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Religious service attendance and spiritual well-being are differentially associated with risk of major depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2008

J. Maselko ,
S. E. Gilman  and
S. Buka
J. Maselko*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
S. E. Gilman
Affiliation:
Departments of Epidemiology and Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
S. Buka
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: J. Maselko, Sc.D., Temple University, 1700 N. Broad St, Rm 304, Philadelphia, PA 19130, USA. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

The complex relationships between religiosity, spirituality and the risk of DSM-IV depression are not well understood.

Method

We investigated the independent influence of religious service attendance and two dimensions of spiritual well-being (religious and existential) on the lifetime risk of major depression. Data came from the New England Family Study (NEFS) cohort (n=918, mean age=39 years). Depression according to DSM-IV criteria was ascertained using structured diagnostic interviews. Odds ratios (ORs) for the associations between high, medium and low tertiles of spiritual well-being and for religious service attendance and the lifetime risk of depression were estimated using multiple logistic regression.

Results

Religious service attendance was associated with 30% lower odds of depression. In addition, individuals in the top tertile of existential well-being had a 70% lower odds of depression compared to individuals in the bottom tertile. Contrary to our original hypotheses, however, higher levels of religious well-being were associated with 1.5 times higher odds of depression.

Conclusions

Religious and existential well-being may be differentially associated with likelihood of depression. Given the complex interactions between religiosity and spirituality dimensions in relation to risk of major depression, the reliance on a single domain measure of religiosity or spirituality (e.g. religious service attendance) in research or clinical settings is discouraged.

Keywords

Major depressionNew England Family Studyreligiosityspiritual well-being
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 39 , Issue 6 , June 2009 , pp. 1009 - 1017
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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