Attachment, Well-Being, and Religious Participation Among People with Severe Mental Disorders

Traditional mental health models have frequently asserted that religious participation among those individuals with severe mental disorders is either harmful or a manifestation of their illness. Newer research, however, has found that this is not always the case. The current study examined the relat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of pastoral counseling 2004-03, Vol.7 (2), p.13-25
Main Authors: Schottenbauer, Michele A., Fallot, Roger D., Tyrrell, Christine L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Interpersonal closeness-distance
mental health agencies
prayer
scripture reading
states of mind
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Summary:Traditional mental health models have frequently asserted that religious participation among those individuals with severe mental disorders is either harmful or a manifestation of their illness. Newer research, however, has found that this is not always the case. The current study examined the relationship between attachment states of mind and religious participation among a sample of consumers diagnosed with severe mental illness at a community mental health agency. We found a correspondence between attachment states of mind and participation in religious activities. Specifically, consumers who preferred interpersonal closeness with others reported a higher frequency of prayer, church service attendance, and scripture reading than those who preferred interpersonal distance. Our results suggest that people who prefer a particular interpersonal distance from humans also maintain a similar relationship with their God-object.
ISSN:1094-6098
DOI:10.1300/J062v07n02_02