Religion and mental health

A study of 718 people in the U.S. looked into the links between religious activity and mental illness. The researchers found differences between men and women. Out of the 278 women who participated in the study 39% had always been religiously active whilst 51% had not been active since childhood. About 7% of the women who had always been religiously active met the criteria for generalized anxiety disorder compared to 21% of women who had stopped being religiously active. However, men who had stopped going to church were less likely to suffer from depression compared to men who were still religiously active.

You can find out more about this study at

http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/01/02/spirituality-linked-to-mental-health/1725.html