Handbook of Religion and Health

Abstract

The 2001 (first) edition of this Handbook was a comprehensive review of history, research, and discussions on religion and health through the year 2000. The Appendix listed 1,200 separate quantitative studies on religion and health each rated in quality on 0–10 scale, followed by about 2,000 references and an extensive index for rapid topic identification. The 2012 (second) edition of the Handbook systematically updated the research from 2000 to 2010, with the number of quantitative studies then reaching the thousands. This 2023 (third) edition is the most scientifically rigorous edition to date, covering the best research published through 2021 with an emphasis on prospective studies and randomized controlled trials. Beginning with a Foreword by Dr. Howard K. Koh, former US Assistant Secretary for Health for the Department of Health and Human Services, this nearly 600,000-word volume examines almost every aspect of health, reviewing past and more recent research on the relationship between religion and health outcomes. Furthermore, nearly all of its 34 chapters conclude with clinical and community applications, making this text relevant to both healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, social workers, rehabilitation therapists, counselors, psychologists, sociologists, etc.) and clergy (community clergy, chaplains, pastoral counselors, etc.). The book’s extensive Appendix focuses on the best studies, describing each study in a single line, allowing researchers to quickly locate the existing research. It should not be surprising that for the past two decades the Handbook has been the most cited of all references on religion and health.

Temporal associations between meaning in life, ultimate meaning struggles, and mental health outcomes in a spiritually integrated inpatient program

“…A large evidence base has revealed multiple pathways by which spirituality 1 can support flourishing and recovery from depressive disorders and other mental health conditions (for review, see Koenig et al, 2023). For example, beliefs, practices, relationships, and other aspects of a patient's spirituality can shape their meaning framework in ways that promote healthy coping and a sense of comprehensibility, coherence, and purpose in times of psychological suffering (George & Park, 2016;Park, 2013).…”

Exploring User Perceptions of a Mobile App for Religious Practices

“…The COVID-19 pandemic offered a glimpse into new ways by which individuals are engaging in religious and spiritual practices. Prior research has documented the associations between religious and spiritual practices with physical and mental health (Koenig, 2012;Paul Victor & Treschuk, 2020;Peteet, 2022). However, little is known about how practices that rely on technological media are similar to or differ from traditional religious and spiritual practices.…”

“…For example, religious individuals have a lower risk of mortality than non-religious individuals (Powell et al, 2003), and religion appears to lower risk for a wide range of physical health problems (Ellison & Levin, 1998). There also appears to be several benefits of religion for mental health; religious individuals often report higher levels of well-being and lower levels of mental health symptoms such as depression and anxiety (Peteet, 2022). Various mechanisms have been proposed for the religion-health link (Ellison & Levin, 1998), such as the regulation of individual lifestyles and behaviors (McCullough & Willoughby, 2009), social integration and support (Ellison & George, 1994), meaning in life (Steger & Frazier, 2005), and religious/spiritual coping (Pargament et al, 1998).…”

Spirituality and anxiety in pastoral care workers and physicians in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Religion is a phenomenon that binds people together through shared belief systems and practices in pursuit of a connection to the divine. Beliefs, practices, and rituals can incorporate both spiritual and religious aspects ( 30 ). Spirituality or religiosity can be operationalized through the concept of transpersonal trust.…”