The Role of Religious Values and Beliefs in Shaping Mental Health and Disorders

Abstract

Mental health is an area of continuous analysis, both in the context of understanding increasingly precise diagnostic criteria and the impact of therapeutic methods. In addition to these well-established directions of analysis and search, psychology tries to explore the factors that bring us closer to understanding the mechanisms of the genesis and development of disorders, as well as their importance in psychoeducation or therapy. The increased interest in issues of spirituality/religion observed in recent years translates into the pursuit to explore the relationship between religion/spirituality and health. This article reviews research into the ability of religion and spirituality to benefit or harm the mental health of believers. We also examine the mechanism of developing religious delusions in schizophrenia. Religion and spirituality can promote or damage mental health. This potential demands an increased awareness of religious matters by mental health practitioners, as well as ongoing attention in clinical psychology research.

Who I am and who I want to be: The positive effect of self-concept clarity on purpose, life satisfaction, and personal meaning among Chinese and Indonesian emerging adults

“…For example, 93% of Indonesians consider religion important in their lives, whereas only 3% do in China (Pew Research Center, 2019). Some studies found that religiosity plays a key role in life satisfaction and meaning in life (Jung, 2018;Pastwa-Wojciechowska et al, 2021). Therefore, differences in religiosity might influence how Indonesian and Chinese emerging adults perceive the clarity of oneself and its implications for their well-being.…”

Los efectos negativos de la religiosidad-espiritualidad en la salud mental: una revisión bibliográfica

“…Asimismo, se ha destacado que cuando la religión interactúa con enfermedades psiquiátricas, el nivel de gravedad de estas pudiera aumentar. En algunos de estos casos, la fe puede exacerbar o gatillar el sufrimiento en lugar de disminuirlo (Pastwa-Wojciechowska et al, 2021). Por ejemplo, Van-Ness (1999) indagó en los aspectos negativos y los positivos de las convicciones religiosas acerca de la salud física y salud mental; entre lo negativo mencionó el fanatismo, el ascetismo, las mortificaciones y el tradicionalismo opresivo, porque todas estas actitudes o creencias desfavorecen los procesos de autocuidado y de salud mental.…”