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Halstead I, Heron J, Svob C, Joinson C. Prospective relationships between patterns of religious belief/non-belief and mental health in adults: A UK cohort study. Soc Sci Med 2024; 361:117342. [PMID: 39341046 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 08/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Halstead
- The Centre for Academic Child Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK.
| | - Jon Heron
- The Centre for Academic Mental Health, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Connie Svob
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carol Joinson
- The Centre for Academic Child Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
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Coelho-Júnior HJ, Calvani R, Panza F, Allegri RF, Picca A, Marzetti E, Alves VP. Religiosity/Spirituality and Mental Health in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:877213. [PMID: 35646998 PMCID: PMC9133607 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.877213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives The present study investigated the association between religious and spiritual (RS) practices with the prevalence, severity, and incidence of mental health problems in older adults. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that investigated older adults aged 60+ years and assessed RS using valid scales and questions from valid scales, and mental health according to validated multidimensional or specific instruments. Studies were retrieved from MEDLINE, LILACS, SCOPUS, CINAHL, and AgeLine databases until July 31, 2021. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS). A pooled effect size was calculated based on the log odds ratio (OR) and Z-scores. This study is registered on PROSPERO. Results One hundred and two studies that investigated 79.918 community-dwellers, hospitalized, and institutionalized older adults were included. Results indicated that high RS was negatively associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms, while a positive association was observed with life satisfaction, meaning in life, social relations, and psychological well-being. Specifically, people with high spirituality, intrinsic religiosity, and religious affiliation had a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms. In relation to longitudinal analysis, most studies supported that high RS levels were associated with a lower incidence of depressive symptoms and fear of death, as well as better mental health status. Conclusion Findings of the present study suggest that RS are significantly associated with mental health in older adults. People with high RS levels had a lower prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as reported greater life satisfaction and psychological well-being, better social relations, and more definite meaning in life. Data provided by an increasing number of longitudinal studies have supported most of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélio José Coelho-Júnior
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Institute of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Rome, Italy
- Department of Gerontology, Catholic University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Hélio José Coelho-Júnior
| | - Riccardo Calvani
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Panza
- National Institute of Gastroenterology “Saverio de Bellis”, Research Hospital, Bari, Italy
| | - Riccardo F. Allegri
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas Fleni, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Department of Neurosciences, Universidad de la Costa (CUC), Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Anna Picca
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele Marzetti
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Institute of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Vicente Paulo Alves
- Department of Gerontology, Catholic University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
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Rajkumar RP. The Relationship Between Pre-pandemic Measures of Religiosity and Psychological Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Secondary Analysis of Data From a Multi-Country Study. Cureus 2021; 13:e20013. [PMID: 34873550 PMCID: PMC8631488 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.20013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The uncertainty and socioeconomic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have been frequently associated with negative affective responses, particularly depression and anxiety. People from countries across the globe have frequently resorted to religious coping to deal with these emotions. However, there are conflicting results in the literature about the impact of prior patterns of religious belief and practice on emotional responses to COVID-19. Methods In this cross-sectional, country-level study, the association between pre-pandemic measures of religious affiliation and practice, obtained from prior survey data and self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress across 29 countries from a recent multi-country study, were examined while correcting for potential confounders. Results There was a trend towards a positive association between pre-pandemic religious belief and practice and anxiety in response to the pandemic (r = .36, p = .057), but this was not significant on multivariate analysis (β = .08, p = .691). Cultural individualism and urbanization were negatively associated with anxiety during the pandemic. There was also preliminary evidence of a non-linear relationship between religiosity and pandemic-related anxiety. Conclusions The relationship between religiosity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely to be a direct one and can be influenced by demographic and cultural factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi P Rajkumar
