Religiosity and treatment response to antidepressant medication: a prospective multi-site clinical trial

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between religiosity/spirituality and treatment response to antidepressant medication (citalopram). One-hundred and forty-eight Caucasian and African-American adults with uncomplicated major depression were treated with citalopram (20–60mg/day) over an 8-week period in a prospective multi-site clinical trial. Treatment response was assessed weekly with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Religiosity (i.e., religious behaviours) and spirituality (i.e., spiritual well-being) were assessed at Week 3. No significant associations between spirituality and treatment response were found; however, there was a strong curvilinear relationship between religiosity and treatment response. Compared to lower or higher levels of religiosity, a moderate level of religiosity was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of remission and greater reduction in severity of depression. This association was independent of social support, ethnicity, gender, education, and baseline depression severity. A moderate amount of religiosity appears to be independently associated with an enhanced treatment response to citalopram.

Religiousness, social support and the use of antidepressants among the elderly: a population-based study

“…Several authors warn of the bidirectional nature of the relationship between religiousness and health events [26][27]32 , making it difficult to understand if the intense religiousness is a result of good health or if this has a positive influence, especially if we consider the religiousness in its public expression, as is the case here. Thus, one cannot define clearly whether antidepressant use is influenced by or influences religiousness.…”

“…The association between religiousness and depressive symptoms has been investigated in different populations, and in most of them, the most intense religiousness is associated with lower frequency of depressive symptoms 2,4,7,9,23,24 decrease of the symptoms 25 or remission 1,26 . So far, only one epidemiological population-based study has tested hypotheses of the association between religiousness and the use of antidepressants, and it was done among adults 17 .…”

Religion in Domestic Violence Prevention PSAs: The Role of Religiosity in Motivating Christian Bystanders to Intervene

“…Past studies have attested to moderate religiosity helping to reduce depression (Schettino et al. ) and a lesser likelihood of experiencing dating violence among young women brought up in moderately religious households (Lehrer, Lehrer, and Krauss ).…”

A espiritualidade nos currículos das escolas médicas da região norte e a visão do interno de medicina sobre sua importância na formação

“…Na maioria destes estudos, conseguiu-se demonstrar por meio de diversas escalas, uma relação positiva entre o melhor grau de bem-estar espiritual e ou religioso com uma melhor qualidade de vida, mesmo diante de doenças crônico-degenerativas e oncológicas 7,8 . Em outros, com múltiplos desenhos metodológicos, observou-se uma associação, um pouco mais fraca, entre a espiritualidade e religiosidade e alterações bioquímicas, endocrinológicas e imunológicas 9 .…”