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Research on Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health: A Review
Open accessAbstract
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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“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)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“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
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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]
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“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)
In the citing paper
“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]
In the citing paper
“Thus, religious beliefs may provide a sense of meaning and purpose during difficult life circumstances 112.”
From Resilience in mental health: linking psychological and neurobiological perspectives. (2013) · cites this paper as [112]
In the citing paper
“One of them is that religion and spirituality may stimulate a sense of life purpose 112, 115”
From Resilience in mental health: linking psychological and neurobiological perspectives. (2013) · cites this paper as [112]
In the citing paper
“Some authors33,34 attribute this finding to the influence of psychological theories, such as Sigmund Freud's35 psychoanalysis, which is known to have pathologized religious behavior.”
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 [34]
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 [3]
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Closeness and Control: Exploring the Relationship Between Prayer and Mental Health
Jeppsen, B. D., Pössel, P., Black, S. W., Bjerg, A. C., & Wooldridge, D. T. (2015) · Counseling and Values · doi:10.1002/cvj.12012 · Cited by 26
“…between Prayer and Mental Health The diverse effects of religiousness on mental health have been well documented (Bonelli & Koenig, 2013; Koenig, 1998; 2009), and incorporation of religious and spiritual issues has been described as an imperative part of culturally competent counseling…”
BackgroundAmadi, K. U., Uwakwe, R., Ndukuba, A. C., Odinka, P. C., Igwe, M. N., Obayi, N. K., & Ezeme, M. S. (2016) · African Health Sciences · doi:10.4314/ahs.v16i2.18 · Cited by 26
Religious and Spiritual Factors in Depression
Vasegh, S., Rosmarin, D. H., Koenig, H. G., Dew, R. E., & Bonelli, R. M. (2012) · Depression Research and Treatment · doi:10.1155/2012/298056 · Cited by 27
Self-citationA religion of wellbeing? The appeal of Buddhism to men in London, United Kingdom.
Lomas, T., Cartwright, T., Edginton, T. L., & Ridge, D. (2014) · Psychology of Religion and Spirituality · doi:10.1037/a0036420 · Cited by 26
Spiritual Factors Predict State and Trait Anxiety
Steiner, L. M., Zaske, S., Durand, S., Molloy, M., & Arteta, R. (2016) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-016-0293-9 · Cited by 24
“However, throughout the Western and Eastern history, the word spiritual evolved to include both individuals who are religious and non-religious, encompassing an array of beliefs, lifestyles, and faiths (Koenig 2009).”
BackgroundInfluentialSaunders, D., Svob, C., Pan, L.-F., Abraham, E., Posner, J., Weissman, M., & Wickramaratne, P. (2021) · Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/nmd.0000000000001306 · Cited by 7
“Religion involves beliefs, practices, and rituals that associate with God and/or ultimate truth or reality (Koenig, 2009; Saucier and Skrzypińska, 2006).”
BackgroundInfluentialCoping in the Time of COVID-19: Buffering Stressors With Coping Strategies
Okafor, C. N., Bautista, K. J., Asare, M., & Opara, I. (2021) · Journal of Loss and Trauma · doi:10.1080/15325024.2021.1914987 · Cited by 28
Azia, I. N., Nyembezi, A., Carelse, S., & Mukumbang, F. C. (2023) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-023-16616-5 · Cited by 25
“Koenig [61] found a positive association between positive religious coping and adherence to ART and suggested that positive coping may be linked to improved attendance to scheduled medical appointments and better compliance with ART.”