- Psychiatry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, IND
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Ghosh S, Mukherjee S. The Relevance of Spirituality and Corporate Social Responsibility in Management Education: Insights from Classical Indian Wisdom. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40926-020-00141-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Jaehn P, Bobrova N, Saburova L, Kudryavtsev AV, Malyutina S, Cook S. The relation of gender role attitudes with depression and generalised anxiety disorder in two Russian cities. J Affect Disord 2020; 264:348-357. [PMID: 32056771 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reported traditional gender role attitudes (GRAs) have been related to worse mental health in western countries. This study examined the link of GRAs with symptoms of depression and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) in two Russian cities. METHODS We used interview data from the cross-sectional Know Your Heart Study conducted among 5099 adults aged 35-69 in the Russian cities of Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk between 2015 and 2017. Attitudes about gender inequality and division of labour between women and men at home or in the public sphere were measured by single items. Binary variables indicating presence of symptoms of depression and GAD were defined by a cut-off of ≥ 5 of the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores respectively. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine crude and adjusted associations. RESULTS There was evidence that all types of GRAs were associated with symptoms of depression and GAD consistent with a U-shape after controlling for confounding with stronger evidence for all relationships for depression than for GAD. Odds of depressive symptoms were elevated among participants strongly agreeing to gender inequality and gender division of labour. There was good evidence for effect measure modification by age. LIMITATIONS The possibilities of measurement error of the exposure and outcomes, residual confounding and reverse causality are important limitations of this study. CONCLUSIONS Agreeing to gender inequality and gender division of labour was associated with reporting symptoms of common mental disorders in Russia. This study adds evidence for a link of GRAs with mental health from a non-western context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Jaehn
- Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Hochstraße 15, 14770 Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany.
| | - Natalia Bobrova
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom.
| | - Lyudmila Saburova
- Institute of Philosophy and Law, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 8th of March Street, Ekaterinburg, 620990, Russian Federation.
| | - Alexander V Kudryavtsev
- Northern State Medical University, Troitsky Prospekt 51, Arkhangelsk, 163000, Russian Federation; Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø, 9019, Norway.
| | - Sofia Malyutina
- Research Institute of Internal and Preventive Medicine, Branch of Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, B. Bogatkova 175/1, Novosibirsk, 630089, Russian Federation; Novosibirsk State Medical University, Russian Ministry of Health, Krasnyy Prospekt 52, Novosibirsk, 630091, Russian Federation.
| | - Sarah Cook
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom; Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø, 9019, Norway.
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Fernández-Niño JA, Bojorquez I, Becerra-Arias C, Astudillo-Garcia CI. Religious affiliation and major depressive episode in older adults: a cross-sectional study in six low- and middle- income countries. BMC Public Health 2019; 19:460. [PMID: 31039777 PMCID: PMC6492427 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-6806-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The relationship of religious affiliation and mental health is complex, and being part of a minority religious group could have negative effects on mental health. In this study, we assessed the association between religious affiliation and major depressive episode (MDE) in older adults (> = 60 years) from China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Study on global Ageing and adult health (SAGE), with six nationally-representative community-based samples (n = 21,410). Religious affiliation was self-reported by participants, and we defined MDE based on ICD-10 classification. We estimated the association of MDE with religious affiliation versus no religious affiliation, and minority versus majority affiliation. Results We observed no association between having a religious affiliation (vs. no affiliation) and the odds of MDE in older adults. In most cases minorities had higher odds of MDE as compared with the majority religion, but the associations were only significant for Muslims in Ghana and for Muslims, Hindus and Other in South Africa. Conclusions While the results were significant only for two countries, we observed higher odds of MDE among minorities in most of them. Older adults who are members of religious minorities might be at risk for mental health problems, and there is a need for public health interventions aimed at them. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6806-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian A Fernández-Niño
- Department of Public Health, Universidad del Norte, Colombia. Km. 5 Vía Puerto Colombia, Atlantico, Barranquilla, Colombia, ZP 081007
| | - Ietza Bojorquez
- Department of Population Studies, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Mexico, Km. 18.5 Carretera Escénica Tijuana-Ensenada, San Antonio del Mar, CP 22560, Tijuana, BC, Mexico.
