Depression in members of a new religious sect in Japan.

We investigated 226 people belonging to a regional church of a new religious sect (hereinafter referred to as religious group) and 899 ordinary people living in the rural area near this church (hereinafter referred to as nonreligious group) with a questionnaire using Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). In males ranging in age from 40 to 69, the mean scores of 7 SDS items out of 20 were significantly higher in the religious group than in the nonreligious group. Males at the age of 70 or older in both groups, however, did not show any significant difference in these items. It suggests that the religious affiliation exerted mentally good effects on the older male members.