BackgroundReligious and/or Spiritual Practices: Extending Spiritual Freedom to People with Schizophrenia
Smith, S. M. R., & Suto, M. (2012) · Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy · doi:10.2182/cjot.2012.79.2.3 · Cited by 25
“In contrast, other research findings have shown spirituality to be counterproductive for people with psychosis, potentially causing unnecessary existential turmoil (Fallot, 2008; Koenig, 2009; Mohr et al., 2006).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialThe Sport Chaplain's Role in the Holistic Care Model for Collegiate Athletes in the United States
Waller, S. N., Huffman, L. T., & Hardin, R. L. (2016) · Practical Theology · doi:10.1080/1756073x.2016.1221642 · Cited by 25
“, 2010), greater well-being, greater happiness, greater life satisfaction, greater hope, greater optimism, greater purpose and meaning in life, greater satisfaction with relationships, greater self-esteem, greater social support, faster recovery from depression, less loneliness, less depression, less anxiety, less alc…”
BackgroundA Little Help from My Friends: Social Support in Palliative Rehabilitation
Rutkowski, N. A., Lebel, S., Richardson, K., Mutsaers, B., Chasen, M. R., & Feldstain, A. (2018) · Current Oncology · doi:10.3747/co.25.4050 · Cited by 28
Religiosity and Meditation Practice: Exploring Their Explanatory Power on Psychological Adjustment
Montero‐Marín, J., Pérez-Yus, M. C., Cebolla, A., Soler, J., Demarzo, M., & García‐Campayo, J. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00630 · Cited by 29
“Religious beliefs could benefit mental health by providing a sense of meaning and purpose (Koenig, 2009; Weber and Pargament, 2014).”
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Schumann, M., Kajikhina, K., Polizzi, A., Sarma, N., Hoebel, J., Bug, M., Bartig, S., Lampert, T., & Hövener, C. (2019) · PubMed Central · doi:10.25646/6075 · Cited by 27
Review of the Effect of Religion on Anxiety
Stewart William, C., Wetselaar Megan, J., Nelson Lindsay, A., & Stewart Jeanette, A. (2019) · International Journal of Depression and Anxiety · doi:10.23937/2643-4059/1710016 · Cited by 24
Na, K., Oh, S.-J., Jung, H., Lee, S. I., Kim, Y., Han, C., Ko, Y., Paik, J., & Kim, S. G. (2012) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2012.08.027 · Cited by 27
“Spiritual and religious involvement is also associated with better coping skills and less risk of suicide and psychiatric illnesses (Koenig, 2009).”
BackgroundTesting the fading affect bias for healthy coping in the context of death
Gibbons, J. A., Fehr, A. M. A., Brantley, J. C., Wilson, K. J., Lee, S. A., & Walker, W. R. (2016) · Death Studies · doi:10.1080/07481187.2016.1186760 · Cited by 27
“These practices make sense as religion is positively correlated with wellbeing (Elliot & Hayward, 2007), life satisfaction and happiness (Ellison, 1991), as well as self-esteem and optimism (Steger & Frazier, 2005), and mental health (Koenig, 2009).”
BackgroundReligion and Spirituality: Can It Adversely Affect Mental Health Treatment?
Reeves, R. R., Beazley, A. R., & Adams, C. E. (2011) · Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services · doi:10.3928/02793695-20110503-05 · Cited by 26
El‐Majzoub, S., Narasiah, L., Adrien, A., Kaiser, D., & Rousseau, C. (2021) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-021-01434-z · Cited by 23
“On a community level, collective religious practices play an important role in fostering connectedness and community resilience (Koenig, 2009; Sheikhi et al., 2020).”
BackgroundWhy do we pick similar mates, or do we?
Versluys, T. M. M., Mas-Sandoval, À., Flintham, E. O., & Savolainen, V. (2021) · Biology Letters · doi:10.1098/rsbl.2021.0463 · Cited by 22
Children’s spirituality: epistemology and theory from various helping professions
Boynton, H. M. (2011) · International Journal of Children s Spirituality · doi:10.1080/1364436x.2011.580727 · Cited by 23
“Spirituality appears to be connected to our development, mental health, and wellbeing (Koenig 2009; Miller and Kelley 2006; Pendelton et al. 2002).”
BackgroundBasiński, A., Stefaniak, T., Stadnyk, M., Sheikh, A., & Vingerhoets, A. J. J. M. (2011) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-011-9454-z · Cited by 23
“Spirituality is a very individual experience, whereas religion entails a sharing of beliefs and rituals with community (King and Koenig 2009).”
