Religiosity and mental health: Changes in religious beliefs, complicated grief, posttraumatic stress disorder, and major depression following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Abstract

This cross-sectional retrospective study examined self-perceived changes in importance of religious beliefs (RBs) following the attacks of September 11, 2001, and assessed their associations with complicated grief (CG), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). Data were collected from 608 participants 2.5 to 3.5 years after the attacks. Whereas the majority of the participants reported no change in importance of RBs, 11% reported increased importance and 10% reported decreased importance of RBs after 9/11. Decreased, but no increased, importance of RBs was found to be associated with severity of loss and trauma (i.e., loss of a child, direct exposure to the attacks, watching the attacks unfold live on TV). In addition, decreased RBs after 9/11, as compared with no change, was significantly associated with all mental health outcomes, namely CG, PTSD, and MDD. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.