Religion and Mental Health in Later Life

Abstract

Abstract Surveys by the Gallup organization (Princeton Religion Research Center, 1982) and other investigators (Koenig, Moberg, & Kvale, 1988) report a wide prevalence of religious beliefs and activities among Americans, particularly the elderly. In this country, involvement in churches or synagogues is the most common form of voluntary group activity for older adults. In fact, more elders are members of religious organizations than all other voluntary social groups combined (Payne, 1972; Cutler, 1976). Half of all persons age 65 or over attend church at least once weekly. There is some evidence to suggest that the amount of social support provided by church members to many elders may even rival that provided by family. One study found that over half of older adults reported 80 percent or more of their closest friends were from their church congregation (Koenig, Moberg, & Kvale, 1988). While church attendance and other group religious activity has been shown to decline after the age of70 (due to physical illness and disability), private religious behaviors such as prayer increase in frequency and have greater meaning. Belief in God, prayer, and reading of religious literature appear to be very common in this age group (Koenig, Smiley, & Gonzales, 1988).