BackgroundKralovec, K., Kunrath, S., Fartacek, C., Pichler, E. M., & Plöderl, M. (2017) · Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior · doi:10.1111/sltb.12349 · Cited by 23
“With respect to the motivational component of suicide, numerous previous studies have reported an inverse relation between religion and suicide ideation (Colucci & Martin, 2008) or depression (Koenig, 2009; McCullough & Larson, 1999; Moreira-Almeida et al., 2006; Smith, McCullough, & Poll, 2003).”
Morawa, E., & Erim, Y. (2018) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph15112545 · Cited by 20
“Religion is a complex and multidimensional construct that is generally associated with specific beliefs, practices, and rituals that are related to a sacred or transcendent (God, higher power, or ultimate truth/reality) and take place within a community but can also be practiced in private [10].”
BackgroundThe role of spirituality in specialist psychiatry: A review of the medical literature
van Rensburg, A. J., Myburgh, C., Szabo, C., & Poggenpoel, M. (2013) · African Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.4314/ajpsy.v16i4.33 · Cited by 20
Chow, M. I. S. P., Hashim, A. H., & Ng, C. G. (2020) · International Journal of Social Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/0020764020957362 · Cited by 22
“Viladrich and Abraído-Lanza (2009), Koenig (2009) and Campbell et al. (2007) are among researchers who believed in the positive influence of religiosity on one’s physical and psychological health.”
Backgroundvan der Tempel, J., & Moodley, R. (2020) · Mental Health Religion & Culture · doi:10.1080/13674676.2020.1823349 · Cited by 22
BAKIR, N., Vural, P. İ., & Demir, C. (2021) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-021-01391-7 · Cited by 22
“It has been stated in the literature that individuals with low religiosity and spirituality are depressed, have higher level of anxiety, and experience worse quality of life and psychiatric consequences (Bonelli, 2013; Koenig, 2007, 2009; Lucchetti et al., 2012; Piccinini et al., 2021).”
BackgroundStratton, S. P., Dean, J. B., Yarhouse, M. A., & Lastoria, M. D. (2013) · Journal of Psychology and Theology · doi:10.1177/009164711304100101 · Cited by 22
Nakao, M., & Ohara, C. (2012) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-012-9586-9 · Cited by 22
“Religion usually includes specific beliefs rooted in an established tradition that arises in the context of a group of people holding common beliefs about life after death and the rules of conduct that should guide social behavior (Koenig 2009).”
BackgroundCurrent Status of Spirituality in Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs
Nadarajah, S., Berger, A. M., & Thomas, S. A. (2013) · Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention · doi:10.1097/hcr.0b013e318291381e · Cited by 22
Christian Identification and Self‐Reported Depression: Evidence from China
Hu, A., Yang, X. Y., & Luo, W. (2017) · Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion · doi:10.1111/jssr.12482 · Cited by 23
Depressive Symptoms in Newly Diagnosed Lung Carcinoma: Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors
Shahedah, K., How, S., Jamalludin, A., Faiz, M. T. M., Kuan, Y., & Ong, C. (2018) · Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases · doi:10.4046/trd.2018.0048 · Cited by 16
Lipira, L. E., Williams, E. C., Nevin, P. E., Kemp, C. G., Cohn, S. E., Turan, J. M., Simoni, J. M., Andrasik, M. P., French, A. L., Unger, J. M., et al. (2019) · JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes · doi:10.1097/qai.0000000000002006 · Cited by 22
Towards a cross-cultural lexical map of wellbeing
Lomas, T. (2020) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2020.1791944 · Cited by 28
Vaingankar, J. A., Abdin, E., Chong, S. A., Sambasivam, R., Jeyagurunathan, A., Seow, E., Picco, L., Pang, S., Lim, S. L. ‐., & Subramaniam, M. (2016) · Health and Quality of Life Outcomes · doi:10.1186/s12955-016-0424-8 · Cited by 22
