Mental Health Sciences Unit, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London Medical School, UK.
Psychol Med. 2013 Oct;43(10):2109-20. doi: 10.1017/S0033291712003066. Epub 2013 Jan 29.
Several studies have reported weak associations between religious or spiritual belief and psychological health. However, most have been cross-sectional surveys in the U.S.A., limiting inference about generalizability. An international longitudinal study of incidence of major depression gave us the opportunity to investigate this relationship further.
Data were collected in a prospective cohort study of adult general practice attendees across seven countries. Participants were followed at 6 and 12 months. Spiritual and religious beliefs were assessed using a standardized questionnaire, and DSM-IV diagnosis of major depression was made using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Logistic regression was used to estimate incidence rates and odds ratios (ORs), after multiple imputation of missing data.
The analyses included 8318 attendees. Of participants reporting a spiritual understanding of life at baseline, 10.5% had an episode of depression in the following year compared to 10.3% of religious participants and 7.0% of the secular group (p<0.001). However, the findings varied significantly across countries, with the difference being significant only in the U.K., where spiritual participants were nearly three times more likely to experience an episode of depression than the secular group [OR 2.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.59–4.68]. The strength of belief also had an effect, with participants with strong belief having twice the risk of participants with weak belief. There was no evidence of religion acting as a buffer to prevent depression after a serious life event.
These results do not support the notion that religious and spiritual life views enhance psychological well-being.
一些研究报告称，宗教或精神信仰与心理健康之间存在微弱关联。然而，大多数研究都是在美国进行的横断面调查，这限制了对其普遍性的推断。一项关于重度抑郁症发病率的国际纵向研究为我们进一步研究这种关系提供了机会。
数据来自于七个国家的成年普通科就诊者的前瞻性队列研究。参与者在 6 个月和 12 个月时进行随访。使用标准化问卷评估精神和宗教信仰，使用复合国际诊断访谈（CIDI）对 DSM-IV 重度抑郁症进行诊断。使用逻辑回归估计发病率和比值比（OR），对缺失数据进行多次插补。
分析纳入了 8318 名参与者。在基线时报告具有精神生活理解的参与者中，有 10.5%在接下来的一年中出现了抑郁发作，而宗教参与者为 10.3%，世俗参与者为 7.0%（p<0.001）。然而，这些发现因国家而异，在英国差异显著，精神参与者出现抑郁发作的可能性几乎是世俗参与者的三倍[OR 2.73，95%置信区间（CI）1.59-4.68]。信念的强度也有影响，信念强烈的参与者发生抑郁的风险是信念较弱的参与者的两倍。没有证据表明宗教在经历严重生活事件后可以作为预防抑郁的缓冲。
这些结果不支持宗教和精神生活观能增强心理健康的观点。
