Religiosity, Spirituality, and Mental Health in Eight Countries

Meta-analyses suggest that religiosity has a positive relationship with mental health. However, methodological concerns limit findings. The purpose of the study was to analyze linear and curvilinear relationships among religiosity, spirituality, and mental health using open science practices and a multinational sample. Relationships among self-reported religiosity, spirituality, depression, anxiety, stress, and life satisfaction were assessed using mixed-effect linear regressions from a publicly available multinational data set of participants (N = 1,754; eight countries: Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Russia, India, Turkey, and the United States). Within a multinational sample, religiosity was associated with depression (beta = -0.09, p < .001, 95% CI [-0.15, 0.04]) and life satisfaction (beta = 0.22, p < .001, 95% CI [.17, .27]), but not anxiety or stress. Religiosity was quadratically associated with anxiety (beta = -0.07, p = .03, 95% CI [-0.13, -0.01]) and stress (beta = -0.06, p = .05, 95% CI [-.012, .00]), but not depression or life satisfaction. Spirituality was associated with depression (beta = -0.08, p < .001, 95% CI [-.13, .03]) and life satisfaction (beta = 0.14, p < .001, 95% CI [.09, .19]), but not anxiety or stress. Spirituality had no quadratic associations. Findings suggest accounting for methodological limitations and acknowledging the importance and murkiness regarding relationships among religiosity, spirituality, and mental health.