Spirituality and mental health

Abstract

Spirituality is increasingly being examined as a factor in mental health. Recent studies have found that spirituality may serve as a psychological and social resource for coping with stress. After defining the term spirituality, this paper examines some of the research on the relationship between spirituality and mental health, focusing on depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. While spiritual beliefs often represent powerful sources of comfort, hope and meaning, at times they can entangled with mental and emotional disorders making it difficult to determine whether they are a resource or a liability. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.