The DOI matches its Crossref record; 44 of the 44 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Religious Affiliation and Suicide Attempt
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Few studies have investigated the association between religion and suicide either in terms of Durkheim's social integration hypothesis or the hypothesis of the regulative benefits of religion. The relationship between religion and suicide attempts has received even less attention. METHOD: Depressed inpatients (N=371) who reported belonging to one specific religion or described themselves as having no religious affiliation were compared in terms of their demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Religiously unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation. Unaffiliated subjects were younger, less often married, less often had children, and had less contact with family members. Furthermore, subjects with no religious affiliation perceived fewer reasons for living, particularly fewer moral objections to suicide. In terms of clinical characteristics, religiously unaffiliated subjects had more lifetime impulsivity, aggression, and past substance use disorder. No differences in the level of subjective and objective depression, hopelessness, or stressful life events were found. CONCLUSIONS: Religious affiliation is associated with less suicidal behavior in depressed inpatients. After other factors were controlled, it was found that greater moral objections to suicide and lower aggression level in religiously affiliated subjects may function as protective factors against suicide attempts. Further study about the influence of religious affiliation on aggressive behavior and how moral objections can reduce the probability of acting on suicidal thoughts may offer new therapeutic strategies in suicide prevention.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Spirituality and religiousness have been cited as protective factors against the development of the depression and suicidality (19, 45), a relationship that might also be understood as a function of connectedness at a spiritual or instrumental level”
From Suicide in older adults (2011) · cites this paper as [45]
Citations
Cites
An inventory for measuring depression
BECK, A. T. (1961) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1961.01710120031004 · Cited by 38,032
Hamilton, M. (1960) · Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry · doi:10.1136/jnnp.23.1.56 · Cited by 32,817
The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale.
Overall, J. E., & Gorham, D. R. (1962) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.2466/pr0.1962.10.3.799 · Cited by 11,090
The measurement of pessimism: the hopelessness scale
Beck, A. T., Weissman, A., Lester, D., & Trexler, L. (1974) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0037562 · Cited by 5,494
The Global Assessment Scale: A Procedure for Measuring Overall Severity of Psychiatric Disturbance
Endicott, J. (1976) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1976.01770060086012 · Cited by 4,982 · cited 1×
“Psychiatric symptoms were assessed with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) (17), the Global Assessment Scale (GAS) (excluding the suicide item) (18), the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (19), the Beck Depression Inventory (20), and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (21).”
MethodAssessment of suicidal intention: The Scale for Suicide Ideation.
Beck, A. T., Kovacs, M., & Weissman, A. (1979) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-006x.47.2.343 · Cited by 3,419
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
(1998) · Cited by 2,713
An inventory for assessing different kinds of hostility.
Buss, A. H., & Durkee, A. (1957) · Journal of Consulting Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0046900 · Cited by 2,614
Aggression in humans correlates with cerebrospinal fluid amine metabolites
Brown, G. L., Goodwin, F. K., Ballenger, J. C., Goyer, P. F., & Major, L. F. (1979) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/0165-1781(79)90053-2 · Cited by 1,138
Linehan, M. M., Goodstein, J. L., Nielsen, S. L., & Chiles, J. A. (1983) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-006x.51.2.276 · Cited by 1,083
Suicidal Feelings in the General Population: A Prevalence Study
Paykel, E. S., Myers, J. K., Lindenthal, J. J., & Tanner, J. (1974) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.124.5.460 · Cited by 827
Social Support and Depressed Mood: A Structural Analysis
Lin, N., Ye, X., & Ensel, W. M. (1999) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.2307/2676330 · Cited by 618
Factor Analysis of Some Psychometric Measures of Impulsiveness and Anxiety
Barratt, E. S. (1965) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.2466/pr0.1965.16.2.547 · Cited by 593
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
Durkheim, Suicide, and Religion: Toward a Network Theory of Suicide
Pescosolido, B. A., & Georgianna, S. (1989) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.2307/2095660 · Cited by 468
Physicians and Patient Spirituality: Professional Boundaries, Competency, and Ethics
Post, S. G., Puchalski, C. M., & Larson, D. B. (2000) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-132-7-200004040-00010 · Cited by 417
Protective Factors Against Suicidal Acts in Major Depression: Reasons for Living
Malone, K. M., Oquendo, M. A., Haas, G. L., Ellis, S. P., Li, S., & Mann, J. J. (2000) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.157.7.1084 · Cited by 366
Self-citationThe Effect of Religious Commitment on Suicide: A Cross-National Analysis
Stack, S. J. (1983) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.2307/2136402 · Cited by 297
Greening, L., & Stoppelbein, L. (2002) · Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior · doi:10.1521/suli.32.4.404.22333 · Cited by 232
Suicide in America: A Test of Durkheim's Theory of Religious and Family Integration, 1933-1980
Breault, K. D. (1986) · American Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1086/228544 · Cited by 210
NEELEMAN, J., HALPERN, D., LEON, D., & LEWIS, G. (1997) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291797005357 · Cited by 205
Leon, A. C., Friedman, R. A., Sweeney, J. A., Brown, R. P., & Mann, J. J. (1990) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/0165-1781(90)90112-i · Cited by 174
Self-citationSuicide Acceptability in African- and White Americans: The Role of Religion
NEELEMAN, J., WESSELY, S., & LEWIS, G. (1998) · The Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/00005053-199801000-00003 · Cited by 162
Boomsma, D. I., de Geus, E. J. C., van Baal, G., & Koopmans, J. (1999) · Twin Research · doi:10.1375/136905299320565988 · Cited by 158
Informal Support From Black Churches and the Well-Being of Elderly Blacks
Walls, C. T., & Zarit, S. H. (1991) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/31.4.490 · Cited by 135
Neeleman, J., & King, M. B. (1993) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.1993.tb03484.x · Cited by 121
Why do psychiatrists neglect religion
Neeleman, J., & Persaud, R. (1995) · British Journal of Medical Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-8341.1995.tb01823.x · Cited by 117 · cited 1×
“As Neeleman and Persaud (41) stated, psychiatric practice might be improved if an understanding of the role of religious beliefs in mental health and adaptation were integrated into research and practice.”