| | - Carolina Becerra-Arias
- Research Group on Health, Rehabilitation and Work (SARET), Manuela Beltrán University -- Colombia.Sectional Bucaramanga, Calle 33 #27-12, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia, ZP 680002
| | - Claudia I Astudillo-Garcia
- Psychiatric Services, Secretaria de Salud, Marina Nacional 60, Tacuba, Miguel Hidalgo, ZP 11410, Ciudad de México, Mexico, Mexico
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Religiosity as a Protective Factor of Psychological Well-being among Older Black, White and Asian Christians in the United States. AGEING INTERNATIONAL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12126-017-9319-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Li S, Okereke OI, Chang SC, Kawachi I, VanderWeele TJ. Religious Service Attendance and Lower Depression Among Women-a Prospective Cohort Study. Ann Behav Med 2017; 50:876-884. [PMID: 27393076 DOI: 10.1007/s12160-016-9813-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous studies on the association between religious service attendance and depression have been mostly cross-sectional, subject to reverse causation, and did not account for the potential feedback between religious service attendance and depression. We prospectively evaluated evidence whether religious service attendance decreased risk of subsequent risk of depression and whether depression increased subsequent cessation of service attendance, while explicitly accounting for feedback with potential effects in both directions. METHOD We included a total of 48,984 US nurses who were participants of the Nurses' Health Study with mean age 58 years and who were followed up from 1996 to 2008. Religious service attendance was self-reported in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004. Depression was defined as self-reported physician-diagnosed clinical depression, regular anti-depressant use, or severe depressive symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression and marginal structural models were used to estimate the odds ratio of developing incident depression, adjusted for baseline religious service attendance, baseline depression, and time-varying covariates. RESULTS Compared with women who never attended services, women who had most frequent and recent religious service attendance had the lowest risk of developing depression (odds ratio [OR] = 0.71, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.62-0.82). Compared with women who were not depressed, women with depression were less likely to subsequently attend religious services once or more per week (OR = 0.74, 95 % CI 0.68-0.80). CONCLUSIONS In this study of US women, there is evidence that higher frequency of religious service attendance decreased the risk of incident depression and women with depression were less likely to subsequently attend services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Li
- Departments of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Olivia I Okereke
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Shun-Chiao Chang
- Department of Medicine, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ichiro Kawachi
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Tyler J VanderWeele
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Program on Integrative Knowledge and Human Flourishing, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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Winter L, Moriarty HJ, Atte F, Gitlin LN. Depressed Affect and Dimensions of Religiosity in Family Caregivers of Individuals with Dementia. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2015; 54:1490-1502. [PMID: 25794545 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-015-0033-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Religiosity and mood have long been recognized as associated, but some patterns of associations suggest complex relationships. Using a multidimensional measure of religiosity, we explored the possibility that dimensions of religiosity may have (1) different strengths of association and (2) directions of association with depressed mood. We measured five dimensions of religiosity in 1227 family caregivers of persons with dementia, testing associations of each dimension to caregivers' depressive symptoms. In zero-order associations, higher scores on each religiosity dimension were associated with lower depression. Yet in hierarchical multiple regressions models, adjusting for other religiosity dimensions, different dimensions showed either no independent association, an independent association, or an inverse association with depressed mood. Frequency of prayer reversed directions of association-showing higher depression in caregivers who prayed more. Findings underscore the complex and sometimes bidirectional association between depressed mood and religiosity and argue for recognition of distinct dimensions of religiosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laraine Winter
- Philadelphia Research and Education Foundation, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA,
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Ronneberg CR, Miller EA, Dugan E, Porell F. The Protective Effects of Religiosity on Depression: A 2-Year Prospective Study. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2014; 56:421-31. [PMID: 25063937 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnu073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Approximately 20% of older adults are diagnosed with depression in the United States. Extant research suggests that engagement in religious activity, or religiosity, may serve as a protective factor against depression. This prospective study examines whether religiosity protects against depression and/or aids in recovery. DESIGN AND METHODS Study data are drawn from the 2006 and 2008 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. The sample consists of 1,992 depressed and 5,740 nondepressed older adults (mean age = 68.12 years), at baseline (2006), for an overall sample size of 7,732. Logistic regressions analyzed the relationship between organizational (service attendance), nonorganizational (private prayer), and intrinsic measures of religiosity and depression onset (in the baseline nondepressed group) and depression recovery (in the baseline depressed group) at follow-up (2008), controlling for other baseline factors. RESULTS Religiosity was found to both protect against and help individuals recover from depression. Individuals not depressed at baseline remained nondepressed 2 years later if they frequently attended religious services, whereas those depressed at baseline were less likely to be depressed at follow-up if they more frequently engaged in private prayer. IMPLICATIONS Findings suggest that both organizational and nonorganizational forms of religiosity affect depression outcomes in different circumstances (i.e., onset and recovery, respectively). Important strategies to prevent and relieve depression among older adults may include improving access and transportation to places of worship among those interested in attending services and facilitating discussions about religious activities and beliefs with clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corina R Ronneberg
- Department of Gerontology, John E. McCormack Graduate School of Policy & Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston.
