Spirituality is not bad for our mental health

King et al point out that ‘the cross-sectional nature of the data means that we cannot attribute cause and effect to any relationship between spiritual beliefs and mental health’, and they draw attention to important differences between the UK and North America (where the bulk of previous research h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of psychiatry 2013-05, Vol.202 (5), p.385-386
Main Authors: Cook, Christopher C H, Powell, Andrew
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Female
Handbooks
Health beliefs
Health status
Households
Humans
Male
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Mental Disorders - epidemiology
Mental health
Psychiatry
Religion
Religion and Psychology
Religious beliefs
Spirituality
Theology
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Summary:King et al point out that ‘the cross-sectional nature of the data means that we cannot attribute cause and effect to any relationship between spiritual beliefs and mental health’, and they draw attention to important differences between the UK and North America (where the bulk of previous research has been conducted). Previous research (Pargament, 5 pp. 111-128) suggests that spiritual struggles have the potential for either good or bad mental health outcomes, and we wonder whether the kind of society in which we are now living is less than supportive of the good outcome. C.C.H.C. is an AnglicanPriest and Director of the Project for Spirituality, Theology & Healthat Durham University. 1 King M, Marston L, McManus S, Brugha T, Meltzer H, Bebbington P. Religion, spirituality and mental health: resultsfrom a national study of English households.
ISSN:0007-1250
1472-1465
DOI:10.1192/bjp.202.5.385