This study investigates two facets of the relationship between mental health and religion. The first is an investigation into the effects of psychologist's and psychiatrist's religious belief on their assessments of a religious client. Previous research has argued that non-religious mental health workers display bias against their religious clients (Houts and Graham, 1986; and Jones, 1994). Other research has suggested that extrinsically religious indivi~uals and indiscriminately religious individuals tend to be more prejudiced than non-religious or intrinsically religious individuals (Donahue, 1985; and Richards and Bergin, 1997). The second facet of this study is an investigation into the differences between ministers of religion and mental health workers (psychologists and psychiatrists) in their assessment of a religious client. The DSM IV (APA, 1994) suggests that mental health workers should consider the cultural appropriateness of an individuals "symptoms" or behaviours before diagnosing them. It is argued here that psychologists and psychiatrists do not give due regard to the cultural appropriateness of their client's religious beliefs and the ministers of religion offer a gauge of what is culturally appropriate. To investigate these questions a group of mental health workers (consisting of 19 psychologists and 9 psychiatrists) and a group of Christian ministers of religion (consisting of 13 Pentecostal ministers and 17 mainstream ministers) was asked to complete a questionnaire based on a hypothetical case study. The hypothetical case study was constructed to have ambiguous religious characteristics, to allow the respondents to interpret the information according to their own biases. The questionnaire included Allport and Ross's Religious Orientation Scale (ROS) (Wulff, 1991). Data were analysed using Mann-Whittney U-tests and Kruskal Wallis H-tests. Significant differences were found between ministers of religion and mental health workers on most variables, with the greatest differences being evidenced between Pentecostal ministers of religion and psychiatrists. This suggests that mental health workers perceive religious clients as more mentally ill than ministers of religion do. However, no differences were found between mental health workers of different religious orientations according to the ROS and other measures of religiousness. This implies that mental health workers are not biased based on their own religious faith, but all mental health workers may be indiscriminately biased against religious individuals. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

Introduction: This project takes as its subject a particular example of ecstatic Christianity of the African Zionist type, practised by a group of urban African persons in Grahamstown, South Africa. The study is concerned specifically with the meanings of music (singing and drumming) and movement (dancing and clapping) in the context of a Church service whose overall intention is the employment of spiritual powers in the healing of sick persons.

M.Cur. (Psychiatric Nursing) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

<p dir="ltr">Like physical health, mental health is equally critical. However, the symptoms of some mental health disorders coupled with how some individuals understand mental health have generated a stigma on mental health disorders. This stigma makes it uncomfortable for people to discuss mental health. Guided by communication privacy management and stigma management communication theories, the study explored how Ghanaian celebrities disclose or not disclose their mental health disorders considering that there is a stigma that is linked to mental health disorders. Twenty individual interviews were conducted with Ghanaian celebrities. Data were analyzed using a phronetic iterative approach (Tracy, 2020). Data revealed a variety of disclosure patterns that I categorized into non-traditional and traditional disclosures. Some emerging CPM patterns include masked and sequential disclosure. Further, Ghanaian celebrities use different strategies like praying to manage the stigma stemming from mental illness. Collectively, these findings extend both communication privacy and stigma management communication theories by revealing new patterns of disclosure as well as strategies for managing the stigma associated with mental illness. More theoretical contributions and practical implications of the findings are discussed in depth.</p>

The subject of spirituality is growing in popularity within the field of mental health. A major aspect of our human experience includes striving for meaning, hopefulness and purpose - this process can be understood as a spiritual experience. Another aspect of our shared human experience includes psychological distress and alienation. This is understood in most contemporary mental health literature as mental disorders. In our contemporary era mental health has addressed the latter. Spirituality, as an integral component of human experience, involves tapping into the innate need for integration while paving the way forward towards a transformative experience. The present research explores important interpretive issues related to spirituality and mental health from within a historical perspective. The present research suggests that holistic trends in mental health cohere with contemporary, phenomenologically rooted trends in spirituality. / Christian Spirituality / M.Th. (Christian Spirituality)

