Religiosity/spirituality, mental health, substance abuse: implications for population health

Large-scale reviews show lower rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideations, and attempts are associated with religion/spirituality (R/S). Specifically, a review of R/S in health outcomes showed that frequent religious service attendance is associated with: a lower risk of mortality, less smoking, alcohol and drug use compared with adults with less frequent or no attendance, better measures of quality of life, better mental health, fewer depressive symptoms, fewer suicidal behaviours and among adolescents, less risky sexual behaviours, less smoking, and reduced use of alcohol and drugs. Such findings, however, relate mostly to individual models of care, especially in medicine. This chapter offers population health recommendations, focusing on faith-based and health system partnerships to promote mental health, integrating evidence and community-based care and clinical care/medicine with screening, prevention and treatment for depression, anxiety, suicide prevention, substance abuse and adverse childhood events, as they intertwine with poverty, to build resilience and thriving.