Religion and mental health: evidence for an association

Religious beliefs and practices are prevalent and important to people in many countries around the world. For example, Gallup polls indicate that 96% of persons living in the US believe in God, over 90% pray, 69% are church members, and 43% have attended church, synagogue, or temple within the past 7 days (Princeton Religion Research Center, 1996). Despite advances in education, communication, science and technology, religious involvement has done anything but diminish in the past 60 years since Freud’s death. To the surprise of many, an index of leading religious indicators monitored by the Gallup organization reported that religious interest was higher in 1998 than at any other time in the past two decades (with the exception of 1984) (Princeton Religion Research Center, 1999). Gallup polls also indicate that the percentage of Americans who think religion is increasing in influence (48%) has been higher in recent years than at any time since 1957 (Princeton Religion Research Center, 1998). These demographic figures are difficult to explain in light of Freud’s predictions concerning religion in ‘Future of an Illusion’ (1927):