“Spiritual/religious practices have also been linked to hysteria, neurosis, and psychotic delusions in the past and, therefore, further research on its relationship with health outcomes is needed to establish the role of spirituality as a ‘resource or a liability’ in patients with mental illnesses, particularly schizop…”
BackgroundOn the Importance of Mental Health in STEM
Pester, C. W., Noh, G. A., & Fu, A. (2023) · ACS Polymers Au · doi:10.1021/acspolymersau.2c00062 · Cited by 26
Religion and Spirituality as Important Components of Men’s Health and Wellness
Garfield, C. F., Isacco, A. J., & Sahker, E. (2012) · American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine · doi:10.1177/1559827612444530 · Cited by 20
“In 2 recent prominent reviews of the literature, religion and spirituality were found to be associated with both mental health (eg, fewer completed suicides, increased coping with stress, fewer depressive symptoms) and physical health (eg, lower risk of cardiovascular disease, improved recovery from acute care) outcom…”
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Religious Barriers to Mental Healthcare
Ayvaci, E. R. (2016) · American Journal of Psychiatry Residents Journal · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp-rj.2016.110706 · Cited by 21
Emerging Transitions in the Meaning of Religious Constructs: The Case of the Philippines
Baring, R. V. (2018) · Religions · doi:10.3390/rel9120387 · Cited by 24
“A single construct is also seen as a better option (Koenig 2009) since it is difficult to treat Spirituality and Religiosity as differentiated constructs for assessment.”
BackgroundSpirituality in Psychiatric Nursing: A Concept Analysis
Clark, M., & Emerson, A. (2020) · Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association · doi:10.1177/1078390320902834 · Cited by 21
“Authors saw connectedness as that element of spirituality that eased feelings of loneliness and isolation in times of crisis (Koenig, 2009).”
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Rogers, E. B., Stanford, M. S., & Garland, D. R. (2011) · Mental Health Religion & Culture · doi:10.1080/13674676.2011.573474 · Cited by 21
“Religious involvement has been related to a host of positive health outcomes, including ‘‘better coping with stress and less depression, suicide, anxiety, and substance abuse’’ (Koenig, 2009, p. 289; see also Hackney & Sanders, 2003).”
BackgroundHealth-Related Coping Behaviors and Mental Health in Military Personnel
Morgan, J. K., Hourani, L. L., & Tueller, S. (2017) · Military Medicine · doi:10.7205/milmed-d-16-00165 · Cited by 21
Gutierrez, I. A., Park, C. L., & Wright, B. R. E. (2017) · Psychology of Religion and Spirituality · doi:10.1037/rel0000119 · Cited by 24
Pakpour, A. H., Plante, T. G., Saffari, M., & Fridlund, B. (2014) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-014-9856-9 · Cited by 21
“2005) and that both mental and physical health are positively impacted by religious beliefs (Aukst-Margetic and Margetic 2005; Cohen et al. 2010; Coruh et al. 2005; Koenig 2009).”
BackgroundA Critical Comprehensive Review of Religiosity and Anxiety Disorders in Adults
Khalaf, D. R., Hebborn, L. F., Dal, S., & Naja, W. (2014) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-014-9981-5 · Cited by 33
“…considered anxiety as a specific clinical disorder and have presented mixed results:While themajority demonstrated a positive, protective effect (Koenig 2009;Kroll and Sheehan 1989; Robinson et al. 2012), some have indicated a negative risk factor relationship (Park et al. 2012; Pearce et al.…”
ResultSøberg, A. I. B., Haug, S. H. K., Danbolt, L. J., Lien, L., & Sørensen, T. (2018) · Mental Health Religion & Culture · doi:10.1080/13674676.2018.1524860 · Cited by 20
“The present study appears to strengthen this outlook in its consideration of HCPs practices in relation to these themes (Koenig, 2009; Rasic et al., 2011a, 2011b).”
