In an article published in the April issue of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, researchers at the University of Saskatchewan write that incidence of clinical depression was 22% lower among those who attended religious services at least once a month compared with people who never attended.
“Significantly fewer monthly attenders reported having episodes or a diagnosis of depression,” the authors write. “This … suggests a protective effect of religious attendance.”
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Researchers said religious attendance lowered the risk of depression in a “dose-response” fashion: People who attended frequently had the least depression, those who attended occasionally were in the mid-range and those who never attended had the most.
The study found that people identifying themselves as spiritual but not attending religious service did not experience any health benefit.
Read for yourself here...
Hmmmmph! So much for those of you who say you come to church sad and leave depressed -- due largely to the sermon! There is a salutary effect to church attendance -- even if psychiatrists cannot pin down the what or why of it. We know. It is the wonderful grace of God! Depression and its causes are all around us. In Church we have something else. We have the steadfast love of the Lord that is stronger than the cause of darkness; come and dwell in the light of the Lord.
3 comments:
Church is not the cause of depression. It's what we do to Church that causes depression. If we don't get it totally wrong and kill people with Law, Gospel, Law sermons (or Law, straight up), we cause it in other ways.
The pastor who is spinning dozens of plates, barely able (if at all) do do the work he was called to do is only one example. Issues, Etc. had recent programs featuring Todd Peperkorn, author of a great ebook on depression. (I Trust When Dark My Road - free)
Congregants depressed by the sermon are likely not listening for the Gospel, or are not being preached the Gospel.
Depression and mental illness are reality, sometimes caused by disease or body chemistry. I'm not saying everyone on Prozac (or any of the MANY other anti-depressants) should be. I am not saying anyone on one should not be. Prejudice does come in many forms, however.
As neighbors, we are to love and serve those who suffer. Whether the suffering is real or imaginary, we are not relieved of our part.
Ugh, why is it they can never seem to see which way the arrow points?
People who are less likely to get depressed are also more likely to go to church.
Why is it that they scream that correlation doesn't imply causation when you note that women who abort commit suicide at a 5x higher rate than those who deliver their baby?
But... when they find some little correlation, they run around implying that their oh so special correlation now does imply causation.
It is really hard to take these people seriously.
Janis, why won't you say everyone on Prozac should be? Isn't depression a medical condition and Prozac prescribed by a doctor to a patient?
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