 305 · see citing works
Religiosity and Major Depression in Adults at High Risk: A Ten-Year Prospective Study
Miller, L., Wickramaratne, P., Gameroff, M. J., Sage, M., Tenke, C. E., & Weissman, M. M. (2012) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.10121823 · Cited by 292 · see citing works
Positive and negative religious coping and well-being in women with breast cancer
Hebert, R., Zdaniuk, B., Schulz, R., & Scheier, M. (2009) · Journal of Palliative Medicine · doi:10.1089/jpm.2008.0250 · Cited by 285 · see citing works
Levin, J. S., Markides, K. S., & Ray, L. A. (1996) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/36.4.454 · Cited by 242 · see citing works
Khazanov, G. K., & Ruscio, A. M. (2016) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000059 · Cited by 240 · see citing works
Existential therapies: A meta-analysis of their effects on psychological outcomes.
Vos, J., Craig, M., & Cooper, M. (2014) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0037167 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
Salsman, J. M., Pustejovsky, J. E., Jim, H. S. L., Munoz, A. R., Merluzzi, T. V., George, L., Park, C. L., Danhauer, S. C., Sherman, A. C., Snyder, M. A., et al. (2015) · Cancer · doi:10.1002/cncr.29350 · Cited by 232 · see citing works
Religious Service Attendance and Lower Depression Among Women—a Prospective Cohort Study
Li, S., Okereke, O. I., Chang, S., Kawachi, I. I., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2016) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s12160-016-9813-9 · Cited by 205 · see citing works
Spirituality moderates the effect of stress on emotional and physical adjustment
Kim, Y., & Seidlitz, L. (2002) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/s0191-8869(01)00128-3 · Cited by 193 · see citing works
Relations of meaning in life and sense of coherence to distress in cancer patients: a meta-analysis
Winger, J. G., Adams, R., & Mosher, C. E. (2015) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.3798 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Dew, R. E., Daniel, S. S., Goldston, D. B., McCall, W. V., Kuchibhatla, M., Schleifer, C., Triplett, M. F., & Koenig, H. G. (2010) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2009.04.029 · Cited by 159 · see citing works
Roth, P. L., Le, H., Oh, I., Iddekinge, C. H. V., & Bobko, P. (2018) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/apl0000293 · Cited by 155 · see citing works
The Protective Effects of Religiosity on Depression: A 2-Year Prospective Study
Ronneberg, C. R., Miller, E. A., Dugan, E., & Porell, F. W. (2014) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnu073 · Cited by 154 · see citing works
Religion and mental health: Towards a cognitive‐behavioural framework
James, A., & Adrian Wells, A. (2003) · British Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1348/135910703322370905 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Pirl (2000) · doi:10.1002/(issn)1099-1611 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
Levin, J. S., & Taylor, R. J. (1998) · Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion · doi:10.2307/1388151 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
Meezenbroek, E. D. J., Garssen, B., van den Berg, M., Tuytel, G., van Dierendonck, D., Visser, A. P., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2012) · Journal of Psychosocial Oncology · doi:10.1080/07347332.2011.651258 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Self-citationClinical Implications of Research on Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health
Baetz, M., & Toews, J. (2009) · The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/070674370905400503 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
Clarifying the relation between spirituality and well-being
Migdal, L., & MacDonald, D. A. (2013) · Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/nmd.0b013e318288e26a · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Religious Service Attendance and Major Depression: A Case of Reverse Causality?
Maselko, J., Hayward, R. D., Hanlon, A., Buka, S. L., & Meador, K. G. (2012) · American Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/aje/kwr349 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Braam, A. W., Deeg, D. J. H., Poppelaars, J. L., Beekman, A. T. F., & van Tilburg, W. (2007) · American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/jgp.0b013e31802d0ae8 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
The effects of spiritual interventions in patients with cancer: a meta-analysis.