BackgroundReligion, Morality, Ethics, and Problematic Pornography Use
Mestre‐Bach, G., Blycker, G. R., Actis, C. C., Brand, M., & Potenza, M. N. (2021) · Current Addiction Reports · doi:10.1007/s40429-021-00388-2 · Cited by 25
Moleiro, C., Pinto, N., & Freire, J. (2013) · Journal of Religion Spirituality & Aging · doi:10.1080/15528030.2012.741561 · Cited by 20
“…and stronger social support systems and coping strategies when dealing with stress and illness, including terminal illness (Averson, 2006; Beit-Hallahmi & Argyle, 1997; Corey, 2006; Corrêa et al., 2010; Curlin et al., 2007; Hill et al., 2000; Koenig, 2004, 2009; Mueller et al., 2001; Nelson, 2009).”
BackgroundExploring the acceptance of religious assistance among patients of a psychiatric hospital
Lucchetti, G., Braguetta, C. C., Vallada, C. P., & Vallada, H. (2012) · International Journal of Social Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/0020764011433628 · Cited by 20
“Studies have shown that religiosity is associated with lower prevalence of depression and suicide (MoreiraAlmeida, Neto, & Koenig, 2006), better coping with chronic illnesses, higher indicators of psychological wellbeing and lower rates of substance abuse (Koenig, 2009; Lucchetti, Granero Lucchetti et al., 2011).”
BackgroundBaldacchino, D., Borg, J., Muscat, C., & Delia, C. S. (2012) · Western Journal of Nursing Research · doi:10.1177/0193945912441265 · Cited by 20
“The existing research on spiritual coping that includes religiosity is scarce both in Malta and internationally (Koenig, 2009).”
BackgroundWilcox, C. E., Pearson, M. R., & Tonigan, J. S. (2015) · Psychology of Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1037/adb0000053 · Cited by 20
“…may work at least as well as (Hook, Worthington Jr., Davis, Jennings II, Gartner, & Hood, 2010) or better than standard therapies for depression (Koenig, 2009), findings from work integrating therapeutic strategies to increase spirT hi s do cu m en t is co py ri gh te d by th e A m er ic an…”
InfluentialWilks, S. E., Spurlock, W. R., Brown, S. C., Teegen, B. C., & Geiger, J. R. (2018) · Geriatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2018.05.002 · Cited by 20
Espiritualidad, religiosidad y síntomas depresivos en personas mayores del norte de Chile
Gallardo-Peralta, L. P., & Sánchez-Moreno, E. (2020) · Terapia psicológica · doi:10.4067/s0718-48082020000200169 · Cited by 29
Abdel‐Khalek, A. M., & Tekke, M. (2019) · DSpace - Düzce (Duzce University) · Cited by 20
A Spirituality Teaching Program for Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Rickhi, B., Moritz, S., Reesal, R. T., Xu, T. J., Paccagnan, P., Urbanska, B., Liu, M. F., Ewing, H., Toews, J., Gordon, J. S., et al. (2011) · The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine · doi:10.2190/pm.42.3.f · Cited by 20
“It has been hypothesized that religion/spirituality acts as a coping resource in distressing life situations including illness and loss and may address the struggles of depressed patients of feeling separated from their surrounding world, as well as from their inner self [4, 6].”
BackgroundBest professional practices when approaching religiosity/spirituality in psychotherapy in Brazil
Cunha, V. F. D., & Scorsolini‐Comin, F. (2019) · Counselling and Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1002/capr.12241 · Cited by 19
Vizeshfar, F., & Jaberi, A. (2017) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-017-0411-3 · Cited by 19
“Some other studies have also revealed a negative relationship between pain and religious beliefs (NORA) and practices (ORA) in different patients (Büssing et al. 2009; Koenig 2009).”
BackgroundDesmet, L., Dezutter, J., Vandenhoeck, A., & Dillen, A. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19073835 · Cited by 19
“Religious coping can function as an established coping style in religious people and can play a role in the way people reappraise illness, loss, suffering, and adverse moments in life [7,8].”
