Religion and mental health among blacks

The positive role of religion in the mental health of black Americans is a much neglected theme in the literature. This paper considers religion as one of the important retained black cultural traits, which continues to play a vital role in the mental health and survival strategies of black Americans. The paper examines Grier and Cobbs's appraisal of the religion-mental health connection in black communities and identifies different ways for mental health practitioners to think about religious phenomena and the primal partnership between religion and mental health. The paper concludes with a challenge to keep awareness of the religion-mental health partnership together in the treatment of black Americans.This paper was originally presented at a two-day conference on Some Dynamics and Psychotherapeutic Methods in Rendering Treatment to Blacks, March 15 and 16, 1980, in Oakland, California. This particular paper discussed religion as one of the important retained black cultural trains.     

Religion,mental health,and clinical issues

This article reviews a number of studies investigating the relationship between religion and the variables of mental health and social behavior. Characteristics of religious health and pathology are examined, and a framework for clinical assessment and treatment of religious pathology is described. Tentative conclusions concerning the subject matter are drawn and limitations of the number and type of studies are outlined.     

Chronic stress, cognitive functioning and mental health

This review aims to discuss the evidence supporting the link between chronic stress, cognitive function and mental health. Over the years, the associations between these concepts have been investigated in different populations. This review summarizes the findings that have emerged from older populations as well as from populations suffering from pathological aging, namely Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease. Although older adults are an interesting population to study in terms of chronic stress, other stress-related diseases can occur throughout the lifespan. The second section covers some of these stress-related diseases that have recently received a great deal of attention, namely burnout, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Given that chronic stress contributes to the development of certain pathologies by accelerating and/or exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities that vary from one individual to the other, the final section summarizes data obtained on potential variables contributing to the association between chronic stress and cognition.     

Religion,psychology, and mental health: The problems of partnership

While a current and increasingly popular trend is toward partnerships between religion and psychology in the area of mental health, and especially toward the use of psychological ideas and techniques by pastoral counselors, modern psychology and traditional religion are divided in significant ways over several normative issues. Too often these issues are minimized or overlooked. But unless these issues—which carry significant sociocultural implications as well as implications for our definitions of individual well-being—are acknowledged and subjected to critical considerations, partnerships between religion and psychology must be far more cautiously constructed and must be subjected to far more systematic thinking about the differences which separate the two.This article is based on a paper delivered at the Seventh Annual Clinical-Community Conference on Psychology and Religion at the University of Maryland in November, 1978.     

Development and validation of the multidimensional health profile, part I: Psychosocial functioning

This article describes the development and preliminary validation of the Multidimensional Health Profile, Part I: Psychosocial Functioning (MHP-P), a self-report screening instrument for use in mental health and primary care settings. The MHP-P assesses mental health, life stress, coping skills, and social resources. In Study 1, retest reliability, validity, social desirability response bias, and factor structure were examined in a national sample of men and women (N = 673). In Study 2, the effect of time frame on the retest reliability of the mental health scales was examined in a sample of male and female college students (N = 147). A national sample of men and women (N = 2,411) provided data for additional confirmatory factor analyses and norm development in Study 3.     

Religion and mental health among Hindu young people in England

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between mental health and attitude toward their religious tradition among a sample of 330 young people attending the Hindu Youth Festival in London. The participants completed the Santosh–Francis Scale of Attitude toward Hinduism together with the abbreviated form of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire which provides measures of neuroticism and psychoticism. The data indicated that a more positive attitude toward Hinduism was associated with lower psychoticism scores but unrelated to neuroticism scores. There is no evidence, therefore, to associate higher levels of religiosity with poorer mental health among young people within the Hindu community.     

Religion and mental health among Nepal earthquake survivors in temporary tent villages

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between mental health and the perceived importance of religion and the frequency of prayer among 200 children ages 10–18 years who lived in temporary camps for earthquake survivors in Nepal. The participants were examined using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) 6–18 and were asked about the importance of religion in their lives. In contrast to expectation that high perceived importance of religion and prayer frequency have positive impacts on mental health after earthquakes, the results indicated significantly higher levels of withdrawal/depression. The group that prayed less frequently after the earthquakes had significantly higher scores for somatic symptoms, withdrawal/depression, anxiety/depression, social immaturity, internalising problems, and total CBCL scores. However, the clinical risk group (T score of 65 or higher in the CBCL total score), no significant difference according to the importance of religion showed and frequency of daily prayer.     

