Religion, social integration, and depression in Europe: Evidence from the European Social Survey.

Abstract

Western Europe's growing Muslim population has occasioned considerable debate regarding cultural integration, immigration, and social isolation. In this study I explore the relationship between religious identification and depression in European countries, focusing in particular on the situation of Muslims, but comparing across other religious groups, as well as those who are unaffiliated with any religion. The analysis is based on countries sampled in the sixth round of the European Social Survey, conducted in 2012. The results reveal the dueling effects of religious identity: religious involvement involves social integration among like-minded friends, but can also invite discrimination from others. This dueling effect implies significant differences between groups. Among Protestants and Catholics greater religious identification is associated with progressively lower depression, relative to those with no affiliation. Among Muslims lower levels of identification are associated with significantly more depression. Muslims of the highest level of identification are statistically indistinguishable from those with no religious affiliation. These patterns among Muslims are not born of poor social integration, but rather reflect more experiences with discrimination. Overall differences among religious groups are very strong: the difference in depression between Muslims and Protestants, for instance, exceeds the difference between men and women.