Oh, P., & Kim, S. (2014) · Oncology Nursing Forum · doi:10.1188/14.onf.e290-e301 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Coyne, J. C., Thombs, B. D., & Hagedoorn, M. (2010) · Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0017633 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
How Spirituality Helps Cancer Patients with the Adjustment to their Disease
Garssen, B., Uwland-Sikkema, N. F., & Visser, A. (2014) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-014-9864-9 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Self-citationten Kate, J., de Koster, W., & van der Waal, J. (2017) · Review of Religious Research · doi:10.1007/s13644-016-0282-1 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Examining whether spirituality predicts subjective well-being: How to avoid tautology.
Garssen, B., Visser, A., & Meezenbroek, E. D. J. (2015) · Psychology of Religion and Spirituality · doi:10.1037/rel0000025 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Self-citationPérez, J. E., Little, T. D., & Henrich, C. C. (2008) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.08.022 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Forouhari, S., Teshnizi, S. H., Ehrampoush, M. H., Mahmoodabad, S. S. M., Fallahzadeh, H., Tabei, S. Z., Nami, M., Mirzaei, M., Jahromi, B. N., Teshnizi, S. M. H., et al. (2019) · Iranian Journal of Public Health · doi:10.18502/ijph.v48i1.781 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
The Emotional Journey of Women Experiencing a Breast Abnormality
Blow, A. J., Swiecicki, P. L., Haan, P. S., Osuch, J. R., Symonds, L. L., Smith, S. S., Walsh, K. B., & Boivin, M. J. (2011) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/1049732311405798 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Spirituality and Religion Within the Culture of Medicine: From Evidence to Practice
Holman, S. R. (2017) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-017-0461-6 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Huang, C. (2015) · Cognitive Therapy and Research · doi:10.1007/s10608-015-9700-x · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Religious involvement and depressive symptoms in primary care elders
KING, D. A., Lyness, J. M., Duberstein, P. R., He, H., Tu, X. M., & Seaburn, D. B. (2007) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291707000591 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Visser, A., Garssen, B., & Vingerhoets, A. J. J. M. (2016) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/nmd.0000000000000617 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Self-citationSmith, S. S., & Sullivan, K. A. (2003) · International Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1207/s15327558ijbm1002_05 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Effects of Religiousness on Depressive Symptoms Among Elderly Persons in Taiwan
Hsu, H. (2014) · Clinical Gerontologist · doi:10.1080/07317115.2014.937549 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
4 of the 55 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Handbook of Religion and Health
Koenig, H. G., VanderWeele, T. J., & Peteet, J. R. (2023) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190088859.001.0001 · Cited by 1,150 · see citing works
Spirituality in Serious Illness and Health
Balboni, T. A., VanderWeele, T. J., Doan, S., Long, K. N. G., FERRELL, B. R., Fitchett, G. A., Koenig, H. G., Bain, P. A., Puchalski, C. M., Steinhauser, K. E., et al. (2022) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.2022.11086 · Cited by 579 · see citing works
A many-analysts approach to the relation between religiosity and well-being
Hoogeveen, S., Sarafoglou, A., Aczél, B., Aditya, Y., Alayan, A. J., Allen, P., Altay, S., Alzahawi, S., Amir, Y., Anthony, F.-V., et al. (2022) · Religion Brain & Behavior · doi:10.1080/2153599x.2022.2070255 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
A Meta-Analysis of Religion/Spirituality and Life Satisfaction
Yaden, D. B., Batz-Barbarich, C. L., Ng, V., Vaziri, H., Gladstone, J. N., Pawelski, J. O., & Tay, L. (2022) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-022-00558-7 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Flourishing in critical dialogue
VanderWeele, T. J., Case, B. W., Chen, Y., Cowden, R. G., Johnson, B. R., Lee, M. T., Lomas, T., & Long, K. N. G. (2022) · SSM - Mental Health · doi:10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100172 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
VanderWeele, T. J. (2020) · International Journal for the Psychology of Religion · doi:10.1080/10508619.2020.1748932 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Kunst, J. R., & Mesoudi, A. (2024) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/10888683241258406 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Being as Having, Loving, and Doing: A Theory of Human Well-Being
Martela, F. (2024) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/10888683241263634 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Borkel, L. F., Rojas‐Hernández, J., Henríquez‐Hernández, L. A., Santana, Á., & Hernández, D. J. Q. (2023) · Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology · doi:10.1080/17512433.2023.2295997 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
The neuroscience of spirituality, religion, and mental health: A systematic review and synthesis
Rosmarin, D. H., Kaufman, C. C., Ford, S. F., Keshava, P., Drury, M. J., Minns, S. A., Marmarosh, C. L., Chowdhury, A., & Sacchet, M. D. (2022) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.10.003 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
da Costa, S., Páez, D., Martí-González, M., Díaz, V., & Bouchat, P. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1096877 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
