The Role of Religion and Spirituality in Mental Health

Summary of the Research article
Weber, S. (2014). The role of religion and spirituality in mental health. Current Opinion,
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8422/fdcc2e5ef96123ef197821a03c0472018a36.pdf.
Written by Samuel Weber, this article deals with the clashes between psychiatry and religion,
the crux of this article promotes a sophisticated methodology that can be utilized to bridge the
gap between the two strong streams that has the power to inflict mental wellness among
certain subjects. The article culminates on a positive note where it sums up about the current
developments in the field of Psychiatry that are related to religion and its implication as a tool
in the process of the psychological cures (Greensten, 2016) .
Mediating factors that brings an impact on Religion health relationship
In the year 1907, Sigmund Fraud ruled out religion completely when he said that religion is a
‘universal obsessional neurosis.” The psychiatrists of that generation found that religion is an
ineffective way to treat because of its dual nature; it can bring in negativity in a patient
because it defies the logic at times (Whitley, 2017).
Use of Religion as a coping mechanism
Religion can be used as a support system during the phase of PTSD, it can be used under the
conditions when heavy medications are not feasible. According to the author, religion and
spirituality are emerging as a major support system for the patients that are suffering from
Posttraumatic stress disorders. Another positive factor associated with religion is related to
the inclusion of the social support system (Rettner, 2016). It can become a part of the CBT
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