Religious Involvement, Social/Political Strain, and Depression in Contemporary China: How Does Religion Affect Subjective Well-Being Differently in a Regulated Society?

Abstract

An abundance of research suggests that religion positively affects subjective well-being. Most of this research focuses on Western nations where religious activity is conducted in a relatively free manner. Some scholars speculate that religious involvement decreases subjective well-being in religiously regulated societies, where religious adherents face state and societal discrimination. Our study examines the effects of religious involvement on depression in China, a religiously regulated nation, using the 2014 wave of the China Family Panel Study. This paper uses structural equation modeling to show that religious involvement is not initially significantly associated with depression. However, when the indirect paths of religious involvement on depression—through social discrimination and political strain—are controlled for, a negative association between religious involvement and depression is found. Thus, we argue that religious involvement does offer a protective effect from depression, but this is suppressed by social and political strain imposed on religious minorities in a religiously regulated society.