Migrant mental health: a model for indicators of mental health and health care consumption.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores the relationship between mental health and health care consumption among migrants in the Netherlands. DESIGN: Samples of the Turkish (n = 648), Moroccan (n = 102), and Surinamese (n = 311) populations in Amsterdam were examined. The study tested a hypothesized model of risk factors for psychiatric morbidity, indicators of well-being, and indicators of health care consumption. The model was specified on the basis of information from earlier research on the sample and literature on the topic. The model was tested and refined using structural equation modeling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Psychiatric morbidity and well-being measures were assessed with the CIDI 1.1 and MOS-sf-36 subscales, respectively. Health care consumption was assessed by the question "Have you ever consulted one or more of these professionals or health care facilities with respect to mental health problems or problems related to alcohol or drugs usage?" RESULTS: The primary result of this study was the confirmation that health care consumption among migrants is predicted by need and predisposition factors, such as health condition and sociodemographic characteristics. In addition, mental health care consumption of migrants is predicted by acculturation characteristics. This result suggests an effect of cultural and migrant-specific factors in help-seeking behavior and barriers to mental health care facilities. CONCLUSIONS: Findings confirm the existence of migrant-specific mechanisms in health care consumption. Mental health care professionals should be aware of these. However, ignoring common ground for interventions unnecessarily creates distance between migrant groups and between migrant and indigenous Dutch groups.     

Domains of mental functioning: An introduction

Summary An introduction is given to the Thematic Issue on Domains of Mental Functioning: Attempts at a Synthesis. First, some of the efforts that have been made at charting the territory of Cognitive Science are reviewed. The second section considers the emerging new consensus on certain conceptual issues such as representation, intentionality, functionalism, and symbol systems. Finally, some types of synthesis between approaches to mental functioning are discussed.     

Meta-analysis of cognitive-behavioral interventions on HIV-positive persons' mental health and immune functioning.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral interventions (CBIs) for improving the mental health and immune functioning of people living with HIV (PLWH). DESIGN: Comprehensive searches of electronic databases from 1988 to 2005, hand searches of journals, reference lists of articles, and contacts with researchers. Meta-analytic approaches were used in synthesizing findings. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intervention effects on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and anger, stress, and CD4 cell counts were assessed. RESULTS: Data from 15 controlled trials were analyzed. Significant intervention effects were observed for improving symptoms of depression (d = 0.33), anxiety (d = 0.30), anger (d = 1.00), and stress (d = 0.43). There is limited evidence suggesting intervention effects on CD4 cell counts (d = 0.08). The aggregated effect size estimates for depression and anxiety were statistically significant in trials that provided stress management skills training and had more than 10 intervention sessions. CONCLUSION: CBIs are efficacious in improving various psychological states of PLWH. Future research should examine the relationship among interventions, psychological states, medication adherence, and immune functions, and identify other relevant factors associated with intervention effects.     

Sleep-competing behaviours among Australian school-attending youth: Associations with sleep,mental health and daytime functioning

Sleep problems are highly prevalent among school-attending youth, and impact on school performance and outcomes. Sleep-competing behaviours are likely factors in the inadequate sleep time and related functional outcomes observed in this population. We examined a range of sleep-competing behaviours and their associations with sleep variables in Australian school-attending youth. We also assessed whether these behaviours indirectly affected mental health and daytime functioning through poorer sleep quality. A total of 353 school-attending youth (mean age = 14.6 years, 53% female) were recruited from high schools in Australia, and completed a range of self-report measures. Approximately 50% of the youth obtained sub-optimal levels of sleep and reported having a problematically long sleep onset latency. Sleep competing behaviours, related and unrelated to electronic media use, were reported as occurring frequently, and were associated with a range of sleep variables. These behaviours were also related to poorer mental health and daytime sleepiness, with this association explained by indirect effects through sleep quality. Sleep-competing behaviours are prevalent on school nights in Australian youth, and may have adverse associations with mental health and functioning. Prevention and intervention programs might address the risk factors identified in the current study.