BackgroundReligion, Age, Life Satisfaction, and Perceived Sources of Religiousness: A Study of Older Persons
Hunsberger, B. E. (1985) · Journal of Gerontology · doi:10.1093/geronj/40.5.615 · Cited by 113
The effect of religion on suicide ideation
Stack, S., & Lester, D. (1991) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/bf00795209 · Cited by 112
Suicidality in Older African Americans: Findings From the EPOCH Study
Cook, J. M., Pearson, J. L., Thompson, R., Black, B. S., & Rabins, P. V. (2002) · American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/00019442-200207000-00010 · Cited by 106
Race, religion and female suicide attempters in Singapore
Lp, K. (1988) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/bf01787823 · Cited by 83
Christian Psychiatry: the impact of evangelical belief on clinical practice
Galanter, M. S., Larson, D., & Rubenstone, E. (1991) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.148.1.90 · Cited by 72
Religion and Suicidal Ideation in a Sample of Latin American Immigrants
Hovey, J. D. (1999) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.2466/pr0.1999.85.1.171 · Cited by 64
Religious Sanctions and Rates of Suicide Worldwide
Kelleher, M., Chambers, D., Corcoran, P. E., Williamson, E., & Keeley, H. S. (1998) · Crisis · doi:10.1027/0227-5910.19.2.78 · Cited by 63
Suicide and religiosity—Masaryk’s theory revisited
Clarke, C., Bannon, F. J., & Denihan, A. (2003) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-003-0668-6 · Cited by 50
Anger, suicidal ideation, and attempted suicide: A prospective study
Goldney, R. D., Winefield, A. H., Saebel, J., Winefield, H. R., & Tiggeman, M. (1997) · Comprehensive Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s0010-440x(97)90058-4 · Cited by 49
Cerebrospinal fluid amine metabolites and cyclic nucleotides in human aggression [proceedings].
Gl, B., Fk, G., Jc, B., & Goyer, P. F. (1981) · PubMed · Cited by 47
Impact of Treatment Accessibility on Clinical Course of Parasuicidal Patients
Hoffman, R. E. (1993) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1993.01820140083010 · Cited by 46
Religiosity and Self‐Destructive Crises in the Institutionalized Elderly
Nelson, F. L. (1977) · Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior · doi:10.1111/j.1943-278x.1977.tb00419.x · Cited by 38
Impact of Treatment Accessibility on Clinical Course of Parasuicidal Patients-Reply
Heard, H. L. (1993) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1993.01820140083011 · Cited by 24
Intrinsic Religiosity and Aggression in a Sample of Intercollegiate Athletes
Storch, E. A., & Storch, J. B. (2002) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.2466/pr0.2002.91.3f.1041 · Cited by 20
RELIGIOUS PSYCHIATRY: THE CANADIAN EXPERIENCE
Baetz, M., Larson, D. B., Marcoux, G., Jokic, R., & Bowen, R. (2002) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/00005053-200208000-00012 · Cited by 16
Religion and Attempted Suicide
Morphew, J. A. (1968) · International Journal of Social Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/002076406801400303 · Cited by 12
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Nock, M. K., Borges, G., Bromet, E. J., Cha, C. B., Kessler, R. C., & Lee, S. (2008) · Epidemiologic Reviews · doi:10.1093/epirev/mxn002 · Cited by 2,897
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
Sareen, J., Cox, B. J., Afifi, T. O., de Graaf, R., Asmundson, G. J. G., ten Have, M., & Stein, M. B. (2005) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.11.1249 · Cited by 824
Religiousness and mental health: a review
Moreira-Almeida, A., Lotufo Neto, F., & Koenig, H. G. (2006) · Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria · doi:10.1590/s1516-44462006005000006 · Cited by 835
Skegg, K. (2005) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(05)67600-3 · Cited by 690
Metadata
- Authors
- Dervic, K., Oquendo, M. A., Grunebaum, M. F., Ellis, S., Burke, A. K., & Mann, J. J.
- Affiliations
- New York State Psychiatric Institute (US)
- Venue
- American Journal of Psychiatry
- Published
- 2004-12-01
- Volume
- 161
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 2303-2308
- ISSN
- 0002-953X (ISSN-L)
- 1535-7228
- OpenAlex
- W2107327700
- Cited by
- 449
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 29 · 2015: 32 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 21
- FWCI
- 13.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH 62185, MH48514, R01MH040695, R01MH048514, MH 40695, P50MH062185)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
- Keywords
- religious affiliation, suicide attempts, depression, suicide prevention, aggression, impulsivity, substance use disorders, family history of suicide, reasons for living
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aggression, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Hospitalization, Humans, Male, Morals, Religion, Suicide, Attempted, Logistic Models
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