Psychopathology and Religious Commitment – A Controlled Study

Abstract

The relationship between psychopathology and religious commitment was explored in a group of psychiatric patients (n = 44) with depression, anxiety disorders and personality disorders, compared with a control group of healthy subjects (n = 45). Neuroticism and the degree of religious involvement were measured in all probands. The findings did not show any correlation between neuroticism and religiosity. While life satisfaction was negatively correlated with neuroticism, there was a significantly positive correlation with religious commitment. Anxiety concerning sexuality, superego conflicts and childhood fears of God was primarily associated with neuroticism and not with religious commitment. The findings support the clinical observations that the primary factor in explaining neurotic functioning in religious patients is not their personal religious commitment but their underlying psychopathology.

Reliance on God’s Help in Patients with Depressive and Addictive Disorders is not Associated with Their Depressive Symptoms

“…Moreover, Pokorski & Warzecha stated that -religiosity failed to influence the intensity of depressive symptoms or the strategy of coping with stress in either subgroup, although a trend was noted for better health expectations with increasing religious engagement in depressive subjects‖ [32]. A study from Switzerland investigating the relationship between psychopathology and religious commitment in psychiatric patients and healthy subjects found that there were no correlations between neuroticism and religiosity, while religious commitment was positively associated with life satisfaction [33]. Pfeifer & Waelti concluded that it -is not their personal religious commitment but their underlying psychopathology‖ [33].…”

“…A study from Switzerland investigating the relationship between psychopathology and religious commitment in psychiatric patients and healthy subjects found that there were no correlations between neuroticism and religiosity, while religious commitment was positively associated with life satisfaction [33]. Pfeifer & Waelti concluded that it -is not their personal religious commitment but their underlying psychopathology‖ [33].…”

Moral worry and religiosity in US and Canadian college samples

“…To measure complex religiosity constructs, we developed a 29-item religiosity scale (Scale available upon request) that borrowed questions from a number of recent scales (Duriez, Soenens, & Hutsebaut, 2005;Koenig, Parkerson, & Meador, 1997;Pfeifer & Waelty, 1995) including items inquiring into areas such as quest (Batson & Schoenrade, 1991), Eastern notions of transcendence and compassion, and the negative phenomenon of stress caused by discordant and conflictual religious beliefs (Exline, Yali, & Sanderson, 2000).…”

The effects of mental illness on families within faith communities

“…Studies with psychiatric inpatients and matched controls have found that the primary factor in patient expression of religious conflicts was their psychopathology, not their level of religious commitment (Pfeifer & Waelty, 1995, 1999. The patients themselves often claim that religion or spirituality played a key role in helping them cope with their symptoms (Fitchett, Burton, & Sivan, 1997;Kroll & Sheehan, 1989;Lindgren & Coursey, 1995).…”