Under the title “Spiritual and religious beliefs as determining factors for the onset of major depression: an international prospective study”, this new thesis led by Professor Michael King, of University College London, concluded a link between depression and religious or spiritual beliefs.
The sociological survey was carried out over a year among 8000 people in 7 different countries (United Kingdom, Spain, Slovenia, Estonia, the Netherlands, Portugal and Chile) in rural and urban areas.
The researchers found that “participants presented as ‘spiritual’ were three times more likely to experience a phase of depression than those from a more ‘secular’ group”, and that ” religion, and even more spirituality unrelated to a formal religion, prove powerless to help anyone out of a moment of depression. Worse, they could even be aggravating factors “.
Identical results in the 7 countries
These assertions remain surprising and unexpected because they go against the majority of the conclusions of the numerous studies on this question.
According to the results of this study,The effect of depression over the 12 months was similar in proportion regardless of belief. It affected 9.8% of Catholics, 10.9% of Protestants, 11.5% of other religions, and 10.8% of people with no specific religion “.
The researchers also affirmed that “in no case could proof have been provided that religion or spirituality constituted bulwarks allowing us to face painful events”. However, they remain cautious, “assuring that the number of contrasting studies on the issue does not allow a definitive conclusion to be reached. If it is not that the link between religion or spirituality and psychological well-being would be very weak, even non-existent”.
This study was published in an academic journal of psychiatry, “Psychological Medicine”.
