PURPOSE: To examine whether religiosity may help people ward off depression, we investigated the association between religious service attendance and depressive symptom scores in a community-based 30-year follow-up longitudinal study. METHODS: This study used data on 754 subjects followed over 30 years and evaluated at four time points. Linear mixed effects models were used to assess the association between religious service attendance and depressive symptoms development; frequency of attendance and age also were used as predictors. Demographic factors, life-time trauma, family socioeconomic status, and recent negative events were considered as control variables. RESULTS: Depressive symptom scores were reduced by an average of 0.518 units (95 % CI from -0.855 to -0.180, p < 0.005) each year in subjects who attended religious services as compared with subjects who did not. The more frequent the religious service attendance, the stronger the influence on depressive symptoms when compared with non-attendance. Yearly, monthly, and weekly religious service attendance reduced depression scores by 0.474 (95 % CI from -0.841 to -0.106, p < 0.01), 0.495 (95 % CI from -0.933 to -0.057, p < 0.05) and 0.634 (95 % CI from -1.056 to -0.212, p < 0.005) units on average, respectively, when compared with non-attendance after controlling for other covariates. CONCLUSION: Religious service attendance may reduce depressive symptoms significantly, with more frequent attendance having an increasingly greater impact on symptom reduction in this 30-year community-based longitudinal study.
PURPOSE: To examine whether religiosity may help people ward off depression, we investigated the association between religious service attendance and depressive symptom scores in a community-based 30-year follow-up longitudinal study. METHODS: This study used data on 754 subjects followed over 30 years and evaluated at four time points. Linear mixed effects models were used to assess the association between religious service attendance and depressive symptoms development; frequency of attendance and age also were used as predictors. Demographic factors, life-time trauma, family socioeconomic status, and recent negative events were considered as control variables. RESULTS:Depressive symptom scores were reduced by an average of 0.518 units (95 % CI from -0.855 to -0.180, p < 0.005) each year in subjects who attended religious services as compared with subjects who did not. The more frequent the religious service attendance, the stronger the influence on depressive symptoms when compared with non-attendance. Yearly, monthly, and weekly religious service attendance reduced depression scores by 0.474 (95 % CI from -0.841 to -0.106, p < 0.01), 0.495 (95 % CI from -0.933 to -0.057, p < 0.05) and 0.634 (95 % CI from -1.056 to -0.212, p < 0.005) units on average, respectively, when compared with non-attendance after controlling for other covariates. CONCLUSION: Religious service attendance may reduce depressive symptoms significantly, with more frequent attendance having an increasingly greater impact on symptom reduction in this 30-year community-based longitudinal study.
Authors: Susana P Ramirez; Danielle S Macêdo; Paulo Marcelo G Sales; Saharoff M Figueiredo; Elizabeth F Daher; Sônia M Araújo; Kenneth I Pargament; Thomas N Hyphantis; André F Carvalho Journal: J Psychosom Res Date: 2012-01-10 Impact factor: 3.006
Authors: Lisa Miller; Priya Wickramaratne; Marc J Gameroff; Mia Sage; Craig E Tenke; Myrna M Weissman Journal: Am J Psychiatry Date: 2011-08-24 Impact factor: 18.112
Authors: Loren Toussaint; Colwick M Wilson; Leon C Wilson; David R Williams Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2015-03-25 Impact factor: 4.328
Authors: Hyun Woong Roh; Chang Hyung Hong; Yunhwan Lee; Byoung Hoon Oh; Kang Soo Lee; Ki Jung Chang; Dae Ryong Kang; Jinhee Kim; SooJin Lee; Joung Hwan Back; Young Ki Chung; Ki Young Lim; Jai Sung Noh; Dongsoo Kim; Sang Joon Son Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-07-14 Impact factor: 3.240