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Cited by 1,442Religion, Spirituality, and PsychologyReligion and Society InteractionsStudy and Philosophy of Religion

Research on Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health: A Review

Open access
Koenig, Harold G·2009·The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
DOI 10.1177/070674370905400502
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Abstract

Religious and spiritual factors are increasingly being examined in psychiatric research. Religious beliefs and practices have long been linked to hysteria, neurosis, and psychotic delusions. However, recent studies have identified another side of religion that may serve as a psychological and social resource for coping with stress. After defining the terms religion and spirituality, this paper reviews research on the relation between religion and (or) spirituality, and mental health, focusing on depression, suicide, anxiety, psychosis, and substance abuse. The results of an earlier systematic review are discussed, and more recent studies in the United States, Canada, Europe, and other countries are described. While religious beliefs and practices can represent powerful sources of comfort, hope, and meaning, they are often intricately entangled with neurotic and psychotic disorders, sometimes making it difficult to determine whether they are a resource or a liability.

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Crossref · 10.1177/070674370905400502

Cites

76 of 76 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Spirituality serves to comfort people, assuage anxiety, increase feelings of security, and boost confidence in oneself and/or in Divine beings.

    “Spirituality serves to comfort people, assuage anxiety, and increase feelings of security, also boosting confidence in oneself and/or in what Harold G. Koenig (2009) calls “Divine beings”.”

    From Trauma, Spirituality, and Healing: A Journey through the Lens of an Incarcerated Person (2022) · cites this paper as Koenig (2009)

    The Anxiety section says religious beliefs and practices can comfort anxious people, increase security, and boost self-confidence or confidence in Divine beings. The citing sentence presents these possible effects as general effects of spirituality, whereas the paper’s Definitions section cautions that spirituality is a broader, poorly defined term. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Spirituality predicts psychological well-being for adults who have experienced childhood trauma, leading to less depression, suicide, anxiety, and substance abuse.

    “In extant literature, spirituality is shown to predict psychological well-being for adults who have experienced childhood trauma (Balgobin 2021), leading to less depression, suicide, anxiety, and substance abuse (Koenig 2009).”

    From Trauma, Spirituality, and Healing: A Journey through the Lens of an Incarcerated Person (2022) · cites this paper as Koenig 2009

    The Summary and Conclusions passage says religious involvement is related to less depression, suicide, anxiety, and substance abuse, supporting the four outcomes attributed to Koenig. It reports an association with religious involvement, however, not that spirituality causes those outcomes. The childhood-trauma finding is cited to Balgobin, not Koenig. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The research literature on religiosity and mental health offers two entangled empirical narratives: some studies suggest religious beliefs can buffer against stress and hopelessness, while other studies indicate a link between religious beliefs and psychotic and neurotic disorders.

    “The research literature on religiosity and mental health offers two entangled empirical narratives: some studies suggest that religious beliefs can present a psychological buffer against stress and hopelessness; other studies, however, indicate an intricate link between religious beliefs and psychotic and neurotic disorders [54–56].”

    From Unpleasant meditation-related experiences in regular meditators: Prevalence, predictors, and conceptual considerations (2019) · cites this paper as [55]

  • Struggles from negative spiritual coping can significantly increase anxiety, wherein people feel God is punishing them, has abandoned them, or is not able to intercede on their behalf.

    “As we see through Joseph's experience, Koenig (2009) shows that the struggles that arise from negative spiritual coping can significantly increase anxiety, wherein people feel that God is punishing them, has abandoned them, or is not able to intercede on their behalf.”

    From Trauma, Spirituality, and Healing: A Journey through the Lens of an Incarcerated Person (2022) · cites this paper as Koenig (2009)

  • Religion and spirituality seem to confer resilience.

    “Also, religion and spirituality seem to confer resilience 112, 113.”

    From Resilience in mental health: linking psychological and neurobiological perspectives. (2013) · cites this paper as [112]

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Cites

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1 of the 77 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 10

  1. Koenig HG, McCullough ME, Larson DB. A history of religion, science and medicine. In: Koenig HG, McCullough ME, Larson DB, editors. Handbook of religion and health. New York (NY): Oxford University Press; 2001. Chapter 2; p 24 -49.
  2. Koenig HG. Religious beliefs and practices of hospitalized medically ill older adults. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 1998;13:213-224.
  3. Koenig HG, McCullough ME, Larson DB. Handbook of religion and health. New York (NY): Oxford University Press; 2001. p 118-143, 216-217, 527-530.
  4. Cadell S. The sun always comes out after it rains: exploring the experience of AIDS caregivers [dissertation]. [Waterloo (ON)]: Wilfred Laurier University; 2000. Available from: Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences; 61(10-A):4177.
  5. Koenig HG, McCullough ME, Larson DB. Handbook of religion and health. New York (NY): Oxford University Press; 2001. p 136-143, 530-535.
  6. Koenig HG, McCullough ME, Larson DB. Handbook of religion and health. New York (NY): Oxford University Press; 2001. p 144-155, 536-138.
  7. Koenig HG, McCullough ME, Larson DB. Handbook of religion and health. New York (NY): Oxford University Press; 2001. p 538-539.
  8. Koenig HG, McCullough ME, Larson DB. Handbook of religion and health. New York (NY): Oxford University Press; 2001. p 539-545.
  9. White HR, McMorris BJ, Catalano RF, et al. Increases in alcohol and marijuana use during the transition out of high school into emerging adulthood. J Stud Alcohol. 2006;67:810-822.
  10. Steinman KJ, Zimmerman MA. Religious activity and risk behavior among African American adolescents. Am J Community Psychol. 2004;33:151-161.

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Authors
Koenig, H. G.
Affiliations
Duke Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
Koenig, Harold G
ORCID
Koenig, Harold G
Venue
The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2009-05
Volume
54
Issue
5
Pages
283-291
ISSN
  • 0706-7437 (ISSN-L)
  • 1497-0015
DOI
10.1177/070674370905400502
OpenAlex
W181914314
Cited by
1,442
References
77
Citations by year
2026: 53 · 2025: 88 · 2024: 100 · 2023: 90 · 2022: 100 · 2021: 122 · 2020: 153 · 2019: 85 · 2018: 101 · 2017: 75 · 2016: 83 · 2015: 70 · 2014: 73 · 2013: 81 · 2012: 76
FWCI
8.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, Duke University
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Religion and Society Interactions
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Study and Philosophy of Religion
Keywords
religion, spirituality, mental health, depression, suicide, anxiety, psychosis, substance abuse, stress coping, religious beliefs and practices, neurosis, psychotic delusions
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders, Mental Disorders, Culture, Depressive Disorder, Humans, Mental Health, Prognosis, Psychotic Disorders, Religion and Psychology, Suicide, Substance-Related Disorders, Spirituality

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