Religious healing and mental health

Dein, Simon

doi:10.1080/13674676.2020.1834220

Cited by 28 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Feelings of anxiety, guilt, loneliness, and intensified depressive symptoms were mentioned as outcomes of failed attempts to heal, consistent with Dein’s (2020) assertion that the inability to strictly adhere to religious performances could escalate experiences of anxiety and depression. These experiences can potentially exacerbate existing mental ill-health despite individual efforts to “ press in .” “Pressing in” emerged as a concept related to religiousness and spirituality; however, this idea was abstract for individuals unfamiliar with evangelicalism.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 74%

“…Turning to a theology of healing, this manuscript revealed the unintended consequences of a total reliance on healing for mental ill-health. Researchers have noted that healing for mental ill-health may occur when individuals develop a closer relationship with God and repent from sin and demonic influences ( Dein, 2020 ), but this manuscript revealed the role of social relationships in all aspects of healing. Increased sociality with congregants was not only perceived to be a cure of depression, but it was also a precursor to heightened spirituality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…For example, research has suggested that in some Christian circles mental ill-health may be understood as the outworking of one’s inner spiritual condition ( Webb, 2017 ). Indeed, there is some indication that for Evangelical Christians, discourse surrounding mental health may situate distress as emblematic of sin, demonic activity, or personal sinful behaviour ( Dein, 2020 ; Lloyd and Waller, 2020 ; Lloyd, 2021a ; Lloyd and Panagopoulos, 2022 ). With over 600 million global followers in which over 2 million are in the United Kingdom ( Pew Research Centre, 2015 ; Evangelical Alliance, 2020 ), evangelicalism can be thought of as a Protestant transdenominational movement, which places an emphasis on the literal interpretation of biblical texts; the need for a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ; and the expectation of spiritual health and wellbeing for believers ( Bebbington, 1989 ; Stackhouse, 2007 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

“His Main Problem Was Not Being in a Relationship With God”: Perceptions of Depression, Help-Seeking, and Treatment in Evangelical Christianity

2022

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Some Christian communities may understand mental illness as the result of spiritual causes, such as sin, demons, or a lack of faith. Such perceptions are likely to influence how Christian individuals conceptualise and experience their mental health and enact help-seeking behaviours. This study explores perceptions of depression and mental health help-seeking in evangelical Christianity by using a novel qualitative story completion task. A convenience sample of 110 Christian participants from the United Kingdom completed a third-person, fictional story stem featuring a male with depression who entered his local church. A contextualist-informed thematic analysis illustrated how the disclosure of depression was represented as eliciting negative social reactions, potentially rendering individuals with depression as socially dislocated. Stories suggested that, increasingly, evangelical Christians may perceive a spiritualisation of mental illness, which negates reference to psychological, social, and biomedical representations, as unhelpful. Findings reveal the risks of a solely spiritual aetiology of depression and highlight how existing mental ill-health can be exacerbated if fundamentalist beliefs and approaches to therapeutic care are prioritised over holistic models of care. Methodologically, this study demonstrates the value of a rarely-used tool in psychology—the story completion task—for examining socio-cultural discourses and dominant meanings surrounding stigmatised topics or populations.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 74%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“His Main Problem Was Not Being in a Relationship With God”: Perceptions of Depression, Help-Seeking, and Treatment in Evangelical Christianity

2022

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“…Religion as a coping mechanism for emotional distress has a rich history within SAs as well as other communities, 67 and is being increasingly researched as a potential area of intervention and improving care, such as culturally adapted psychotherapy for depression. 68 There is potential for such developments to be situated in primary care.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emotional distress, anxiety, and depression in South Asians with long-term conditions: a qualitative systematic review

et al. 2022

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People with physical-mental comorbidity have a poorer quality of life, worse clinical outcomes and increased mortality compared to people with physical conditions alone. South Asians (SAs) are the largest minority group in the UK and are more likely to have long-term conditions (LTCs) such as diabetes and heart disease. SAs are less likely to recognise symptoms which may represent mental health problems. To explore how people of SA origin with LTCs understand, experience and seek help for emotional distress, depression and anxiety. Systematic review of qualitative studies exploring emotional distress in SAs with diabetes or coronary heart disease, within primary and community care settings worldwide. Comprehensive searches of eight electronic databases from inception to 1st September 2021. Data extracted included study characteristics, and understanding, experience and help-seeking behaviour for emotional distress. Thematic synthesis was undertaken. The CASP checklist for qualitative studies was used to assess quality of papers, and GRADE-CERQual used to determine the overall strength of evidence. Twenty one studies from 3,165 unique citations were included. Three main themes were identified. Understanding of emotional distress: non-medical terminology used, such as ‘tension,’ and a complex relationship between emotional and physical illness. Experiences of emotional distress: multiple forms of inequality, distress at diagnosis of their LTC, cultural factors, and gender differences. Help-seeking behaviour: self-management, seeking help from family, friends, and faith, and inadequate clinical support. This review provides a greater understanding of SAs’ conceptualisation of emotional distress in the context of LTCs, to support improvement in its recognition and management.

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“…Local health traditions, sometimes referred to as folk medicine or indigenous healing, consist of a wide range of therapies and healing procedures, including faith and spiritual healing. Several authors point out that ritual practices and religious healing represent a crucial part of mental health care in India (Biswal et al, 2017 ; Dein, 2020 ). However, given the heterogeneous realm of religious healing and the rich diversity of healing practices in India, there is a lack of information on sociodemographic and other health-related factors regarding the use of diverse forms of spiritual techniques for healing.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

We are (not) Different from the Others: Religious Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Slovakia and India

Souček

2023

J Relig Health

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Although the narrative of modernity has been rejected by numerous scientists, it remains a powerful paradigm. Several Western countries have, during the COVID-19 pandemic, witnessed renewed interest in some archaic practices and beliefs. Based mostly on media analysis, this paper provides an insight into religious responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia and India, two completely different cultural areas. Simultaneously, it challenges the self-identification of the West as the epicentre of rational thought, in contrast to the so-called non-Western world. The self-image of superiority adopted by the modern West in terms of religious relevance has proved to be distorted, as the tendency to turn to spiritual practices in times of crisis is not exclusively a feature of non-Western societies.

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Religious healing and mental health

Cited by 28 publications

References 51 publications

“His Main Problem Was Not Being in a Relationship With God”: Perceptions of Depression, Help-Seeking, and Treatment in Evangelical Christianity

“His Main Problem Was Not Being in a Relationship With God”: Perceptions of Depression, Help-Seeking, and Treatment in Evangelical Christianity

Emotional distress, anxiety, and depression in South Asians with long-term conditions: a qualitative systematic review

We are (not) Different from the Others: Religious Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Slovakia and India

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