Religion typically refers to socially based beliefs and traditions, often associated with customs and practices intended to enable connection to the sacred or transcendent (God, higher power, or ultimate truth/reality).
The fundamental characteristics of all religions are alike. There is a strong belief in a higher, invisible power. Religion seems to be a psychological necessity for humanity. It progressed due to the psychological needs of mankind which eventually transformed. Successively, religious practices turned into dogmas and superstitions.
From a mental health outlook, religion provides guidelines, which can aid people to plan a journey for their lives. Stresses, frustrations as well as uncertainties of life can be tolerated more easily by the believers. Religiousness was linked to decreased smoking and alcohol consumption, as well as positively affecting heart disease and blood pressure. Suicide rates were consistently found to have a negative correlation with religiosity. Suicide ideology was also lowered.
Persons with extrinsic orientation (when people are motivated to perform a behaviour or engage in an activity because they want to earn a reward or avoid punishment) are inclined to value religion for their own ends. Several find it beneficial in a lot of ways – to feel secure and find solace, develop sociability and find distractions, attain status and self-justification. Those with intrinsic orientation (performing an activity for its own sake rather than from the desire for some external reward. The behaviour itself is its own reward) find their ultimate motive in religion. Other needs, however strong, are considered less important and they are brought in harmony with the religious beliefs, as much as they can.
Generally, the intrinsic orientation is related to a healthier personality and mental status, while the extrinsic orientation is associated with dogmatism, prejudice, fear of death, and anxiety.
Religion has a therapeutic impact on mental health by providing humans with necessary coping skills that are attainable regardless of financial, social, physical, or mental circumstances. Furthermore, religions tend to prescribe healthy lifestyle practices: rest, monogamous sex, moderation in all things; offer individuals social support resulting in a sense of belonging and a sense of being cared for by their group, and also help their followers develop cognitive frameworks that support them through life’s trials and tribulations. It also enhances their internal locus of control, which (as opposed to an external one) allows them to respond in a way that is favourable to their well-being.
Researcher Koenig (2015) found that religious individuals can counter damaging tendencies brought about by their illness and can minimize stress and anxiety, reduce self-blame, stabilize emotional ups and downs, and improve self-knowledge as well as manage panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, insomnia, drug use, stress, chronic pain and other health problems through the use of religious practices, such as prayer or meditation.
The benefits of religious coping on mental health are consistent across age, race, gender, nationality, and socioeconomic status, and they appear to be higher. Thereby, it serves as a valuable resource for individuals who are affected by mental illness, especially disadvantaged groups who experience substantial stress in daily life, greater rates of mental disorders, and who lack the social support and financial means to treat their illness.
Here are some of religion’s main mental health benefits.
- Social connections with other members
- Creates a sense of belonging to a group
- Offers trustworthy and safe social engagement
- Helps people to cope with difficult life situations (i.e. a ceremony for the loss of a loved one)
- Provides structure, regularity and predictability
- Allows for time to rest as well as holidays and other special times of the year
- Provides guidelines to live by (i.e. the importance of doing the right thing)
- Teaches compassion, forgiveness and gratitude
However, religion could also be a double-edged sword. Negative religious beliefs, for example, that God is punishing or abandoning you have been linked with higher rates of depression and lower quality of life. Pargament (2014) has found that when people believe that God has abandoned them, or when they question God’s love for them, they tend to experience greater emotional distress, and even face an increased risk of an earlier death. In other words, the researchers wrote, thinking of God could be either a burden or boon for self-control, depending on what part of your life you’re trying to master. It can be damaging to mental health by means of negative religious coping, misunderstanding and miscommunication, and negative beliefs.
– Urveez Kakalia and Dhara Mehta.