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PubMed1999

Suicide, religion, and socioeconomic conditions. An ecological study in 26 countries, 1990.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Relative risks are frequently assumed to be stable across populations but this may not apply in psychiatric epidemiology where sociocultural context may modify them. Such ecological effect modification will give curved associations between aggregated risk factor and outcome. This was examined in connection with the ecological association between suicide rates and an aggregate index of religiosity. DESIGN: Ecological study of associations between suicide rates and an index of religiosity, adjusted for socioeconomic variation. The effect of stratification of the study sample according to levels of religiosity, was examined. SETTING: 26 European and American countries. SUBJECTS: Interview data from 37,688 people aggregated by country. OUTCOME MEASURES: Age and sex specific (1986-1990) suicide rates. MAIN RESULT: Adjusted for socioeconomic variation, negative associations of male suicide rates with religiosity were apparent in the 13 least religious countries only (test for interaction F (1, 25) = 5.6; p = 0.026). Associations between religiosity and female suicide rates did not vary across countries. CONCLUSION: The bent ecological association was apparent only after adjustment for socioeconomic variation suggesting that, rather than confounding, ecological modification of individual level links between religion and male (but not female) suicide risk is the responsible mechanism. This concurs with micro-level findings suggesting that suicide acceptance depends not only on personal but also on contextual levels of religious belief, and that men are more sensitive to this phenomenon than women. In psychiatric epidemiology, relative risks vary with the exposure's prevalence. This has important implications for research and prevention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Microbes, warfare, religion, and human institutions.

A significant number of practicing microbiologists are not aware of the historical impact of infectious agents on the development of human institutions. Microbes have played a profound role in warfare, religion, migration of populations, art, and in diplomacy. Boundaries of nations have changed as a result of microbial diseases. Infectious agents have terminated some kingdoms and elevated others. There is a need for microbiologists to have a historical perspective of some of the major ways in which a pathogen may influence civilized populations. Conditions may exist in contemporary society for a repeat of some of the kinds of plagues suffered by previous societies. The purpose of this paper is to review examples of situations where pathogenic microbes have forced societal modifications on centers of human population.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Religiousness, conversion, and subjective well-being: the "healthy-minded" religion of modern American women.

Data from a survey of 2,500 American women were examined to determine 1) the nature of religiousness among women and, in particular, whether modern religiousness corresponds to William James' conception of "healthy-minded" religion; 2) how religiousness is related to self-reports of mental and physical health; and 3) differences between converts (mainly to Protestant denominations) and women who have maintained the same religious affiliation all their lives. The authors found that healthy-mindedness described the nonconverts (the majority) fairly well, and that certainty of beliefs (either strong religiousness or confident nonreligiousness) was associated with better mental and physical health. Converts were distinguished from nonconverts by the former's relatively happy and less religious childhoods, stronger adult religiousness, and greater authoritarian tendencies.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Spirituality, religion, and depression in the terminally ill.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the impact of spirituality and religiosity on depressive symptom severity in a sample of terminally ill patients with cancer and AIDS. METHODS: One hundred sixty-two patients were recruited from palliative-care facilities (hospitals and specialized nursing facilities), all of whom had a life expectancy <6 months. The primary variables used in this study were the FACIT Spiritual Well-Being Scale, a religiosity index similar to those used in previous research, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Karnofsky Performance Rating Scale, the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, and the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire. RESULTS: A strong negative association was observed between the FACIT Spiritual Well-Being scale and the HDRS, but no such relationship was found for religiosity, because more religious individuals had somewhat higher scores on the HDRS. Similar patterns were observed for the FACIT subscales, finding a strong negative association between the meaning and peace subscale (which corresponds to the more existential aspects of spirituality) and HDRS scores, whereas a positive, albeit nonsignificant, association was observed for the faith subscale (which corresponds more closely to religiosity). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the beneficial aspects of religion may be primarily those that relate to spiritual well-being rather than to religious practices per se. Implications for clinical interventions and palliative-care practice are discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1998

Gerontology, spirituality, and religion.

