For the last few years, we’ve been watching famed rapper/designer/producer Kanye West talk himself into many precarious situations. Ultimately, his outlandish behavior was attributed to a bipolar disorder diagnosis, as stated on his 2018 album, Ye. In interviews, he also talked openly about feelings of anxiety, depression, and his eventual swearing off of his medication due to the mentally clouded effect that resulted.
As of late, his outbursts have been re-branded into bouts of “praise and worship” with his gospel-music themed Sunday Service national pop-up concerts and latest album, Jesus is King.
In his lyrics, he attributed his newfound mental fitness and clarity to his rekindled Christian faith.
With Christmas fastly approaching, like Kanye, many people feel a bit more mindful and find themselves focusing their thoughts on spiritual matters. Interestingly, lots of new
research has been done to examine the link between religious belief, religious practice, and mental health.
The reports imply that higher levels of religious faith and practice are associated with overall better mental health. Particularly, the research suggests that higher levels of religious involvement are associated with lower rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts.
Additionally, research indicates that religious faith can enhance recovery from mental illness and aid in the healing process. For example, one classic research study shows that recovery from severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia is better in countries with higher levels of religious faith like India.
So How Does Religion Actually Help Mental Health?
It has been found that regular attendance at a location of worship places an individual into a community of people who can offer material, moral, emotional, and
social support, all of which can foster good mental health.
Additionally, many people with mental illness report that private prayer, devotional readings, and spiritual programming (on TV, the radio, or the internet) can provide hope, solace, and comfort, which can enhance the recovery and healing process.
Religion and Mental Health Services
Numerous studies show that religious faith is rarely heralded as a resource for recovery by routine mental health services. In fact, there has been long-standing and ongoing tension between psychiatry, psychology, and religion. So much so, many mental health professionals have self-identified as atheists and have expressed great skepticism towards leading historical figures in psychology such as Freud, Skinner, and Ellis, who leaned heavily on religion within their mental healthcare practices.
While this situation can be detrimental to all people with mental illnesses, it can be but especially devastating for minority groups, who have primarily had nothing more than
religion to get through very challenging times i.e. slavery, segregation, and the effects of racial discrimination and systemic oppression.
Specifically, African-Americans have very high rates of theism, and a good chunk of African-American culture and social life revolves around religion. Incorporating religious approaches into mental health care settings may go some way to reduce low rates of service-utilization, engagement, and adherence in this demographic.
To sum it all up, we need to remember that while this is a special time of year, it can also be a tough one for a lot of us. Allow people to believe what they need to in order to meet life’s challenges head-on and remain in a state of well being.
Happy holidays!
Jasmine Browley holds an MA in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, and has contributed to Ebony, Jet and MADE Magazine among others. So, clearly, she knows some stuff. Follow her digital journey @JasmineBrowley.
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