The Relationship Between Religion/Spirituality and Health

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Jayde Shackett and Dr. Andrea Knestel, Counseling and Career Center

Background

Research on young adults has shown that religious commitment is related to moral development, as the two are interconnected for most people (Walker & Reimer, 2006). For example, religion impacts the view adolescents have on sexual activity by influencing their attitude toward contraception, sex outside of marriage, and what situations they place themselves in (Wallace & Williams, 1999). It has also been found that low levels of appreciation for religion are associated with a higher likelihood of binge drinking and marijuana use (Rasic, Kisely, & Langille, 2011). Further, religion can help predict prosocial actions, use of harmful substances, and sexual activity in young adults (Layton, Dollahite, & Hardy, 2011).

In accord with the idea of providing a belief system that enhances physical and psychological well-being, it has been suggested that religious orientation may provide important information about the religion-health relationship (e.g., Masters, Hill, Kircher, Lensegrav-Benson, & Fallon, 2004; Masters, Lensegrav-Benson, Kircher, & Hill, 2005). Allport and Ross (1967) developed the concept of religious orientation around the intrinsic and extrinsic religious types. According to Allport and Ross, individuals who are characterized by an intrinsic religious orientation view religion as most important in their lives, whereas those characterized by an extrinsic orientation view religion as a means to an end.

With respect to intrinsic and extrinsic religiousness, research findings suggest that intrinsic religiousness is generally associated with better psychological functioning as compared to extrinsic religiousness. For example, individuals classified as intrinsically religious have been found to report significantly lower levels of depression and anxiety as compared to their extrinsic counterparts (e.g., Maltby and Day, 2000; Park, Murgatroyd, Raynock, & Spillett, 1998; Bergin, Masters, & Richards, 1987).

The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between spirituality/religion and health among BYU students. Variables of physical and mental health were examined. It was hypothesized that young adults who had internalized religious values/beliefs would enjoy better physical and mental health, as well as make more positive health behavior choices, than those who lacked such internalization.

Procedure

Students were recruited through campus advertisements and SONA. Students completed a number of online questionnaires asking them about their religious beliefs as well as their physical and mental health. Religious orientation was determined by scores on the intrinsic and extrinsic scales of the Age Universal I/E – Revised Scale (Gorsuch & McPherson, 1989), with students falling into one of four categories: 1) intrinsic (high intrinsic, low extrinsic), 2) extrinsic (low intrinsic, high extrinsic), 3) pro-religious (high intrinsic, high extrinsic), and 4) non-religious (low intrinsic, low extrinsic). Physical and mental health variables were examined using items adapted from The American College Health Association – National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA). All procedures were approved by the Brigham Young University IRB.

Results

A total of 300 students completed the online survey. Seventy-nine students identified as intrinsically religious, 4 as extrinsically religious, 209 as pro-religious, and 5 as non-religious. One-hundred-and-eight students identified as male and 180 students as female. The final sample used in these analyses consisted of 288 participants, with 89.6% identifying as White, 4.2% as a member of more than one race, and 2.4% as Asian. Eighty-five percent of participants reported being single. Statistical analyses (ANOVAs and Chi-square tests) did not show any significant differences among the religious orientation groups and students’ self-report on the physical health variables. However, visual inspection showed some trends in our data. Differences were found on variables of mental health. For example, the number of those in the pro-religious group who reported having been diagnosed with and/or treated for depression was five times greater than the number of those in the intrinsic group. Similarly, 18 students in the pro-religious group reported having been diagnosed and/or treated for anxiety whereas only one person in the intrinsic group reported a diagnosis and/or treatment of anxiety. A greater proportion of pro- religious participants reported a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder as compared to those in the intrinsic group. Results also showed a higher proportion of pro-religious students reporting a history with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and panic attacks than those who identified with an intrinsic religious orientation.

Conclusion

Results showed no statistically significant differences across physical health variables. Non-statistically significant differences were found on variables of mental health among the pro-religious and intrinsic groups. Intrinsically religious students were found to have fewer incidences of depression, anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, OCD, and panic attacks. These findings are consistent with previous research that has shown that intrinsically religious individuals enjoy better psychological health than those who are extrinsically religious (e.g., Maltby & Day, 2000). Therefore, there is some indication that the purely intrinsically religious group may enjoy better psychological health than the pro-religious group who also scored high on intrinsic religiousness. Future research should examine the religious orientation construct in more depth by including all four religious orientation types.

References

  • Allport, G. W., & Ross, J. M. (1967). Personal religious orientation and prejudice. Journal of personality and Social Psychology, 5, 432-443.
  • Bergin, A. E., Masters, K. S., & Richards, P. S. (1987). Religiousness and mental health reconsidered: A study of an intrinsically religious sample. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 34(2), 197-204.
  • Gorsuch, R. L., & McPherson, S. E. (1989). Intrinsic/extrinsic measurement: I/E-Revised and single-item scales. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 28(3), 348-354.
  • Layton, E., Dollahite, D. C., & Hardy, S. A. (2011). Anchors of religious commitment in adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 26(3), 381-413. doi.org/10.1177/0743558410391260