Filipinos are known to be extremely devoted to religion and their spiritual beliefs. And because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, and thanks to technological advances, Filipinos are given an option to attend a Sunday mass through online means. Many other people disagree with the existence of God, but what is so interesting about those who are firm believers of God? And do religiously devoted people have better mental stability than those who do not?
Religious people and their Mental Health Stability
Several studies have been conducted to know whether or not religion helps with mental health stability. A number of studies have found that religiously devoted people show fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety and that religion has become their way of coping with daily life stress (Rettner, 2015). According to the study of Newberg (2010), several meditation practices that include repetitive phrases such as prayers, create brain activities that are involved in emotional responses such as the frontal lobe, and the prefrontal cortex, and thus help with their mental health stability.
Non-religiously devout people and their Mental Health Stability
Religion can be a means of releasing stress for some people, but there are also others who do not believe in the existence of God and extremely hate being part of a ritual or religious practice. According to Louca (2021), those who have a perception of God as Punitive, punishing, abandoning us, threatening, or unreliable, show a higher tendency of developing depression, and poorer quality of life. On the other hand, those who have the opposite perception of God, show positive outcomes such as better mental health stability, and better quality of life.
Conclusion
It is intriguing to know that those who are religiously devout people have better Mental Health Stability than those who do not practice religion at all. Although the topic is debatable, it is better to consider that attending Sunday masses, or believing in God, comes down to personal willingness and preference.
References:
Rettner, R. (2015, September 24). God Help Us? How Religion is Good (And Bad) For Mental Health. https://www.livescience.com/52197-religion-mental-health-brain.html.
Louca, E. (2021, January 6). Effects of Religion and Faith on Mental Health. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346539950_Effects_of_Religion_and_Faith_on_Mental_Health.