Traces the development of religious gerontology, particularly as it has moved from its positivistic approach to its present phenomenological emphases. Opines that religion reframes reality and therefore tends to reduce suffering. Claims that to the extent one can reconcile one's self-definition with one's religious worldview, anxiety levels will be determined.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Perceptions of the importance placed on religion and folk medicine by non-Mexican-American Hispanic adults with diabetes.

The high incidence of diabetes and diabetes-related complications in Hispanic adults in the United States continues to be of concern among healthcare providers. The underutilization of screening services and early treatment centers by Hispanic adults seems to contribute to the problem. This survey examined whether religious, spiritual, and folk medicine beliefs play a role in the participants' view of diabetes and treatment choices. One hundred four non-Mexican-American Hispanic adults with diabetes were surveyed using a self-report questionnaire. Results showed that 78% of patients believed they had diabetes because it was God's will; 17% of patients reported using herbs to treat their diabetes. This survey demonstrates the importance of addressing religion and spirituality when dealing with the issues of disease and health in this population.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Attitudes toward victims of rape: effects of gender, race, religion, and social class.

Although previous literature focusing on perceptions of victims of rape has examined how gender, race, and culture influence the attitudes one holds toward victims, these studies have yielded mixed results. This study compared perceptions of victims of rape across a wide range of ages, educational backgrounds, religions, and income levels, while focusing on gender and racial differences. Results indicate (N = 220) that victims of rape are generally viewed more sympathetically by females than by males and by Whites than by African Americans. However, the effect of race disappears when socioeconomic variables are controlled, suggesting a more complex relationship. Also, a hierarchical regression indicates that age, sex, education, and income are significant predictors of attitudes toward victims. This study builds on existing research that examines such attitudes from a cultural perspective and extends this literature by examining the interactive effects of several demographic variables within a community sample.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Colonial psychiatry, magic and religion. The case of mesmerism in British India.

This article is concerned with the development of early nineteenth-century Western medicine and psychiatry in relation to religion and magic during British colonial rule in India. The case of mesmerism is taken to illustrate that 'colonial medicine/psychiatry in India' itself was plural in nature, being made up of a variety of different, at times competing, strands. Religious connotations and references to spiritual enlightenment increasingly posed a peculiar problem to emerging Western science-based medicine in the nineteenth century. Mesmerism was met with as much hostility by an emerging Western medical orthodoxy as indigenous medical systems. The affiliation of mesmerism with Indian magical practices and religious customs contributed to its marginalization - despite or, rather, because of its popularity among members of the Indian nobility and middle classes, Indian patients and practitioners. The case of mesmerism also shows that awareness both of the domineering power of a gradually emerging medical 'imagined' mainstream and an analysis of the complex challenges faces by heterodoxy (as much as by orthodoxy) facilitate a more critical understanding of the development of colonial medicine and psychiatry in the East as well as, arguably, of medicine and psychiatry in Britain itself.

Colonialism↗
PubMed2006

Perceptions of the religion-health connection among African American church members.

In this qualitative study, the authors examine perceptions of the religiosity-health connection among African American church members. They conducted 33 interviews with members of predominately African American churches. The clergy and members from each congregation completed semistructured interviews. Participants described the religiosity-health connection in their own words and talked about whether and how their religious beliefs and practices affect their health. The authors derived an open coding scheme from the data using an inductive process. Themes that emerged spontaneously and consistently included but were not limited to spiritual health, mental health's effects on physical health, importance of the church family, giving problems up to God, and the body as a temple of God. These religion-health themes might hold promise for integration into church-based health promotion interventions for this population.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Reflections on change in science and religion.

Science and the Catholic church are both conservative, slow-to-change institutions. However, science has institutionalized procedures that ensure that ample amounts of criticism of currently accepted theories and methodologies will always be present. This arrangement of continuous conjectures and refutation in science ensures often slow but steady change. Because supporters often think of religions as trafficking in timeless truths, criticism of church beliefs and practices (even when intended to stimulate reflection and improvement) is frequently seen as being disloyal to the institution. Because of the growing crises caused by world overpopulation, I argue that the Catholic church's opposition to all artificial methods of birth control now lacks whatever moral force it might have had when originally promulgated. By highlighting theological perspectives that might be appropriate for the ecological realities of the 21st century, I hope the church will see the wisdom of reevaluating many of its positions in the light of rapidly approaching ecological imperatives.

