Religiousness and Depression: Evidence for a Religiousness and Depression: Evidence for a Main Effect and the Moderating Influence of Main Effect and the Moderating Influence of

Stressful Life EventsStressful Life Events

T. Smith, M. McCullough, and J. PollT. Smith, M. McCullough, and J. Poll

Presented by Lynn CarlsonPresented by Lynn Carlson

Radford UniversityRadford University

PurposePurpose

To analyze the association between To analyze the association between religiousness and depression and what religiousness and depression and what factors influence the relationship.factors influence the relationship.

Goals of Meta-AnalysisGoals of Meta-Analysis

1.1. Estimate the average magnitude of Estimate the average magnitude of association between measures of association between measures of religiousness and depressive symptoms.religiousness and depressive symptoms.

2.2. Assess whether association is due to a main Assess whether association is due to a main effect model, stress-buffering model, or both.effect model, stress-buffering model, or both.

3.3. Identify characteristics of study samples and Identify characteristics of study samples and methods that might explain variation in methods that might explain variation in religious-depression association.religious-depression association.

Issues to considerIssues to consider

Moderating and Mediating VariablesModerating and Mediating Variables Reciprocal relationshipsReciprocal relationships Genetic influencesGenetic influences Developmental influencesDevelopmental influences Depressive influences on religionDepressive influences on religion Religious influences in depressionReligious influences in depression

Review of the LiteratureReview of the Literature

147 independent studies147 independent studies Use four techniques to obtain studiesUse four techniques to obtain studies

-used electronic databases-used electronic databases-used multiple search terms-used multiple search terms-manually examined reference sections -manually examined reference sections

of of retrieved articlesretrieved articles- sent letters asking for unpublished - sent letters asking for unpublished

research to any author of three or more research to any author of three or more articles on topicarticles on topic

Inclusion CriteriaInclusion Criteria

Written in EnglishWritten in English Published before February 2000Published before February 2000 Estimated bivariate association for individualEstimated bivariate association for individual Used search term “Used search term “religiousnessreligiousness",",

""spiritualityspirituality”, or “”, or “depressiondepression”” Used only global mental health measuresUsed only global mental health measures

Data CodingData Coding

Coders received extensive trainingCoders received extensive training Method sections coded separately than resultsMethod sections coded separately than results Two rates coded each articleTwo rates coded each article Two rater teams coded each articleTwo rater teams coded each article Retrieved objectively verifiable characteristicsRetrieved objectively verifiable characteristics Only made inferences on three variablesOnly made inferences on three variables If dimension of depression or religiousness not If dimension of depression or religiousness not

explicitly stated, then inferred to codeexplicitly stated, then inferred to code

Potential ModeratorsPotential Moderators

GenderGender EthnicityEthnicity AgeAge Life stressLife stress Other Psychiatric diagnosis’sOther Psychiatric diagnosis’s Measure of ReligiousnessMeasure of Religiousness

Characteristics of StudiesCharacteristics of Studies

147 total independent studies147 total independent studies 98,975 total participants98,975 total participants Gender reported in 137 studies ( 93%)Gender reported in 137 studies ( 93%) Ethnicity reported in 95 studies (65%)Ethnicity reported in 95 studies (65%) Religious affiliation reported in 45 studies (31%)Religious affiliation reported in 45 studies (31%) Life Stress levels reported in 90 studies (61%)Life Stress levels reported in 90 studies (61%)

ResultsResults

VariabVariablele

NN KK SESE R+R+ 95% 95% CICI

PublishePublishedd

SourceSource

66,2966,2999

111111 ..009,009,

P<.000P<.00011

-.096-.096 -.12, -.12, -.08-.08

UnpublishUnpublisheded 32,6732,67

663636 -- -.087-.087 -.12, -.12,

-.08-.08God God

ConceptConcept1,3521,352 44 .062.062 -.095-.095 -.13,-.-.13,-.

0606N= Number of participants, K= Number of studies, SE=standard error, R+=weighted mean correlation, N= Number of participants, K= Number of studies, SE=standard error, R+=weighted mean correlation,

95% CI= confidence interval at 95% 95% CI= confidence interval at 95%

Limitations of StudyLimitations of Study

All experiments written in EnglishAll experiments written in English Used cross-sectional designsUsed cross-sectional designs Mostly North American participantsMostly North American participants Mostly Christian participantsMostly Christian participants Response biasResponse bias

ConclusionConclusion

There is evidence that religiousness is a robust There is evidence that religiousness is a robust correlate of depressive symptoms, even correlate of depressive symptoms, even thought it is a small onethought it is a small one

Can attribute association to both the main Can attribute association to both the main effect model and the stress buffering modeleffect model and the stress buffering model

No evidence that age, gender, or ethnicity No evidence that age, gender, or ethnicity moderated the associationmoderated the association