An Evidence-based Review on Religiosity in Psychiatry

Abstract

Objective: Religiosity and/or spirituality (R/S) has a deep impact on human psyche. This review describes the evidence on R/S on mental health. 72.1% if the studies find a positive relationship between R/S and better mental health, 18.6% find mixed (positive and negative) results, and 4.7% reported a negative association. All studies on dementia, suicide and stress-related disorders found a positive association, as well as 79% and 67% of the papers on depression and substance abuse, respectively. There is growing evidence today that R/S is correlated with better mental health in the areas of depression, substance abuse, and suicide; insufficient evidence in neurosis and dementia; poor evidence in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and no evidence in many other mental disorders.