Varieties of Religious (Non)Affiliation

Abstract

Given changing demographics of religiosity and spirituality, this article aims to help clinicians understand contemporary trends in patient religious and spiritual orientation. It first identifies and describes the evolving varieties of religio-spiritual orientation and affiliation, as identified in survey studies. Particular attention is given to the examination of those who identify as spiritual but not religious (SBNR) and None (i.e., no religious affiliation), which is important to mental health practice because many patients now identify as SBNR or None. Next, empirical data are considered, including what the literature reveals regarding mental health outcomes and SBNRs and Nones. We conclude with a summary of the main points and five recommendations that mental health practitioners and researchers need to consider regarding this increasingly large portion of the population.

Development, religious affiliation, and social context: Substance use disorders in Puerto Rican transitional age youth

“…In our sample of TAY, the same values are 38 and 21% of TAY (27) in the mainland US and PR, respectively. Interestingly, the majority of the participants in the present sample are Millennials (individuals born between 1981 and 1996), in whom similar increases in religious non-affiliation have been observed within other social and cultural settings, including the US (25,28).…”

“…We aim to (1) characterize the religious identities of Puerto Rican TAY across two contexts; (2) test the association between religious affiliation and SUDs; and (3) test interactive effects of either social context or gender in the association between religious affiliation and SUDS. Regarding our second aim, we hypothesize Catholics will display the lowest rates of SUDs, and that individuals who identify with any specific religion (Catholic; Non-Catholic Christian; or Other/Mixed) will have lower rates of SUDs compared to those who do not endorse any religious affiliation or identity (also known as “Nones”, a term used in the religious studies literature that refers to those who check the “None” box when asked for their religious affiliation) ( 25 ). Regarding our third aim, we hypothesize the religious affiliation of the majority of the population in the island of PR (Catholic) will have a stronger protective effect for SUDs among island than US continental Puerto Rican TAY youth.…”

Spiritual Caregiving and Assessments for America’s Religious ‘Nones’: A Chaplaincy Perspective

“…It should be noted that this category is the byproduct of an increasingly common response to a survey question about religious affiliation or lack thereof. Per Saunders et al (2020), "'None' refers, quite simply, to the checking of a box by a survey respondent-'none'-in response to the question, 'What is your present religion, if any?'" (p. 424).…”

“…Collectively, these groups have become known as religious ‘nones.’ It should be noted that this category is the byproduct of an increasingly common response to a survey question about religious affiliation or lack thereof. Per Saunders et al ( 2020 ), “‘None’ refers, quite simply, to the checking of a box by a survey respondent—‘none’—in response to the question, ‘What is your present religion, if any?’” (p. 424). There may be many reasons that survey respondents choose to identify in this way.…”

I am awake: A case for Buddhist psychology as a theoretical orientation for spiritual but not religious clients

“…While the SBNR phenomenon opens up space for spiritual flexibility and exploration for people who might otherwise feel constrained and/or oppressed by religious institutions, people who are SBNR may experience anxiety around the phenomenon's purposeful ambiguity and nebulous existential/spiritual framework. Scholars and people who identify as SBNR have difficulty defining what spiritual values and frameworks support their way of moving through the world (Carey, 2018; Marshall & Olson, 2018; Saunders et al., 2020). Although an overwhelming amount of research supports the positive correlation between religion/spirituality and positive mental health outcomes, King et al.…”