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By Charlene Laino
Going to church is good for your mental health. A new survey of nearly 37,000 men and women shows that people who regularly attend church, synagogue, or other religious services are less likely to suffer from depression and other psychiatric illnesses than those who don’t. “The higher the worship frequency, the lower the odds of depression, mania, and panic disorders,” says researcher Marilyn Baetz, MD, of the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. The findings add to growing evidence that faith may positively affect your mental well-being, she says. Duke University’s Marian Butterfeld, MD, MPH, agrees. “Going to church may be a proxy for social support. And studies show social support is protective against both physical and mental illness.”
By Charlene Laino, reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
SOURCES: American Psychiatric Association 2005 international conference, Atlanta, May 21-26, 2005. Marilyn Baetz, MD, department of psychiatry, University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Marian Butterfeld, MD, MPH, chairwoman, APA Scientific Program Committee; Duke University, Durham, N.C.
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