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2001 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Humankind has made great progress over the centuries in gaining an understanding of how the human body works. This has all been in an attempt to bring about health and healing where there appeared to be an unbalance in the body's normal functions. The mind also later became an object of study to address its relation to humankinds physical health. Later, social dimensions of health were also identified and were attended to. Yet, much disease and ailments seem to still plague our societies and communities. Theology in the name of pastoral care had been faithfully adding the spiritual dimension to healing. But it was only in the recent wake within practical theology that the theological sciences had entered into meaning conversations with other disciplines. These developments within practical theology raised a lot of question both inside and outside of the theological discipline. At the same time, this new fibrant branch of theology built bridges with the medical sciences, social and behavioural SCiences, management sciences, just to name a few. This study highlights the developments specifically around the scientific nature of theology and the conversation it had over the decades with medical science. It becomes clear that this dialogue is necessary as both theology and medicine have a common interest. They both complement each others dimensions and they address humankind in their state of pain and suffering. By covering the historical development of theology and medicine, proving their credibility as scientific disciplines, and pointing to their struggle with the dualistic concept, this study proposes to the Church and its healing ministry to restore wholistic healing in collaboration with the goverment services and local community structures. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mensdom het groot vordering gemaak oor die eeue deur kennis te versamel aangaande hoe die menslike liggaam werk. Dit was alles 'n poging om gesondheid en geneesing te voorsien waar dit gelyk het na 'n wanbalans in die liggaam se normale funksies. Die verstand het ook later 'n objek geword van studie om die verhouding van die mensdom se fiesiese gesondheid te ondersoek. Later was die sosiale dimensies van gesondheid ook geidentifiseer en aandag gekry. Tog, het vele siektes en Iyding nog steeds die gemeenskap geyl. Teologie het in die naam van pastorale sorg toewyding gewys deur spiriteule dimensies van gesondheid bygedra. Maar dit was in die onlangse ontwaking binne praktiese teologie dat die teologiese wetenskap die ander dissipline as waardevol gesprek ingegaan. Hierdie ontwikkelinge in praktiese teologie het baie vrae laat onstaan binne as ook buite die teologiese dissipline. Terselfdetyd, het hierdie nuwe stralende tak van teologie brue gebou met mediese wetenskap, sosiale en gedrags wetenskap, en bestuurswetenskap, net om a paar te noem. Hierdie studie fokus op die spesifieke ontwikkelings roundom die wetenskaplike natuur van teologie en die gesprek wat die oor die dekades voer met die mediese wetenskap. Dit word duidelik dat hierdie dialoog is nodig want beide teologie and medies het 'n gemeenskaplike belang. Beide komplementeer mekaar se dimensies en adreseer mensdom in hulle staat van pyn en leiding. Deur die historiese ontwikkelinge van teologie en medies te dek, om hulle te krediet te gee as wetenskaplike dissipline, en hulle stryd met die dualisties konsept uit te wys, maak die study 'n voorstel aan die Kerk en sy geneesing dienste om 'n holistiese geneesing te herstel in samewerking met goverment dienste end die plaaslike gemeenskap's strukture.

This empirical study explores if, and how, religion and spirituality are relevant subjects for those experiencing mental distress in Northern Ireland (NI) and how, if at all, the subject is engaged with in mental health social work practice. Although there is some controversy in United Kingdom based research regarding the apparent benefit of religion and spirituality within mental health, service user research and literature suggests its importance within recovery. Literature on religion, spirituality and social work practice suggests the need to examine the social and political processes which persist around this subject in social work practice (Henery, 2003; Wong and Vinsky, 2009). This examination is appropriate given the role of religion within the political conflict in NI, the impact of the conflict upon social work practice (Campbell et al, 2013), the high incidence of mental ill health in NI and the apparent role of religion and spirituality within mental distress. This study considers how mental health social workers may engage with this subject within their practice not only as an aspect of service users’ identity but also within post conflict Northern Ireland. The study methodology and design drew upon narrative theory and grounded theory. I interviewed twelve mental health service users and twelve mental health social workers, and half of the participants from each group also took part in a follow-up telephone interview. All of the participants were invited to bring an object which expressed what religion and spirituality meant to them. Analysis explored the views and experiences of mental health service users and social workers about religion and spirituality, within specific aspects of the wider social field. Service user and social worker participants’ accounts suggested that whilst the role of religion and spirituality within mental distress was recognised, its inclusion in mental health social work practice was marked with questions of legitimacy. Some of these questions were explicitly framed within the conflict, whilst others were less so. The study found that although religion was associated with politics, sectarianism and violence, its role, and that of spirituality, as an aspect of identity and meaning-making, appeared to be underdeveloped. Two key findings are of particular note. 10 Firstly that service user participants had their own ‘hierarchy’ of religious and spiritual expression, which on occasion appeared to result in their being critical of other service users’ expressions. Secondly, some service users preferred to keep their spirituality to themselves as a strategy of empowerment. In addition the study also found that service users viewed the mental health professional relationship as focusing upon medical aspects of their care, for example physical health and medication management, with no scope to explore religion, spirituality and mental distress. Thus questions of legitimacy focused around the notion of privacy and whether talking about religion and spirituality within the mental health service user and social worker relationship was too sensitive, given its association with sectarianism. Furthermore, mental health service users were concerned about how a disclosure of religion and / or spirituality within mental distress would be viewed by the mental health professional: would it be viewed as indicative of deteriorating mental health? Overall the study identified a significant gap between how service users draw upon spirituality and / or religion within mental distress, and the space given to this within mental health social work practice. This gap is due to a myriad of factors ranging from the social worker’s biography, to wider issues around how religion and spirituality are conceptualised in contemporary society. This study also highlights the continuing impact of the Northern Ireland conflict on frontline social work provision. There is a need for policymaking to acknowledge the ambivalence that exists around spirituality and religion in mental health social work practice due to the conflict and other relevant factors. Finally, support is needed for practitioners and service users to acknowledge this aspect of mental well-being in a manner that gives service users choice about its inclusion in their mental health care.