BackgroundInterventions using the Qur’an to promote mental health: a systematic scoping review
Owens, J., Rassool, G. H., Bernstein, J., Latif, S., & Aboul-Enein, B. H. (2023) · Journal of Mental Health · doi:10.1080/09638237.2023.2232449 · Cited by 41
“In the wider evidence base, social support, although it is a multi-dimensional construct, is a protective factor for mental health and religious social support is associated with lower levels of stress, depression and anxiety (Gariépy et al., 2016; Holt et al., 2017; Koenig, 2009).”
BackgroundEspiritualidade e religião como protetores ao uso de drogas em adolescente
Felipe, A. O. B., Carvalho, A. M. P., & Andrade, C. U. B. (2015) · SMAD Revista Eletrônica Saúde Mental Álcool e Drogas (Edição em Português) · doi:10.11606/issn.1806-6976.v11i1p49-58 · Cited by 20
Primary care physicians’ and psychiatrists’ approaches to treating mild depression
Lawrence, R. E., Rasinski, K. A., Yoon, J. D., Meador, K. G., Koenig, H. G., & Curlin, F. A. (2012) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.2012.01887.x · Cited by 18
Self-citationStein, E., Kolidas, E., & Moadel, A. (2013) · Palliative & Supportive Care · doi:10.1017/s1478951513000217 · Cited by 20
“Religion and spirituality can also promote a sense of optimism and control, and often provide a community for support (Koenig, 2009).”
BackgroundProtective faith? The role of religiosity in the stressor-strain relationship in helping professions
Weiß, E.-E., & Süß, S. (2017) · The International Journal of Human Resource Management · doi:10.1080/09585192.2017.1325387 · Cited by 19
“Religiosity refers to ‘beliefs, practices, and rituals related to the sacred (…) rooted in an established tradition that arises out of a group of people with common beliefs and practices concerning the sacred’ (Koenig, 2009, p. 284).”
BackgroundMethodPublic attitudes towards psychiatrists in the metropolitan area of Hanoi, Vietnam
Ta, T. M. T., Böge, K., Cao, T. D., Schomerus, G., Nguyen, T. D., Dettling, M., Mungee, A., Martensen, L. K., Diefenbacher, A., Angermeyer, M. C., et al. (2017) · Asian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2017.11.031 · Cited by 19
An ethnographic study of schizophrenia in Zimbabwe: The role of culture, faith, and religion
Chidarikire, S., Cross, M., Skinner, I., & Cleary, M. L. (2018) · Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health · doi:10.1080/19349637.2018.1531366 · Cited by 23
“Perceptions of the benefits of faith, religion, and spirituality as sources of hope and strength parallel the findings others (Koenig, 2009; Mandizadza & Chidarikire, 2016; Weber & Pargament, 2014).”
BackgroundResultReligiosity and Spirituality in the Stages of Recovery From Persistent Mental Disorders
Galdós, J. S., Chen-Chen, X., & Mills, P. J. (2020) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/nmd.0000000000001271 · Cited by 19
Religious Conversion and Treatment Outcome
Chu, D. C., Sung, H., & Hsiao, G. Y. (2012) · Journal of Drug Issues · doi:10.1177/0022042612446584 · Cited by 19
Levin, J. (2013) · Religions · doi:10.3390/rel4040469 · Cited by 19
Altun, Ö. Ş., Karakaş, S. A., Olçun, Z., & Polat, H. (2017) · Archives of Psychiatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2017.09.015 · Cited by 19
“In addition, studies have reported that high levels of religious faith are related to low levels of depression, anxiety and suicide incidence in patients with mental disorders (Koenig, 2009).”
BackgroundInfluentialPinto, M. C. M. (2018) · Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (Universidade de São Paulo) · doi:10.11606/t.5.2018.tde-12062018-134048 · Cited by 20
De Souza Marcovski, F. C., & Miller, L. J. (2023) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-021-02546-1 · Cited by 18
“Religious/Spiritual Importance A single item, four-point Likert scale, is the most widely used measure over the past thirty years of research on spirituality and religion (Koenig, 2009, 2010).”