VanderWeele, T. J., Balboni, T. A., & Koh, H. K. (2021) · American Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/aje/kwab134 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Jeserich, F., Klein, C., Brinkhaus, B., & Teut, M. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0289203 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Hamka, H., Suen, M., Ramadhan, Y. A., Yusuf, M., & Wang, J.-H. (2022) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s381926 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Agyekum, M. W., Afrifa-Anane, G. F., & Kyei‐Arthur, F. (2024) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-023-04587-6 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Prevalences of mental distress and its associated factors in unaccompanied refugee minors in Germany
Hoehne, E., Banaschewski, T., Bajbouj, M., Böge, K., Sukale, T., & Kamp‐Becker, I. (2021) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-021-01926-z · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Virtues as protective factors for adolescent mental health
McLoughlin, S., & Kristjansson, K. R. (2024) · Journal of Research on Adolescence · doi:10.1111/jora.13004 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Shahama, A., Patel, A., Carson, J. F., & Abdel‐Khalek, A. M. (2022) · Mental Health Religion & Culture · doi:10.1080/13674676.2022.2028748 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Trust in God: an evaluative review of the literature and research proposal
Hook, J. N., Tongeren, D. R. V., Davis, D. E., Hill, P. C., Hall, M. E. L., McKaughan, D. J., & Howard‐Snyder, D. (2021) · Mental Health Religion & Culture · doi:10.1080/13674676.2021.1939291 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Salari, N., Kazeminia, M., Abdi, A., Abdolmaleki, A., Abdoli, N., Mohammadi, M., & Shohaimi, S. (2021) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-021-02263-9 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Titov, N., Dear, B. F., Bisby, M. A., Nielssen, O. B., Staples, L., Kayrouz, R., Cross, S. P. M., & Karin, E. (2022) · JMIR Formative Research · doi:10.2196/38837 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Nia, H. S., Görgülü, Ö., Naghavi, N., Bello, M. A. R., Sánchez‐Teruel, D., Fomani, F. K., She, L., Rahmatpour, P., Allen, K., Arslan, G., et al. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.754831 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Evans, A. L., & Nelson, J. K. (2021) · Religions · doi:10.3390/rel12110951 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Religion Matters (And Doesn't Go Away When Sociologists Ignore It)
Perry, S. L. (2023) · Sociological Forum · doi:10.1111/socf.12960 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Coping and Life Satisfaction in Colombian Older Adults
Reyes, M. F., Satorres, E., Delhom, I., Bueno-Pacheco, A., & Meléndez, J. C. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph182010584 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Virtues as Mediators of the associations between Religious/Spiritual Commitment and Well-being
Jankowski, P. J., Sandage, S. J., Wang, D., & Crabtree, S. A. (2022) · Applied Research in Quality of Life · doi:10.1007/s11482-022-10046-y · Cited by 20 · see citing works
The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Individuals With and Without Mental Health Disorders
Campos, J. Á. D. B., Campos, L. A., Martins, B. G., Dias, F. V., Ruano, R., & Marôco, J. P. (2021) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.1177/00332941211026850 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Pandemics and consumers' mental well‐being
Minton, E. A. (2022) · Journal of Consumer Affairs · doi:10.1111/joca.12444 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Sözer, Ö. T., & Eskin, M. (2022) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-022-01625-2 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
The Scientific Study of Life Satisfaction and Religion/Spirituality
Krumrei-Mancuso, E. J., & Lorona, R. T. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-10274-5_19 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Kretzler, B., König, H., & Hajek, A. (2022) · Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics · doi:10.1016/j.archger.2022.104900 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Self-Consciousness and Self-Awareness: Associations between Stable and Transitory Levels of Evidence
Majolo, M., Gomes, W. B., & de Castro, T. G. (2023) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs13020117 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Bohlmeijer, E. T., Frielingsdorf, L., Kraiss, J. T., Meezenbroek, E. D. J., Visser, A., & ten Klooster, P. M. (2023) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-023-00640-8 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Self-citationSpirituality in social entrepreneurship: an ethical approach to sustainability
Singh, D., & Awasthy, R. (2024) · Social enterprise journal · doi:10.1108/sej-05-2024-0083 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Sârbu, E. A., Lazăr, F., & Popovici, A.-F. (2021) · Review of Religious Research · doi:10.1007/s13644-021-00466-x · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Correlates of Positivity Among a Sample of Lebanese University Students
Moussa, S., Malaeb, D. N., Obeïd, S., & Hallit, S. R. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.880437 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Is religion beneficial for mental health? A 9-year longitudinal study
Prati, G. (2024) · International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100491 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Religion and Mental Health: Is the Relationship Causal?