Catholicism↗
PubMed2004

Understanding different religions when caring for diabetes patients.

A significant and accelerating worldwide increase in the incidence of diabetes, coupled with growing population mobility, will lead to an urgent need for all nurses to develop a greater understanding of the role of different cultural and religious beliefs in diabetes control and care. In this article, the author presents a brief overview of the five major religions practised in the UK and the associated beliefs, customs and lifestyle factors that may affect the person with diabetes and his/her compliance with current advice and education with the aim of promoting culturally competent health care.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1996

Heroin use among Miami's public school students, 1992: peers and the "drug subculture" overwhelm parents, religion and schools.

This analysis examines the use of heroin by 481 adolescents in Dade County, Florida public schools during 1992. Statistically significant factors which tend to increase the probability of heroin use by adolescents include: peer use of heroin and students' involvement in school clubs. Not significantly related to heroin use is their access to the drug, their ethnic background or race, and their gender. Although not statistically significant, adolescents were more likely to use heroin if they knew of the risks associated with heroin use. There are no statistically significant variables which inhibit the rise of heroin by Miami adolescents. When religion was an important part of their lives, they were at lower risk for heroin use, but this was not significant. Also not significantly related to heroin use are a number of other variables, including family-related variables (whether adolescents live with their mothers, fathers, or alone: and whether someone in the family has a problem with drugs or alcohol). Similarly, early cigarette smoking and alcohol rise did not serve as gateways to later heroin use. Academic performance, and extracurricular school activities (athletics, music, and other activities) were all unrelated to the use of heroin by adolescents, with the exception of involvement in school clubs which substantially increased the risk of heroin use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Cocaine use among Miami's public school students, 1992: religion versus peers and availability.

This analysis examines the use of cocaine by 507 adolescents in Dade County, Florida public schools during 1992. Statistically significant factors which tend to increase the probability of cocaine use by adolescents include: the fact that their peers are using cocaine, the fact that they are white, and the ready access these adolescents have to the substance. Although not statistically significant, adolescents were more likely to use cocaine if they knew of the risks associated with cocaine use. Hence the typical user may be a risk-taker, enjoying the dangers involved with cocaine use. The only statistical significant variable which inhibits the use of cocaine by Miami adolescents is the fact that religion is an important part of their lives.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

The relative importance of ethnicity and religion in predicting attitudes towards gays and lesbians.

Using data from a sample of college students from several campuses throughout the United States, this research examines whether ethnic differences (African Americans versus European Americans) in attitudes toward gays and lesbians are a function of religious attendance. Multiple regressions were run separately for attitudes towards lesbians and attitudes toward gay men. When predicting attitudes toward lesbians, ethnic differences were present in the absence of religious attitudes; however, when religious attitudes were entered into the model, ethnic differences disappeared. In predicting attitudes toward gay men, ethnic differences were never present, while religious attitudes were always statistically significant. We conclude that differences in attitudes toward homosexuals in general, and gay men specifically, are not necessarily a function of ethnicity but possibly of religious attendance and the effect of the "Black church." We end with a discussion of the link between ethnicity, religion, HIV/AIDS, and heterosexism in the African American community.

Attitude↗
PubMed2005

Religion, spirituality and aging for "The Aging" themselves.

This article explores some likely characteristics of the particular and specific experiences of the relationship between religion and spirituality for cohorts born before 1935 by attending to three main points: (1) the word "spirituality" came into common usage in the 1960s, well after people born before; (2) for some in cohorts born before 1935 "spirituality" had negative connotations; (3) a definition of "spirituality" is possible that can express the experience of older adults and, at the same time, sharpen our current understanding of the term to include cognitive, experiential, and volitional elements.

Aging↗
PubMed2003

Religion and mental health: towards a cognitive-behavioural framework.