MethodGedecho, E. K., & Kim, S. (2024) · Tourism Management Perspectives · doi:10.1016/j.tmp.2024.101289 · Cited by 18
Rudaz, M., Ledermann, T., & Grzywacz, J. G. (2020) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-020-00986-w · Cited by 18
“2007; Engelkemeyer and Marwit 2008; Mathews and Servaty-Seib 2007), and that spirituality or religiousness may facilitate personal growth (Hill and Pargament 2003; Koenig 2009; Matthews and Marwit 2006; Michael et al.”
BackgroundRaymond‐Flesch, M., Browne, E. N., Auerswald, C. L., & Minnis, A. M. (2021) · American Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/ajcp.12499 · Cited by 19
“In the wider literature religious beliefs and participation in religious activities are being examined with increasing frequency as potential protective factors for wellbeing and mental health (Koenig, 2009).”
BackgroundThe Role of Spirituality during Suicide Bereavement: A Qualitative Study
Čepulienė, A. A., & Skruibis, P. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19148740 · Cited by 20
“Earlier viewed as a deep religiosity [9], today spirituality can be seen as not connected to religiosity [10,11] or connected to religiosity by being a part of it [12,13].”
BackgroundCho, J., Kang, D., Kim, I. R., Kim, W. S., FERRELL, B. R., & Kim, S. J. (2017) · Cancer Research and Treatment · doi:10.4143/crt.2017.091 · Cited by 18
Rainville, G. (2017) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-017-0494-x · Cited by 20
Malviya, S., Meredith, P., Zupan, B., & Kerley, L. (2022) · Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health · doi:10.1080/19349637.2021.2010631 · Cited by 18
“The studies included in these reviews investigated R/S practices related to education and/or cultivation of positive virtues such as forgiveness and gratitude (Bonelli & Koenig, 2013; Cotton et al., 2006; Gonçalves et al., 2015; Koenig, 2009; Ross et al., , 2015).”
BackgroundSuicidal ideation, affective lability, and religion in depressed adults
Baetz, M., & Bowen, R. (2010) · Mental Health Religion & Culture · doi:10.1080/13674676.2010.504202 · Cited by 18
“(Refer to Koenig, 2009 for a complete discussion).”
BackgroundMethodBearing the Burden: Deployment Stress Among Army National Guard Chaplains
Besterman‐Dahan, K., Barnett, S. D., Hickling, E. J., Elnitsky, C., Lind, J. D., Skvoretz, J. V., & Antinori, N. (2012) · Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy · doi:10.1080/08854726.2012.723538 · Cited by 19
“Worldwide, including in the United States, religion is used as a means of coping (Koenig, 2009).”
BackgroundService Utilization for Mental Problems in a Metropolitan Migrant Population in China
Wei, Z., Hu, C., Wei, X., Yang, H., Shu, M., & Liu, T. (2013) · Psychiatric Services · doi:10.1176/appi.ps.201200304 · Cited by 18
Resilience and suicide ideation: Coping mediator-moderator effects among adolescent learners
George, A. A., & Moolman, R. (2017) · Journal of Psychology in Africa · doi:10.1080/14330237.2017.1375214 · Cited by 18
“…models in sacred writings that facilitate acceptance of suffering; (iii) giving people a sense of indirect control over circumstances, reducing the need for personal control; and (iv) offering a community of support, both human and divine, to help reduce isolation and loneliness (Koenig, 2009) .”
BackgroundDubey, M. J., Ghosh, R., Das, G., Roy, D., Das, S., Chakraborty, A. P., Chatterjee, S., Dubey, S., & Benito‐León, J. (2024) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-024-02090-9 · Cited by 22
“Koenig et al. (2009) have observed that religious beliefs and practices have historically been associated with various psychological conditions, including hysteria, neurosis, and psychotic delusions.”
Jordan, G., MALLA, A. K., & Iyer, S. N. (2020) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-020-02693-y · Cited by 18
Belief in God and Psychological Distress: Is It the Belief or Certainty of the Belief?
