Family Facts: Social Science Research on Family, Society & Religion

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This study examined the relationship between personal and social religiosity, as well as belief in an involved God, with internalizing and externalizing psychological disorders.

Compared with other peers, individuals who reported higher levels of social religiosity (e.g. attended church activities often, liked to pray and worship with others) had significantly lower levels of major depression, anxiety disorder, and phobia.

Sample or Data Description
This sample consisted of male and female twins who were part of a general population registry. Participants were born between 1934 and 1974. The female twin pairs were interviewed at four time points between 1988 and 1997, and the male and male-female twin pairs were interviewed at two time points between 1993 and 1998.

Source
"Dimensions of Religiosity and Their Relationship to Lifetime Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders"
Kendler, Kenneth S.
Liu, Xiao-Qing, Gardner, Charles O.; McCullough, Michael E.; Larson, David; Prescott, Carol A.
American Journal of Psychiatry Vol. 160, Number 3. March, 2003. Page(s) 496-503.

FindingID: 9402