Religion and mental health

Abstract

In this paper, we will present an empirical research motivated by the wish to learn how religion affects mental health, by comparing the answers of respondents from the general population, adherents of the dominant religion and smaller confessional communities, and psychiatric patients. The sample was comprised of 621 respondents, believers of Serbian Orthodox Church, Seventh day Adventist, Baptist, and Pentecostal (N=303); general population (N=225) and psychiatric patients (N=94). Instrument we used is MMPI-201. Questions that this paper seeks to answer are: Which variables related to mental health are influenced by religion, and does religion improve or imperil mental health? In what way does the society establish criteria for evaluating the other and the different and in how does this reflect on selfimage of adolescents? These and numerous other questions asked during the work open the possibility of practical application of this research