Magin, Z. E., David, A. B., Carney, L. M., Park, C. L., Gutierrez, I. A., & George, L. S. (2021) · Religions · doi:10.3390/rel12090757 · Cited by 20
How religious and spiritual beliefs explain prolonged grief disorder symptoms
Christian, K. M., Aoun, S. M., & Breen, L. J. (2018) · Death Studies · doi:10.1080/07481187.2018.1469054 · Cited by 19
“Religions typically have a set of predetermined beliefs that an individual adopts whereas spirituality may involve individuals constructing their own beliefs (Koenig, 2009).”
BackgroundBentur, N., Resnitzky, S., & Sterne, A. (2010) · Health Policy · doi:10.1016/j.healthpol.2009.12.006 · Cited by 17
Islamic Religiosity, Depression and Anxiety among Muslim Cancer Patients
Basri, N. A., Hong, G. C., Ng, A. L. O., & Kumagai, S. (2015) · IAFOR Journal of Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.22492/ijpbs.1.1.04 · Cited by 20
“Studies have also indicated the significance of religiosity and spirituality in positively influencing the psychological health of cancer patients (Alferi, Culver, Carver, Arena, & Antoni, 1999; Bowie, Curbow, Laveist, Fitzgerald, & Pargament, 2001; Koenig, 2008; McCoubrie & Davies, 2006; Lue, Huang, & Chan, 2008; Yan…”
BackgroundMind-Body Therapies in Childhood Cancer
Flórez, G. E. V., Vélez-Flórez, M. C., Mantilla-Rivas, J. O., Patarroyo-Rodríguez, L., Borrero, R., & Rodríguez-León, S. (2018) · Current Psychiatry Reports · doi:10.1007/s11920-018-0927-6 · Cited by 17
Park, C. L., Sacco, S. J., & Mills, M. A. (2018) · Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice and Policy · doi:10.1037/tra0000426 · Cited by 17
Narayanan, S., Milbury, K., Wagner, R., & Cohen, L. (2020) · Journal of Pain and Symptom Management · doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.04.029 · Cited by 17
“(1, 2) In the United States, over 70% of the population endorses having a religious belief and 50% indicate that religion is a very important aspect of their lives.”
BackgroundWesthead, M., & Georgiades, A. (2025) · Early Intervention in Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/eip.70061 · Cited by 26
Alvarado-Díaz, E., & Pagán-Torres, O. M. (2021) · Revista Caribeña de Psicología · doi:10.37226/rcp.v5i1.5007 · Cited by 19
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
“Religion has been an important facet of cultural life in global Black diasporic communities before chattel slavery (Boyd-Franklin, 2010), and historically, mental health and wellbeing were closely aligned with religion and spiritual - ity (Koenig, 2009 ).”
Husain, W., Ijaz, F., Husain, M. A., Zulfiqar, M., & Khalique, J. (2024) · OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.21926/obm.icm.2401011 · Cited by 17
Çınaroğlu, M. (2024) · Eskiyeni (Online)/Eskiyeni · doi:10.37697/eskiyeni.1410050 · Cited by 16
Spirituality and spiritual care in in the context of nursing education in South Africa
Chandramohan, S., & Bhagwan, R. (2015) · Curationis · doi:10.4102/curationis.v38i1.1471 · Cited by 16
“1481 Introduction Background Research on health, well-being and spirituality has grown in the Western context, with studies showing that spirituality is an important part of a patient’s life when confronted with illness (Koenig 2009:283).”
BackgroundFrancis, W., & Bance, L. O. (2016) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-016-0296-6 · Cited by 16
Myths and Superstition about Epilepsy: A Study from North India
Singh, S., Mishra, V. N., Rai, A., Singh, R. K., & Chaurasia, R. N. (2018) · Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice · doi:10.4103/jnrp.jnrp_63_18 · Cited by 16
Metadata
- 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
- 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
- bronze
- doi.org
- 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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