Impact of faith maturity on mental health and wellbeing

Religion/spirituality (R/S) often plays a protective role on mental health although there are instances where it may have a negative impact. Much of the research has concentrated on measurable behaviors, while largely ignoring the deeper R/S constructs that drive these behaviors. Additionally, the diversity of R/S beliefs and practices held by patients and their health care providers has raised clinical concerns about discrimination, which can hinder the integration of research findings into clinical treatments. To address these issues, it is crucial to find improved ways to assess the core elements of R/S constructs that transcend specific traditions with implications for therapeutic interventions. This study aims to fill the existing gap by exploring how faith maturity affects mental health in a sample of psychiatric patients referred to a tertiary care center for outpatient treatment. Data collected from 150 participants was analyzed. Higher faith maturity predicted higher wellbeing, lower depression and reduced suicidality. The nature of this relationship was expressed differently in men and women. These findings suggest that faith maturity needs to be considered in the clinical context of religious individuals, to guide the development of tailored interventions to promote mental health and wellbeing.