A growing literature reports that conventional religious involvement
(e.g., religious
attendance and devotion) is positively associated with life satisfaction,
personal happiness, physical health, and longevity,
and inversely associated
with depression and other undesirable psycosocial states (see Levin 1994),
Drawing on Insights from epidemiology, psychosocial, gerontology, and other
fields, sociological research indicates that religious involvement promotes
mental and physical well-being in at least four distinct ways: (1) by shaping
behavior patterns and lifestyles in ways that reduce exposure to certain n social
stressor (s) (e.g., illness and serious accidents, marital disruption); (2) by generating
social resources and social support; (3) by enhancing psychological
resources, particularly positive self-regard
(i,e., self-esteem); and (4) by
providing specific cognitive frameworks for coping with stress (see Ellison
1994).
However, some aspects of religious belief and participation can also
undermine well-being by exacerbating social stressor (s)
and their effects, by
eroding positive self-regard, and by encouraging inappropriate or self-defeating
coping strategies,