VanderWeele, T. J., & Ouyang, S. T. (2025) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-025-02266-x · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Within-person relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction: A 20-year study
Joshanloo, M. (2021) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2021.110933 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Religiosity & mental health seeking behaviors among U.S. adults
Boateng, A. C. O., Sebu, J., Lekwauwa, R., Britt, K. C., Oh, H., & Doolittle, B. (2024) · The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine · doi:10.1177/00912174231187841 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Jokela, M. M. (2021) · American Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/aje/kwab276 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Shroff, D. M., Breaux, R., & von Suchodoletz, A. (2021) · Development and Psychopathology · doi:10.1017/s0954579421001334 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Fante-Coleman, T., Allen, K., Booker, M., Craigg, A., & Jackson-Best, F. (2023) · Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal · doi:10.1007/s10560-023-00932-1 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
İlahiyat Fakültesi Öğrencilerinde Psikolojik İyi Oluş ve Dindarlık
Karslı, N. (2021) · Dokuz Eylül Ünivesitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi · doi:10.21054/deuifd.895059 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Rubenstein, A., Koenig, H. G., Marin, D. B., Sharma, V., Harpaz‐Rotem, I., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2021) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.128 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Jankowski, P. J., Murphy, S., Johnson, J., Sandage, S. J., Wang, D., & Tomlinson, J. (2022) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-021-00488-w · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Theron, L. C., Rothmann, S., Höltge, J., & Ungar, M. T. (2022) · Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology · doi:10.1177/00220221221077353 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Religiosity, Spirituality and Mental Health: Meta-analysis of Studies from the German-Speaking Area
Zwingmann, C. (2025) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-025-02406-3 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Wnuk, M. (2022) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-022-01710-6 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Unterrainer, . (2023) · Religions · doi:10.3390/rel14070882 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Morini, V., Citraro, S., Sajno, E., Sansoni, M., Riva, G., Stella, M., & Rossetti, G. (2024) · Computers in Human Behavior Reports · doi:10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100542 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
dos Santos, A., & Brown, T. (2021) · The Arts in Psychotherapy · doi:10.1016/j.aip.2021.101786 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Rogowska, A. M., Kuśnierz, C., Павлова, Ю., & Chilicka, K. (2022) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm11164726 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Religiosity, Spirituality, Healthcare, and Aphasia Rehabilitation
Laures-Gore, J. S., & Griffey, H. W. (2023) · Seminars in Speech and Language · doi:10.1055/s-0043-1776308 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Peran Religious Coping terhadap Psychological Distress pada Mahasiswa: Scooping Review
Ayun, Q., Taufik, T., & Ruhaena, L. (2024) · Psikobuletin Buletin Ilmiah Psikologi · doi:10.24014/pib.v5i2.26954 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Huynh, V.-S., Tran-Thien, G.-P., Nguyen, T.-B., Nguyen, X., Nguyen, V. H. A., & Tran-Chi, V.-L. (2024) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s465729 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Kreski, N. T., Chen, Q., Olfson, M., Cerdá, M., Hasin, D. S., Martins, S. S., & Keyes, K. M. (2021) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-021-01390-8 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Lloyd, C. E. M., & Reid, G. (2022) · Mental Health Religion & Culture · doi:10.1080/13674676.2022.2116633 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Karataş, Z., & Selçuk, O. (2023) · Üniversite Araştırmaları Dergisi · doi:10.32329/uad.1112809 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
The Role of Spirituality and Social Support in Iranian Elderly Happiness: A Cross-sectional Study