This is the first study to investigate the relationship of perceived stress, religious coping styles, and mental health symptoms in university students within a single, faith- based institution. Students face a variety of stressors that may be directly, indirectly, or not related to the college experience. If these stressors are left unmanaged, there are multiple implications including reduced retention, declines in academic performance, physical health concerns, and mental health symptoms. University personnel are reporting increases in the number and severity of mental health symptoms presented by university students. This study investigated whether religious coping strategies provide a mediating effect on the relationship between stress and mental health symptoms. The sample was comprised of 209 undergraduate students, between the ages of 18-32, from a single faith-based university. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

These three studies use two waves of the National Survey of Families and Households to investigate the influence of parents’ religious commitment and involvement on children’s internalizing and externalizing problems over time. In addition, the analyses will examine of different forms of family instability and parenting practices mediates this relationship. Furthermore, does parental religiosity moderate the relationship between instability and children’s mental health problems? The first study shows that children whose parents are both religiously unaffiliated, exhibit elevated internalizing problems compared to children from mixed-faith households. Evangelical Protestant affiliation moderated the relationship between parents’ frequent arguments and internalizing problems. In addition, children whose mothers are more theologically conservative than the fathers show elevated levels of internalizing problems. In addition, theological dissimilarity (mothers more conservative) plays a moderating role between frequent arguments and internalizing problems. The second study shows that children from religiously homogamous households, exhibit lower than average externalizing problems. In addition, fathers’ religious involvement protects their children from externalizing problems, even when accounting for various forms of family instability and parenting practices. Furthermore, children whose mothers are more theologically conservative than fathers, show elevated levels of some externalizing problems. Structural equation modeling analyses show that parents’ socioeconomic status is related to parental religious dissimilarity, parental divorce and parental praise of children. When mothers are more theologically conservative than fathers, these couples are at higher likelihood of frequent parental arguments. As a consequence, their children are at an elevated likelihood of difficulty concentrating, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems. Frequency of parental arguments is also positively related to divorce. If high conflict marriages end, children are at a reduced likelihood of externalizing problems. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. / text

The research explores and examines the relationship that exists between religion and health. Four church health related activities were examined as case studies to assert their direct and indirect contribution to health and well being of communities on the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. The main thrust and perspective of the study is a theological position on the contribution of the Christian Church toward holistic health care and provision. The study is rooted in a large field of study called African Religiou s Health Assets Program [ARHAP] which has developed a theory to help establish the link that exist between religion and health in health care. The insights from the ARHAP theoretical framework are engaged in this study to identify the religious health assets known as tangible and intangible in each institution and how they contribute to health promotion and care . Key informants from each of the four religious health institutions were interviewed to establish and examine the kind of religious health assets they have and on how they affect and contribute to health outcomes. Through these case studies of four Christian religious health institutions, in Ndola and Masaiti districts, the thesis has shown that religious health institutions have diverse assets that enhance and contribute directly and indirectly to better health outcomes . These assets [referring to what is present in these institutions] are labeled as ‘religious health assets’ in this thesis . The findings of the thesis indicate that Christian religious health institutions have assets, which could be aligned and leveraged in public health policy for the well being of people and communities. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.