Merging clinic and church: religion and mental health
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As explained by Koenig and Larson in their paper “Religion and mental health: evidence for an association,”
The relationship between religion and mental health has been debated for centuries. History shows that religious organizations were often the first to offer compassionate care to the mentally ill; however, for hundreds of years the religious establishment also persecuted the mentally ill. Nevertheless, the first form of psychiatric care in Western Europe and the US was known as ‘moral treatment’, in which religion played a significant role. The teachings of Freud and others during the early twentieth century concerning the neurotic influences of religion have had an enormous impact on the field, nullifying the quite favorable views toward religion held by nineteenth century psychiatrists.
Ninety-six percent of Americans say they believe in God while sixty-nine percent belong to a religious organization, ninety percent pray, and forty-three percent say they worship every week or almost every week (Koenig 2001).
Since a person’s belief system obviously influences their mental health and coping mechanisms, this section explores the various relationships between the mental health field and religion. Topics explored include the history, coping with mental illness, prayer, and mortality.
The History of Psychiatry and Major Religions
A drastic shift in the relationship between psychiatry and religion occurred in the early part of the twentieth century with the teachings of Freud. Freud believed that as reason began to take over society religious influence would surely pass away. In ‘Future of an Illusion’ (1927), he wrote:
Our God, Logos [reason], will fulfill whichever of these wishes nature outside us allows, but will do it very gradually, only in the unforeseeable future, and for a new generation of man. He promises non-compensation for us, who suffer grievously from life. On the way to this distant goal your religious doctrines will have to be discarded, no matter whether the first attempts fail, or whether the first substitutes prove untenable. And you know why: in the long run nothing can withstand reason and experience, and the contradiction with religion offers to both is all too palpable. (qtd in Koenig 2001)
The interesting aspect of Freud’s thought here is that at the very same time another important thinker of the day, C.S. Lewis, used what Freud considers the death of all religion, reason and evidence, to prove the truth of Christianity. (For more information on Lewis’ arguments for reason in religion see his book Mere Christianity; for scientific evidence supporting such claims see The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell)
Freud was not alone in his opinions about the detrimental effects of religion on mental health. Psychiatrist Wendell Watters believed that faith systems of religion contributed to low self-esteem, depression, and even schizophrenia (Koenig 2001). Carl Jung, however, represented a minority at the time. He believed that religion actually helped in emotional stability and resolution of mental conflict. In his book Modern Man in the Search of Soul (1933), he wrote of his own experiences with patients, “it is safe to say that every one of them fell ill because he had lost that which the living religions of every age have given to their followers, and none of them has been really healed who did not regain his religious outlook,” (qtd in Koenig 2001).
The more recent, scientifically well-designed studies on religion and mental health have all done more to prove Jung right than Freud and most have shown significant benefits of incorporating religion into mental health recovery.
One case-study reveals the power of religion to transform lives. A nineteen year old female university student spent her early college years abusing alcohol and seeking fulfillment in school, romantic relationships, and other external sources. She has a history of emotional and verbal abuse, which is repeating even after leaving her family’s home. Her father is a forty-nine year old alcoholic with mild depression and ADD, seeking treatment for both conditions. Her mother exhibits mild alcoholism and symptoms classic to abused wives. Despite outward success, many mental illnesses ranging from low self-esteem to clinical depression lurk behind the faces of this family. Individually the daughter, father, and mother become Christians; they begin church attendance, regular prayer and Bible study, and other religious activities. Upon further examination most signs of mental illness gradually disappear: the father successfully completes rehab for substance abuse, no longer needs medication for depression or ADD, and stopped his emotionally and physically abusive behaviors towards women. The mother experiences an extreme increase in self-esteem and healthier conflict management. The daughter, who accepted her new religion first and most passionately, claims to feel free from her addictive behaviors, stronger, happier, and more peaceful about past abuse. Many families undergo transformation and healing from mental illness, but the miracle of this case study is that these changes occurred in less than a year following conversion to Christianity.
The above case-study is but one example of what statistics now reveal. Koenig and Larson, with Duke University Medical Center and the National Institute of Healthcare and Research analyzed hundreds of studies involving religion and mental health. Of fourteen studies analyzed , twelve reported significant positive relation between hope, optimism, purpose, and meaning with religion while two showed no relationship. Two-thirds of studies analyzed showed lower rates of depression or fewer depressive symptoms in the more religious populations. Studies also found that depression was resolved faster among the religious, as well as quicker recovery when religious intervention was part of the treatment protocol. While some have argued that religious persons may simply exaggerate well-being, studies also proved more objective benefits such as lower suicide rates among the religious. Studies have also shown that anxiety may motivate people towards religious behaviors but such practice helps those patients lower their anxiety levels with time.
Religion also seems to play an important role in life span. In a compilation of studies it was found that people is public religious activity, defined as regular attendance to services, belonging to religious organizations, and spending time in community religious activities, have a 43% greater chance of survival over a given time period (“Religion and Mortality” 2001). Highly religious people had a 29% less chance of dying than those who were less religious (“Religion and Mortality” 2001). Interestingly, these are not isolated studies, but rather data from multiple studies testing a total population of over 125,000 people. Nearly all of these studies accounted for covariants such as socioeconomic status, marriage, and race. One possible explanation for these results is the profound mind-body connection. Those in good mental health often have been physical health as well, and mental tasks such as prayer are proving to be incredibly beneficial even to people battling truly physical ailments such as cancer.