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Religiosity/Spirituality and Health: A Critical Review of the Evidence for Biological Pathways

Posted on: Saturday, 20 November 2004, 03:00 CST

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST

Seeman, T., Dubin, L., & Seeman, M. (2003).

Religiosity/Spirituality and health: A critical review of the evidence for biological pathways.

Vol. 58 (1), 53-63

This article reviews evidence regarding the biological processes that may link religiosity/ spirituality to health. A growing body of observational evidence supports the hypothesis that this link to physiological processes exists. Although much of the earliest evidence came from questionable cross-sectional studies, more recent research, done by multivariate analyses, provides stronger evidence related to Judeo-Christian religious practices. The strongest evidence comes from randomized interventional trials reporting the beneficial physiological impact of meditation.

After analysis of current research on this topic, the authors present three evidence-related propositions: (a) that religiosity/ spirituality is associated with lower blood pressure and less hypertension, (b) that religiosity/spirituality is associated with better lipid profiles (i.e. lower LDL and higher HDL cholesterol), and (c) that religiosity/spirituality is associated with better immune function.

The authors found that the literature they reviewed had several striking features. First, relatively limited attention has been given to the physiological aspects of religious/spiritual orientation. Second, for the most part, the studies that do engage this topic have been conducted on special populations and/or Eastern forms of spiritual practice. Available data for Judeo-Christian religious practices are largely based on evaluation of relationships between frequency of church attendance and blood pressure or immune function. The authors recommend further research be done on individual and group prayer, reading of religious texts, and other aspects of religious services.

Overall, the authors conclude that available evidence is generally consistent with the hypothesis that religiosity/ spirituality is linked to positive health-related physiological processes, including cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and immune function. They qualify that this data is preliminary and relatively sparse, and more solid evidence is needed.

FURTHER READINGS:

Avants, S., Marcotte, D., Arnold, R., & Margolin, A. (2003). Spiritual beliefs, world assumptions, and HIV risk behavior among heroin and cocaine users. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 17(2), 164-173.

Briggs, M. K., Apple, K. J., & Aydlett, A. E. (2004). Spirituality and the events of September 11th. Counseling and Values, 48(3), 174-182.

Dlugos, R., & Friedlander, M. (2001). Passionately committed psychotherapists: A qualitative study of their experiences. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 32(3), 298-304.

Wilkinson, W. (2004). Religiosity, authoritarianism, and homophobia: A multidimensional approach. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 14(1), 55-68.

Copyright Rosemead Graduate School of Professional Psychology Fall 2004

Source: Journal of Psychology and Theology

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