RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY-PROTECTIVE FACTOR IN SUICIDE ATTEMPTS IN PEOPLE WITH DEPRESSION

Abstract

Spirituality as a dimension of quality of life and well-being has recently begun to be more valued within the treatment approaches to mental health. A range of studies have also looked at spirituality or affiliation to spiritual or religious groups in relation to suicide and suicide attempts. Nisbet et al. (2000) reported that the suicide rate is four times lower in people who attend religious activities. In this study of 31 patients with depression, it is found that those who are attending religious activities, or those who have reported having a spiritual faith, were significantly less likely to have suicidal attempts. Results suggest that religious attendance and spiritual faith is associated with decreased suicide attempts. These findings that the depressive patients who have no religious affiliation, who are not attending religious activities or having spiritual faith, have higher rates of suicide attempts gives an association that religion and spirituality may act as a protective factor against suicide attempts, because of the religious social mores or ‘rules’ which prevent behaviors as suicide attempts.