Ezati, E., Koukamari, P. H., Karimy, M., Rawlins, J., Akbartabar, F., & Khalvandi, P. (2023) · Journal of Education and Community Health · doi:10.34172/jech.2023.1856 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Crandall, A., Magnusson, B. M., Barlow, M. J., Randall, H., Policky, A. L., & Hanson, C. L. (2023) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1223953 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
The Scientific Study of Positive Psychology, Religion/Spirituality, and Mental Health
Shafranske, E. P. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-10274-5_22 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Spirituality, religiosity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic
de Souza, A. V., Anunciação, L., & Landeira-Fernández, J. (2023) · Estudos de Psicologia (Campinas) · doi:10.1590/1982-0275202340e210206 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Religious and spiritual experiences from a neuroscientific and complex systems perspective
Jedlička, P., & Havenith, M. N. (2025) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106319 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Throw BABE Out With the Bathwater? Canadian Atheists are No Less Healthy than the Religious
Speed, D. (2022) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-022-01558-w · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Spirituality and the Quality of Life of Individuals with Intellectual Disability
Sango, P. N., & Forrester‐Jones, R. (2022) · Journal of Long-Term Care · doi:10.31389/jltc.139 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Fellinger, M., Holzinger, D., Fogler, J., & Fellinger, J. (2023) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-023-02451-x · Cited by 11 · see citing works
General and COVID19-specific emotional stress: Religious practice as a potential coping strategy
Blázquez, M., & Sánchez-Mangas, R. (2023) · Economics & Human Biology · doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2023.101284 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Lloyd, C. E. M., Cathcart, J., Panagopoulos, M. C., & Reid, G. (2023) · Psychology of Religion and Spirituality · doi:10.1037/rel0000511 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Fekih‐Romdhane, F., Tawil, N. E., Zouki, C.-J. E., Jaalouk, K., Obeïd, S., & Hallit, S. R. (2023) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-023-01431-9 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Koenig, H. G., VanderWeele, T. J., & Peteet, J. R. (2023) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190088859.003.0001 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Okruszek, Ł., Piejka, A., & Żurek, K. (2022) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-021-01486-1 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Palitsky, R., Chen, Z. J., Rentscher, K. E., Friedman, S. E., Wilson, D. D. M., Ruiz, J. M., Sullivan, D., Grant, G. H., & O'Connor, M. (2023) · Aging Cell · doi:10.1111/acel.14014 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Chu, H. C., Lee, J., & Roh, H. (2025) · Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing · doi:10.1080/10548408.2025.2556128 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Massoeurs, L., Ilie, G., Lawen, T., MacDonald, C., Bradley, C., Vo, J. D. C.-T., & Rutledge, R. D. H. (2021) · Current Oncology · doi:10.3390/curroncol28050334 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Religiosity, impulsivity, and compulsivity in university students
Grant, J. E., Blum, A. W., Chamberlain, S. R., & Lust, K. A. (2022) · CNS Spectrums · doi:10.1017/s1092852922000815 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Gontijo, D. F., Silva, D. M. R., & Damásio, B. F. (2022) · Archive for the Psychology of Religion · doi:10.1177/00846724221102195 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Toward a translational epidemiology of religion: Challenges and applications
Levin, J. (2022) · Annals of Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2022.08.053 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Proximate and ultimate causes of supernatural beliefs
van Elk, M. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.949131 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Corelation of Spiritual Well-Being and Stress Level in College Students: A Correlational Study
