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Belief in life after death and mental health: findings from a national survey.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Flannelly, KJ; Koenig, HG; Ellison, CG; Galek, K; Krause, N
Published in: J Nerv Ment Dis
July 2006

The present study examined the association between belief in life after death and six measures of psychiatric symptomology in a national sample of 1403 adult Americans. A statistically significant inverse relationship was found between belief in life after death and symptom severity on all six symptom clusters that were examined (i.e., anxiety, depression, obsession-compulsion, paranoia, phobia, and somatization) after controlling for demographic and other variables (e.g., stress and social support) that are known to influence mental health. No significant association was found between the frequency of attending religious services and any of the mental health measures. The results are discussed in terms of the potentially salubrious effects of religious belief systems on mental health. These findings suggest that it may be more valuable to focus on religious beliefs than on religious practices and behaviors in research on religion and mental health.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Nerv Ment Dis

DOI

ISSN

0022-3018

Publication Date

July 2006

Volume

194

Issue

7

Start / End Page

524 / 529

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Somatoform Disorders
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Religion and Psychology
  • Religion
  • Psychiatry
  • Phobic Disorders
  • Paranoid Disorders
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Flannelly, K. J., Koenig, H. G., Ellison, C. G., Galek, K., & Krause, N. (2006). Belief in life after death and mental health: findings from a national survey. J Nerv Ment Dis, 194(7), 524–529. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nmd.0000224876.63035.23
Flannelly, Kevin J., Harold G. Koenig, Christopher G. Ellison, Kathleen Galek, and Neal Krause. “Belief in life after death and mental health: findings from a national survey.J Nerv Ment Dis 194, no. 7 (July 2006): 524–29. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nmd.0000224876.63035.23.
Flannelly KJ, Koenig HG, Ellison CG, Galek K, Krause N. Belief in life after death and mental health: findings from a national survey. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2006 Jul;194(7):524–9.
Flannelly, Kevin J., et al. “Belief in life after death and mental health: findings from a national survey.J Nerv Ment Dis, vol. 194, no. 7, July 2006, pp. 524–29. Pubmed, doi:10.1097/01.nmd.0000224876.63035.23.
Flannelly KJ, Koenig HG, Ellison CG, Galek K, Krause N. Belief in life after death and mental health: findings from a national survey. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2006 Jul;194(7):524–529.

Published In

J Nerv Ment Dis

DOI

ISSN

0022-3018

Publication Date

July 2006

Volume

194

Issue

7

Start / End Page

524 / 529

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Somatoform Disorders
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Religion and Psychology
  • Religion
  • Psychiatry
  • Phobic Disorders
  • Paranoid Disorders
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder