4 reasons why faith improves mental and physical health

Religion and spirituality include participation in community services and youth groups, along with private spiritual activities and prayer.

Here’s what you might not know. Faith, defined as faith and trust in a higher power, has measurable, positive effects on mental and physical health. Faith includes organized religion. It also includes spirituality without religion. Here are four reasons why faith can actually heal.

1. Faith practices – especially prayer – can reduce depression, anxiety and loneliness

Religious communities are connected by a common faith and provide a place for sociality and a support network. The shared community promotes belonging, friendship and essential support when individuals become ill.

a study of cancer patients found that worship, reception, thanksgiving, and intercession were negatively correlated with depressive symptoms with less rumination and more social support playing a mediating role.

Private prayer – outside religion – is too linked to lower levels of depression and anxiety and with greater optimism. In advanced disease, mental well-being is related to lower levels of anxiety and depression. It can provide a framework for thinking about the role of faith in illness and the meaning of life.

2. Many religions encourage healthier lifestyle choices

Healthier lifestyle choices lead to better physical health outcomes. Many religions recommend abstaining from alcohol, drugs and other harmful substances. Religious youth Involving in less risky behavior, including carrying weapons, fighting and drunk driving. They also exhibit more health-promoting behaviors, such as good nutrition, exercise and rest.

Regular religious attendance was linked to a wide range of healthy behaviors among Texas adults, including seat belt use, exercise, sleep quality, not smoking and drinking less alcohol. Older adults with greater religiosity do higher utilization of preventive services, including flu shots, cholesterol screenings and cancer screenings.

Yet the relationship between religion and health behavior is complex. a study of breast cancer survivors found that both spiritual identity and religious coping were associated with greater fruit and vegetable intake.

In the same study, attendance at religious services and religious identity were associated with less physical activity. This may be due to competing time commitments for exercise versus attending services. While a church picnic builds community, it can also promote the consumption of unhealthy junk food such as hot dogs, chips and oversized cookies.

3. Spirituality can improve coping skills and emotional well-being

Private prayer or religious attendance can promote a sense of peace and promote mindfulness. Spirituality is also possible to expand the meaning people perceive in their lives and how they deal with challenges. It also improves self-esteem. In cancer patients spirituality is a common coping mechanism that increases well-being. Spiritual observations have been too shown have a positive relationship with affect and personal growth.

4. Faith and religion are linked to stronger immunity and longevity

Faith can give people a sense of purpose. This in turn can contribute to a longer and healthier life. Epidemiological studies show that higher spirituality and religiosity are correlated with lower mortality risk after adjusting for lifestyle and socioeconomic factors.

Positive emotions and social support that come from religion can also boost immunity, reducing susceptibility to disease. For example, in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome – in which the immune system attacks the glands that produce tears and saliva – spiritual involvement was important. linked to lower levels of autoantibodies and reduced disease activity. So is spirituality associated with lower levels of chronic inflammatory markers that can worsen many chronic diseases. The mechanism underlying these effects is the body’s psychological, neurological and immune pathways, which are interconnected.

Ultimately, faith has traditionally not played a major role in medical care. As models emerge that increasingly include these approaches – such as integrative medicine – people can see real benefits to their mental and physical health.