Arfianto, M. A., Haqqiyah, S. N., Widowati, S., & ‘Ibad, M. R. (2023) · IJNP (Indonesian Journal of Nursing Practices) · doi:10.18196/ijnp.v7i1.17914 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Randall, G. K., & Bishop, A. J. (2021) · The International Journal of Aging and Human Development · doi:10.1177/00914150211031892 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Das, A. (2021) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114580 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Iyer, S., & Rosso, G. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-57365-6_237-1 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Titov, N., Dear, B. F., Nielssen, O. B., Barrett, V., Kayrouz, R., & Staples, L. (2024) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2024.104536 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Zouki, C.-J. E., Chahine, A., Tawil, N. E., Jaalouk, K., Hallit, S. R., & Obeïd, S. (2024) · Middle East Current Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s43045-024-00424-7 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Bradshaw, M., Shiba, K., Jang, S. J., Kent, B. V., Bonhag, R., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026) · Communications Medicine · doi:10.1038/s43856-025-01366-9 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Joshanloo, M. (2022) · International Journal for the Psychology of Religion · doi:10.1080/10508619.2022.2108257 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Parnell, R. N., Lacey, K. K., & Wood, M. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph192215343 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Vitorino, L. M., Teixeira, P. H. M., Dominato, P. C., de Azevedo, M. P. C., Resende, M. M., & Lucchetti, G. (2023) · Palliative & Supportive Care · doi:10.1017/s1478951523000408 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Miteva, K. (2023) · Psychological Thought · doi:10.37708/psyct.v16i1.701 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Huijs, T., Braam, A. W., Kruizinga, R., Jacobs, N., Reijnders, J. S. A. M., & Simons, M. (2024) · Religions · doi:10.3390/rel15020179 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Damar, H. T., Ordin, Y. S., & Erki̇n, Ö. (2024) · Nurse Education in Practice · doi:10.1016/j.nepr.2024.103937 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Health Workers’ Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Resilience During COVID-19 Pandemic
Ma, H., Chiang, N., Kao, R., & Lee, C.-Y. (2024) · Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare · doi:10.2147/jmdh.s464285 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Hwang, W., Cheng, K. J. G., Brown, M. T., & Silverstein, M. D. (2022) · Advances in Life Course Research · doi:10.1016/j.alcr.2022.100477 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Jankowski, P. J., Sandage, S. J., & Crabtree, S. A. (2022) · Religions · doi:10.3390/rel13060488 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Güleç, S. (2025) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104755 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
The Study of Religion, Spirituality and Wellbeing: Research Trends
Oviedo, L. (2024) · Journal of Management Spirituality & Religion · doi:10.51327/vosx9867 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Ethno-Religious Engagement, Minority Experiences, and Strengthening American Jewish Identity
Fulton, C. L., Melamed, L., & Lambert, A. (2024) · Journal of Mental Health Counseling · doi:10.17744/mehc.46.3.03 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
López-Tarrida, Á. C., Suárez-Reina, P., & de Diego-Cordero, R. (2024) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare13010035 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Kørup, A. K., Søndergaard, J., Alyousefi, N. A., Lucchetti, G., Baumann, K., Lee, E., Karimah, A., Ramakrishnan, P., Frick, E., Büssing, A., et al. (2021) · F1000Research · doi:10.12688/f1000research.52512.1 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
- Authors
- Garssen, B., Visser, A., & Pool, G.
- Affiliations
- University Medical Center Groningen (NL)
- University of Groningen (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Garssen, Bert
- Venue
- The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2020-02-27
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 4-20
- ISSN
- 1050-8619 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-7582
- OpenAlex
- W3008244037
- Cited by
- 418
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 65 · 2025: 73 · 2024: 76 · 2023: 106 · 2022: 57 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 5
- FWCI
- 8.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- research.rug.nl
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- International Journal for the Psychology of Religion (publishedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Dutch Cancer Society (HDI 2010 – 4871)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Religion and Society Interactions
- Keywords
- religion, spirituality, mental health, religious participation, church support, intrinsic religiosity, positive religious coping, meaningfulness, life satisfaction, well-being, quality of life, psychological distress
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