PURPOSE: Religion is frequently ignored within the clinical domain. Yet when examined, empirical evidence indicates that specific aspects of religiosity are correlated with mental health. The established associations between religious dimensions and mental health could be mediated by cognitive-behavioural mechanisms. This paper proposes a preliminary conceptual framework in which two types of cognitive and behavioural mechanisms are described, (1). generic mental models that provide a basis for guiding appraisals of life events and (2). self-regulation of thinking processes (metacognitive control). METHOD: A critical analysis of extant literature was employed to examine support for each of the mechanisms. DISCUSSION: Evidence supports the idea that a religious framework can serve as a generic mental model that influences appraisals and affects well-being. The benefits derived depend on the salience of the framework, level of certainty with which attributions can be accepted, and the content of the information. Evidence for the self-regulation mechanism is weaker. Although consistent with this supposition, it requires further empirical evaluation. CONCLUSION: The relationships between religious variables and mental health may depend on cognitive-behavioural mechanisms. Developments in this area might encourage clinicians to consider further the ways in which religious variables might be utilized and assessed in therapy. However, there is a need for further efforts to incorporate religious and spiritual factors in the clinical arena.

Attitude↗
PubMed2001

The role of religion in predicting adolescent alcohol use and problem drinking.

OBJECTIVE: There are racial differences in adolescents' propensity to consume alcohol--with white adolescents tending to consume more alcohol than black adolescents--but there is no clear explanation for why such differences exist. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between religiosity, a cultural factor that is not well understood currently, and racial differences in adolescent alcohol use. METHOD: Participants were white and black ninth-grade adolescents (N = 899; 54% female, 57.5% white) involved in a 3-year longitudinal study of ways to reduce alcohol use and sexual risk-taking behavior among adolescents in Ohio and Kentucky. RESULTS: Findings indicate that religiosity is differentially associated with alcohol use and problem drinking for white and black adolescents. Religious service attendance was the most significant predictor of alcohol use for black adolescents, whereas religious fundamentalism was most important for white adolescents. In contrast, frequency of prayer was the significant predictor of problem drinking for black adolescents, whereas the level of importance placed on religion was the significant predictor for white adolescents. Important gender differences also emerged in both prediction models and are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Since there is great heterogeneity among adolescents (in terms of race and gender) in their alcohol use and misuse, the "one-size-fits-all" approach to alcohol treatment and prevention is likely inappropriate. Moreover, conceptualizations of alcohol use and misuse, and its prevention and treatment, should include the consideration of such key cultural factors as religiosity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Pediatrician beliefs about spirituality and religion in medicine: associations with clinical practice.

OBJECTIVES: Identify pediatrician (faculty and resident) beliefs about spirituality and religion (SR) in medicine and the relationship of those beliefs to SR behavior and experiences in clinical practice. METHODS: A self-report questionnaire was administered to full-time pediatric faculty (N = 65) and residents (N = 56) of an urban children's hospital affiliated with a school of medicine. The response rate was 70.8% among faculty (n = 46) and 78.6% among residents (n = 44). Respondents indicated the extent of their SR inquiry and the frequency of their SR experiences (requests by patients or families to discuss SR or pray), routinely and during health crisis, and rated 19 belief statements about SR in pediatrics. RESULTS: Few pediatricians routinely ask about SR issues. Faculty were more likely than residents to ask about religious affiliation, whereas residents were more likely to be asked to pray during health crises, to believe that SR has health relevance, and to perceive pediatrician-initiated prayer as appropriate. Composite scores indicated that physicians who did not expect negative patient reactions to SR inquiry and prayer, who believed more strongly that SR is relevant to pediatric outcomes, and who felt more capable with SR inquiry were more likely to engage in SR inquiry and to experience SR requests. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatrician beliefs with respect to health relevance of SR, patient reactions to SR inquiry, and physician capabilities regarding SR in the clinic are strongly related to their clinical practice concerning SR inquiry and experiences. Correction of physician misperceptions about SR issues and incorporation of religious sensitivity into physician training may remove barriers to both patient and physician SR inquiry.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