| | - Edward Alan Miller
- Department of Gerontology, John E. McCormack Graduate School of Policy & Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston
| | - Elizabeth Dugan
- Department of Gerontology, John E. McCormack Graduate School of Policy & Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston
| | - Frank Porell
- Department of Gerontology, John E. McCormack Graduate School of Policy & Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston
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Bonelli RM, Koenig HG. Mental disorders, religion and spirituality 1990 to 2010: a systematic evidence-based review. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2013; 52:657-73. [PMID: 23420279 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-013-9691-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Religion/spirituality has been increasingly examined in medical research during the past two decades. Despite the increasing number of published studies, a systematic evidence-based review of the available data in the field of psychiatry has not been done during the last 20 years. The literature was searched using PubMed (1990-2010). We examined original research on religion, religiosity, spirituality, and related terms published in the top 25 % of psychiatry and neurology journals according to the ISI journals citation index 2010. Most studies focused on religion or religiosity and only 7 % involved interventions. Among the 43 publications that met these criteria, thirty-one (72.1 %) found a relationship between level of religious/spiritual involvement and less mental disorder (positive), eight (18.6 %) found mixed results (positive and negative), and two (4.7 %) reported more mental disorder (negative). 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. In contrast, findings from the few studies in schizophrenia were mixed, and in bipolar disorder, indicated no association or a negative one. There is good evidence that religious involvement is correlated with better mental health in the areas of depression, substance abuse, and suicide; some evidence in stress-related disorders and dementia; insufficient evidence in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and no data in many other mental disorders.
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Reliance on God’s Help in Patients with Depressive and Addictive Disorders is not Associated with Their Depressive Symptoms. RELIGIONS 2012. [DOI: 10.3390/rel3020455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES : To examine the associations of dimensions of religiousness with the presence and severity of depression in older adults. DESIGN : Cross-sectional analysis of clinical and interview data. SETTING : Private university-affiliated medical center in the Southeastern United States. PARTICIPANTS : Four hundred seventy-six psychiatric patients with a current episode of unipolar major depression, and 167 nondepressed comparison subjects, ages 58 years or older (mean = 70 years, SD = 7). MEASUREMENTS : Diagnostic Interview Schedule, Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, and Duke Depression Evaluation Schedule were used in the study. RESULTS : Presence of depression was related to less frequent worship attendance, more frequent private religious practice, and moderate subjective religiosity. Among the depressed group, less severe depression was related to more frequent worship attendance, less religiousness, and having had a born-again experience. These results were only partially explained by effects of social support and stress buffering. CONCLUSIONS : Religion is related to depression diagnosis and severity via multiple pathways.
