“We don't Talk about that Around Here”: religion, Spirituality and Mental Health in Northern Ireland

Abstract

Since the early 1970s, Northern Ireland has experienced violent conflict, the boundaries of which are shaped by religious identification. Although the violence has significantly decreased since the late 1990s, its legacy remains. Research evidences a complex relationship between religious and spiritual beliefs and mental well-being, there is a lack of research about how political conflict, in which religion plays a dominant role, may shape how beliefs may shape the impact of faith on mental health. This article draws upon the views and experiences of mental health service users’ from a qualitative study about religion, spirituality, mental health and social work practice. Participants’ accounts state that while the role of religion and spirituality within mental health was recognised, its exploration was marked with questions of legitimacy. This article proposes that support is needed for service users to both acknowledge this aspect of their mental well-being and promote their having choice about its inclusion in their mental health care.