Abstract
The association between religiousness and depressive symptoms was examined with meta-analytic methods across 147 independent investigations (N = 98,975). Across all studies, the correlation between religiousness and depressive symptoms was -.096, indicating that greater religiousness is mildly associated with fewer symptoms. The results were not moderated by gender, age, or ethnicity, but the religiousness-depression association was stronger in studies involving people who were undergoing stress due to recent life events. The results were also moderated by the type of measure of religiousness used in the study, with extrinsic religious orientation and negative religious coping (e.g., avoiding difficulties through religious activities, blaming God for difficulties) associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, the opposite direction of the overall findings.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 614-636 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | Psychological Bulletin |
| Volume | 129 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 1 2003 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychology(all)
Cite this
Religiousness and Depression : Evidence for a Main Effect and the Moderating Influence of Stressful Life Events. / Smith, Timothy B.; McCullough, Michael; Poll, Justin.
In: Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 129, No. 4, 01.07.2003, p. 614-636.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Religiousness and Depression
T2 - Evidence for a Main Effect and the Moderating Influence of Stressful Life Events
AU - Smith, Timothy B.
AU - McCullough, Michael
AU - Poll, Justin
PY - 2003/7/1
Y1 - 2003/7/1
N2 - The association between religiousness and depressive symptoms was examined with meta-analytic methods across 147 independent investigations (N = 98,975). Across all studies, the correlation between religiousness and depressive symptoms was -.096, indicating that greater religiousness is mildly associated with fewer symptoms. The results were not moderated by gender, age, or ethnicity, but the religiousness-depression association was stronger in studies involving people who were undergoing stress due to recent life events. The results were also moderated by the type of measure of religiousness used in the study, with extrinsic religious orientation and negative religious coping (e.g., avoiding difficulties through religious activities, blaming God for difficulties) associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, the opposite direction of the overall findings.
AB - The association between religiousness and depressive symptoms was examined with meta-analytic methods across 147 independent investigations (N = 98,975). Across all studies, the correlation between religiousness and depressive symptoms was -.096, indicating that greater religiousness is mildly associated with fewer symptoms. The results were not moderated by gender, age, or ethnicity, but the religiousness-depression association was stronger in studies involving people who were undergoing stress due to recent life events. The results were also moderated by the type of measure of religiousness used in the study, with extrinsic religious orientation and negative religious coping (e.g., avoiding difficulties through religious activities, blaming God for difficulties) associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, the opposite direction of the overall findings.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0141754075&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/0033-2909.129.4.614
DO - 10.1037/0033-2909.129.4.614
M3 - Article
C2 - 12848223
AN - SCOPUS:0141754075
VL - 129
SP - 614
EP - 636
JO - Psychological Bulletin
JF - Psychological Bulletin
SN - 0033-2909
IS - 4
ER -