#49 Does faith cause more psychological harm than good?
Even in the earliest days of the Church, Christians were accused of being ’hate filled’ and of causing harm. And today, in many parts of the world, faith is increasingly linked with trauma and oppression. But is faith psychologically bad for you?
Here we will examine the surprisingly strong evidence that faith is associated with a wide range of benefits, both to psychological and physical health. The actions of Christians have sometimes caused harm but faith itself is strongly linked with our human flourishing and good.
Papers cited by Prof Glynn Harrison:
- Mental Disorders, Religion and Spirituality - Bonelli & Koenig 2013
- Religious involvement, spirituality, and medicine: implications for clinical practice - Mueller 2001
- Pursuing Happiness: The Architecture of Sustainable Change - Lyubomirsky, Sheldon & Schkade 2005
- Income, Health and Wellbeing Around the World: Evidence from the Gallup World Poll - Deaton 2009
- Fundamentalist Religion and Its Effect on Mental Health - Hartz & Everett 1989
Prof Glynn Harrison
Glynn Harrison MD FRCPsych is Emeritus Professor of Mental Health, University of Bristol and a retired clinical psychiatrist. He specialised in psychiatric epidemiology and early interventions for psychosis. He now lectures widely on issues at the interface of faith, mental health and culture.
