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Prayer Versus Elder Depression
Religious involvement has been found to have beneficial effects on a person’s physical health and has even resulted in some physicians putting religion at par with physical exercise. According to a group of researchers led by William J. Strawbridge of the Human Population Laboratory in Berkeley, California, religious involvement provides "an important coping mechanism in times of stress for older persons."
In trying to fathom the complex nature of religious involvement and depression, Strawbridge and his colleagues examined the effects of religion on a group of 2,655 persons who were age 50 or older, and how religion or the lack of it can provide a buffer against depression. Non-organizational religion had no effect on depression, according to the study, reported in the May 1998 issue of The Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences.
On the other hand, organizational religiosity tends to reduce depression even when physical health is taken into account. According to the researchers, both organizational and non-organizational religiosity can "buffer or exacerbate associations between stressors and depression, depending on the type of stressor involved."
For non-family stressors, religiosity appears to provide a buffer against depression, but when it comes to family stressors religiosity appears to exacerbate depression. The Journal of Gerontology is a refereed publication of the Gerontological Society of America.
Footnote: Our AgeVenture focus group, responding to this article, offered this additional insight. "Organizational religious involvement may be more effective in combating depression because of the existence of a sophisticated support system capable of offering counseling, companionship, transportation, a sense of community, and other resources that empower elders."
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