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01-02-2015 | Original Paper

Religion and Health: Anxiety, Religiosity, Meaning of Life and Mental Health

Authors: Yung-Jong Shiah, Frances Chang, Shih-Kuang Chiang, I-Mei Lin, Wai-Cheong Carl Tam

Published in: Journal of Religion and Health | Issue 1/2015

Abstract

We examined the association among anxiety, religiosity, meaning of life and mental health in a nonclinical sample from a Chinese society. Four hundred fifty-one Taiwanese adults (150 males and 300 females) ranging in age from 17 to 73 years (M = 28.9, SD = 11.53) completed measures of Beck Anxiety Inventory, Medical Outcomes Study Health Survey, Perceived Stress Scale, Social Support Scale, and Personal Religiosity Scale (measuring religiosity and meaning of life). Meaning of life has a significant negative correlation with anxiety and a significant positive correlation with mental health and religiosity; however, religiosity does not correlate significantly anxiety and mental health after controlling for demographic measures, social support and physical health. Anxiety explains unique variance in mental health above meaning of life. Meaning of life was found to partially mediate the relationship between anxiety and mental health. These findings suggest that benefits of meaning of life for mental health can be at least partially accounted for by the effects of underlying anxiety.

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Title: Religion and Health: Anxiety, Religiosity, Meaning of Life and Mental Health
Authors: Yung-Jong Shiah
Frances Chang
Shih-Kuang Chiang
I-Mei Lin
Wai-Cheong Carl Tam
Publication date: 01-02-2015
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Religion and Health / Issue 1/2015
Print ISSN: 0022-4197
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6571
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-013-9781-3

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Religion and Health: Anxiety, Religiosity, Meaning of Life and Mental Health

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