Testing the religion/spirituality-mental health curvilinear hypothesis using data from many-analysts religion project

Abstract

ABSTRACT Findings from the recent Many-Analysts Religion Project (MARP) have been characterized as supporting a robust positive relationship between various measures of religion and aspects of well-being. However different conceptualizations of religiosity (e.g. identity, attendance, belief, conviction) can theoretically be expected to display distinct (e.g. non-linear or curvilinear) patterns of relationships with different manifestations of well-being. Additionally extant analyses of MARP data have not addressed how influences such as social support affect the relationship between religion/spirituality (R/S) and well-being. The present analysis restricted to a subset of countries with the predominant religion of Christianity found that net demographic controls, meaning in life, and enjoyment of life was significantly higher among those identifying as religious, attending religious service, and identifying as believing in God. However, when God was modelled quadratically, both meaning in life and enjoyment of life demonstrated a “J-shaped” relationship, although the nuances for their interpretation were distinct. Thus, partial support was found for a quadradic or “J-shaped” relationship between religious belief and mental well-being. Finally, adjusting estimates for social support tended to diminish the importance of R/S variables for predicting well-being, suggesting that increased well-being evinces a complex relationship with religious belief.