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Sun F, Park NS, Roff LL, Klemmack DL, Parker M, Koenig HG, Sawyer P, Allman RM. Predicting the trajectories of depressive symptoms among southern community-dwelling older adults: the role of religiosity. Aging Ment Health 2012; 16:189-98. [PMID: 22032625 PMCID: PMC3258845 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2011.602959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study examined the effects of religiosity on the trajectories of depressive symptoms in a sample of community-dwelling older adults over a four-year period in a Southern state in the U.S. METHODS Data from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Study of Aging were analyzed using a hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) method. This study involved 1000 participants aged 65 and above (M age = 75 at baseline, SD = 5.97) and data were collected annually from 1999 to 2003. The Geriatric Depression Scale measured depressive symptoms; the Duke University Religion Index measured religious service attendance, prayer, and intrinsic religiosity; and control variables included sociodemographics, health, and social and economic factors. RESULTS The HLM analysis indicated a curvilinear trajectory of depressive symptoms over time. At baseline, participants who attended religious services more frequently tended to report fewer depressive symptoms. Participants with the highest levels of intrinsic religiosity at baseline experienced a steady decline in the number of depressive symptoms over the four-year period, while those with lower levels of intrinsic religiosity experienced a short-term decline followed by an increase in the number of depressive symptoms. IMPLICATIONS In addition to facilitating access to health, social support and financial resources for older adults, service professionals might consider culturally appropriate, patient-centered interventions that boost the salutary effects of intrinsic religiosity on depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Sun
- School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
| | - Nan S. Park
- School of Social Work at the University of South Florida
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Richard M. Allman
- Birmingham VA Medical Center, the Birmingham/Atlanta VA Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center and UAB
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Longitudinal relationships of religion with posttreatment depression severity in older psychiatric patients: evidence of direct and indirect effects. DEPRESSION RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2012; 2012:745970. [PMID: 22461982 PMCID: PMC3296163 DOI: 10.1155/2012/745970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2011] [Accepted: 12/12/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Psychiatric patients (age 59+) were assessed before study treatment for major depressive disorder, and again after 3 months. Measures taken before study treatment included facets of religiousness (subjective religiosity, private prayer, worship attendance, and religious media use), social support, and perceived stress. Clinician-rated depression severity was assessed both before and after treatment using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Structural equation modeling was used to test a path model of direct and indirect effects of religious factors via psychosocial pathways. Subjective religiousness was directly related to worse initial MADRS, but indirectly related to better posttreatment MADRS via the pathway of more private prayer. Worship attendance was directly related to better initial MADRS, and indirectly related to better post-treatment MADRS via pathways of lower stress, more social support, and more private prayer. Private prayer was directly related to better post-treatment MADRS. Religious media use was related to more private prayer, but had no direct relationship with MADRS.
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The role of spirituality in the relationship between religiosity and depression in prostate cancer patients. Ann Behav Med 2010; 38:105-14. [PMID: 19806413 DOI: 10.1007/s12160-009-9139-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aims to develop a theoretical framework of the relationship among religiosity, spirituality, and depression, potentially explaining the often mixed and inconsistent associations between religiosity and depression. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 367 men (average age of 66 +/- 9 years) with prostate cancer completed measures of religiosity (extrinsic/intrinsic), spirituality (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Spiritual Well-Being Scale), quality of life (FACT-G), and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). RESULTS There was a small relationship between intrinsic religiosity and depression (r = -0.23, p < 0.05) but a strong association between spirituality and depression (r = -0.58, p < 0.01). Using a mediation model, the meaning/peace subscale of the spirituality measure mediated the relationship between intrinsic religiosity and depression. This model controlled for age, marital status, stage of disease, time since diagnosis, hormone therapy, quality of life, and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS When examining religiosity and spirituality, the main component that may help reduce depression is a sense of meaning and peace. These results highlight the potential importance of developing a patient's sense of meaning through activities/interventions (not exclusive to religious involvement) to achieve this goal.
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Naturalistic outcomes of minor and subsyndromal depression in older primary care patients. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2008; 23:773-81. [PMID: 18200611 DOI: 10.1002/gps.1982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review the literature regarding the naturalistic outcomes of minor and subsyndromal depression ('Min/SSD') in older primary care patients, synthesizing and critiquing findings and discussing avenues for future research. DESIGN The author obtained relevant articles from repeated computer-assisted literature searches over the past 15 years, and by reviewing the reference citations of the articles so obtained. RESULTS A variety of relevant outcome domains were identified, as were important putative predictors, moderators, and mediators of outcome. In general, minor and subsyndromal depression each have comparable outcomes, outcomes that are clearly worse than non-depressed subjects, with substantially elevated risk of worsening into major depression, albeit not as poor as those with major depression. CONCLUSIONS Min/SSD is common and of real clinical importance in primary care seniors. Several definitions of SSD may be used, each with overlapping but distinguishable utility in identifying patients. While the evidence base has expanded greatly in the past decade, considerable work remains to be done. Naturalistic studies of several outcome domains are needed, focusing on the predictive, moderating, and mediating roles of a wide range of psychopathological, medical, functional, and psychosocial factors. Such work will complement interventions and biomarker research approaches.
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