Citation
Maselko, Joanna; Gilman, Stephen E.; & Buka, Stephen L. (2009). Religious Service Attendance and Spiritual Well-Being Are Differentially Associated with Risk of Major Depression. Psychological Medicine, 39(6), 1009-1017. PMCID: PMC2681787Abstract
BACKGROUND: The complex relationships between religiosity, spirituality and the risk of DSM-IV depression are not well understood.METHOD: We investigated the independent influence of religious service attendance and two dimensions of spiritual well-being (religious and existential) on the lifetime risk of major depression. Data came from the New England Family Study (NEFS) cohort (n=918, mean age=39 years). Depression according to DSM-IV criteria was ascertained using structured diagnostic interviews. Odds ratios (ORs) for the associations between high, medium and low tertiles of spiritual well-being and for religious service attendance and the lifetime risk of depression were estimated using multiple logistic regression.
RESULTS: Religious service attendance was associated with 30% lower odds of depression. In addition, individuals in the top tertile of existential well-being had a 70% lower odds of depression compared to individuals in the bottom tertile. Contrary to our original hypotheses, however, higher levels of religious well-being were associated with 1.5 times higher odds of depression.
CONCLUSIONS: Religious and existential well-being may be differentially associated with likelihood of depression. Given the complex interactions between religiosity and spirituality dimensions in relation to risk of major depression, the reliance on a single domain measure of religiosity or spirituality (e.g. religious service attendance) in research or clinical settings is discouraged.
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0033291708004418Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2009Journal Title
Psychological MedicineAuthor(s)
Maselko, JoannaGilman, Stephen E.
Buka, Stephen L.