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Feb. 19, 2002 -- Older people with a strong sense of spirituality -- of personal meaning in life -- are less likely to be depressed.
Researchers in England have added a new study to growing evidence regarding prayer and health. Like others, they found that faith does indeed positively affect one's health.
The new study explores the lives of recently bereaved older people, finding a clear association between level of belief, personal meaning, and well-being. Those who had weaker beliefs were much more likely to have symptoms of depression, says Peter Coleman, professor of psychology at the University of Southampton.
In fact, those with a sense of spirituality have far fewer mental health problems than others, says Coleman.
His study focused on 28 older people from the south of England, all of whom had a spouse die in the past six months. All came from various denominational Christian backgrounds. Coleman and colleagues talked with widows and widowers on the first anniversary of the spouse's death, six months later, and after the second anniversary.
Their objective: to learn how well the person had adjusted to bereavement, what role their belief systems played in that adjustment, whether they belong to a church, and what support their church provides. Researchers also took into consideration whether the person felt they needed counseling, from either a grief counselor or pastor.
Of the 28, nine indicated they had low or weak spiritual beliefs, 11 had moderate levels of belief, and eight had strong beliefs.
While those with strong beliefs were adjusting well, those with moderate beliefs thought their lives had lost meaning and purpose; several showed depressive symptoms during the second year after losing their spouse. One woman had major difficulties in adjusting to bereavement, and these were related to her doubts about her spiritual beliefs. But these beliefs seemed to be strong enough to help her eventually recover and gave her a sense of personal meaning.
Those with the weakest beliefs were having the most difficulty adjusting, showing more symptoms of depression.
Researchers also found that early experience with religion -- particularly faith handed down by parents -- was important. "It is possible to conceptualize the development of religious belief as in part an attachment process whereby trust in parents is extended to a higher power," says Coleman.
The decline in the practice of religion -- which has been apparent in the last 20 years among older people as well as the rest of the population -- does not mean that spiritual beliefs have declined, Coleman's report says. Many people still believe in some sort of transcendent power or in God. What has happened is the loss of respect for authority within Christian churches.
With that freedom, however, people end up being more isolated, not benefiting from the support that organized religion provides, he says.