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Mental Health and Religion

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Mental Health and Religion
Mental Health and Religion
· Abstract
The aim of this investigation was to study the relationship between good mental health and religion. To study a group of participants I designed a questionnaire, which used a likert scale, and the data collected was analysed using a program on SPSS.

The data collected had a significant negative correlation, so the results were similar to those from other studies examining religion and its relationship with mental health. In general the individuals who considered themselves religious had a more optimistic view on life.

· Introduction.

The aim of this investigation is to explore whether there is a significant relationship between religion and an individuals general mental health. There has been evidence to support both sides of the argument.

Some studies have found that individuals may use religion as an ‘emotional crutch ' during times of emotional distress. Individuals studies that often suffered from depression found praying less helpful than those who rarely felt depressed. This seems to suggest that active most probably turn to prayer to help them, and it is said that people who pray frequently are apparently less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, according to some studies.

There have been a number of studies, old and new which focus on the relationship between mental health and religion - with conflicting results.

A study by psychologists from Sheffield University aimed to distinguish what aspects of religious are particularly likely to influence an individuals mental well-being. They found that personal prayer was much more likely to have a positive effect than going to church for social reasons, this was attributed to the individual gaining mental reassurance from the prayer itself. They studied 474 men and women aged between 18 and 29, and measured 1) Their reasons for having a religious belief (E.g., parental influence, particular event in life etc.) 2) The frequency with which



References: Mental Health and Religion (online). (2005) Oxford press. Fontana, David. Psychology, Religion and Spirituality. (2003) . Oxford: Blackwell. Mental health, religion and culture (online)

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