Skip to main content
Log in

Spiritualiteit en religie

Het verband met geestelijke en lichamelijke gezondheid

  • Artikelen
  • Published:
Gedrag & gezondheid

Summary

Spirituality and religion. The association with mental and physical health

This article discusses spirituality and religion in relation to somatic and mental health and health care. It emphasizes mental health, because it is assumed that the effects on somatic health are mediated or modulated via improvements of mental health (including a better coping with stressful situations). The term ‘spirituality’ refers to the subjective, inner journey – eventually the encounter with God. It is also the category that summarizes modern – New Age-related – movements. The term ‘religion’ is especially related to the common organization of that journey; religion is concerned with the attributes of the journey and the travel books. The structure of this article is as follows: in the first part religion and spirituality will be defined. This paragraph is the overture to the second paragraph that discusses the outcomes of scientific research on the relationships between spirituality and/or religion and (mental) health. The third paragraph presents the explanations that are proposed by researchers regarding the health-related effects of religion and spirituality – it discusses also some theoretical contributions from the neurosciences. The article ends with a paragraph that discusses the consequences of some research findings for clinical practice.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Bovendien kunnen ook andere sociaal-culturele bronnen bijdragen aan de genoemde persoonlijkheidsfactoren.

  2. Deze onderzoekers sloten bevindingen over ‘spiritualiteit’ overigens uit, omdat er ten tijde van hun onderzoek (i) weinig wetenschappelijke consensus bestond over de definitie van spiritualiteit, er (ii) nog nauwelijks instrumenten bestonden om spiritualiteit te meten en (iii) er mede hierdoor nog weinig onderzoeksbevindingen beschikbaar waren die de moeite van het samenvatten waard waren. Inmiddels is er een keur aan bruikbare instrumenten om religiositeit of spiritualiteit te ‘meten’. Zie voor een recent overzicht: Ramondetta en Sills (2004).

  3. De meeste onderzoekingen hebben betrekking op volwassenen en ouderen. Miller en Gur (2002) onderzochten bij meer dan 3000 adolescente meisjes in hoeverre religiositeit gerelateerd was aan depressie. De onderzoekers stelden vast dat religiositeit (de onderzoekers maakten geen onderscheid met spiritualiteit) invers geassocieerd was aan depressie. Dit verband was des te sterker naarmate er sprake was van fysieke rijpheid (gemeten aan het optreden van secundaire seksuele kenmerken).

  4. Een voorbeeld: Cohen, Magai, Yaffee en Walcott-Brown (2004) stelden in een onderzoek naar paranoïde gedachtevorming en psychoses vast dat er in dit opzicht significante verschillen waren tussen zwarten en blanken. Paranoïde ideeën en psychotische symptomen traden bij zwarten vaker op. Dit verschil is, aldus de onderzoekers, mogelijk niet het gevolg van de ernst van de psychiatrische symptomatologie. Volgens hen hangt het samen met de omstandigheid dat onder de zwarte populatie andere, meer spiritueleopvattingen vigeren.

  5. Vooral psychotherapie lijkt een belangrijk platform om aandacht te geven aan de spirituele behoeften van patiënten. Zie over ‘spirituele psychotherapie’: Karasu (1999), Sperry (2003), Tan (2003), Beck (2003) en Tisdale, Doehring en Lorraine-Poirier (2003).

Literatuur

  • Albee, G.W., & Joffe, J.M. (2004). Mental illness is not ‘an illness like any other’. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 24, 419–435.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ano, G.G., & Vasconcelles, E.B. (2005). Religious coping and psychological adjustment to stress: A meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61, 461–480.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Atran, S., & Norenzayan, A. (2004). Religion’s evolutionary landscape: Counterintuition, commitment, compassion, communion. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 27, 713–730.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, J.R. (2003). Self and soul: Exploring the boundary between psychotherapy and spiritual formation. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 31, 24–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benjamins, M.R., & Brown, C. (2004). Religion and preventive health care utilization among the elderly. Social Science & Medicine, 58, 109–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borg, J., Andree, B., Soderstrom, H., & Farde, L. (2003). The serotonin system and spiritual experiences. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 1965–1969.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braam, A.W., Beekman, A.T.F., & Tilburg, W. van (1999). Religion and depression in later life. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 12, 471–475.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chatters, L.M. (2000). Religion and health: Public health research and practice. Annual Review of Public Health, 21, 335–367.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, C.I., Magai, C., Yaffee, R., & Walcott-Brown, L. (2004). Racial differences in paranoid ideation and psychoses in an older urban population. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 864–871.

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Souza, R. (2002). Do patients expect psychiatrists to be interested in spiritual issues? Australasian Psychiatry, 10, 44–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Souza, R. (2003). Incorporating a spiritual history into a psychiatric assessment. Australasian Psychiatry, 11, 12–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daaleman, T.P., Perera, S., & Studenski, S.A. (2004). Religion, spirituality, and health status in geriatric outpatients. Annals of Family Medicine, 2, 49–53.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Emmons, R.A., & Paloutzian, R.F. (2003). The psychology of religion. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 377–402.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Folkman, S., & Moskowitz, J.T. (2004). Coping: Pitfalls and promises. Annual Review of Psychology, 55, 745–774.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York, NY: Bantam Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill, P.C., & Pargament, K.I. (2003). Advances in the conceptualization and measurement of religion and spirituality. Implications for physical and mental health research. American Psychologist, 58, 64–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karasu, T.B. (1999). Spiritual psychotherapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 53, 143–162.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kendler, K.S., Liu, X.Q., Gardner, C.O., McCullough, M.E., Larson, D., & Prescott, C.A. (2003). Dimensions of religiosity and their relationship to lifetime psychiatric and substance use disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 496–503.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H.G. (2000). Religion and medicine I: Historical background and reasons for separation. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 30, 385–398.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H.G. (2001a). Religion and medicine II: Religion, mental health, and related behaviors. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 31, 97–109.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H.G. (2001b). Religion and medicine III: Developing a theoretical model. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 31, 199–216.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H.G. (2001c). Religion and medicine IV: Religion, physical health, and clinical implications. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 31, 321–336.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, D.B., & Larson, S.S. (2003). Spirituality’s potential relevance to physical & emotional health: A brief review of quantitative research. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 31, 37–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maslow, A.H. (1968). Toward a psychology of being. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maslow, A.H. (1987). Motivation and personality, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, D.A., McCullough, M.E., Larson, D.B., Koenig, H.G., Swyers, J.P., & Milano, M.G. (1998). Religious commitment and health status: A review of the research and implications for family medicine. Archives of Family Medicine, 7, 118–124.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCord, G., Gilchrist, V.J., Grossman, S.D., King, B.D., McCormick, K.E., Oprandi, A.M., Schrop, S.L., Selius, B.A., Smucker, D.O., Weldy, D.L., Amorn, M., Carter, M.A., Deak, A.J., Hefzy, H., & Srivastava, M. (2004). Discussing spirituality with patients: A rational and ethical approach. Annals of Family Medicine, 2, 356–361.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • McCullough, M.E., Hoyt, W.T., Larson, D.B., Koenig, H.G., & Thoresen, C. (2000). Religious involvement and mortality: A meta-analytic review. Health Psychology, 19, 211–222.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meadows, G. (2003). Buddhism and psychiatry: Confluence and conflict. Australasian Psychiatry, 11, 16–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, L., & Gur, M. (2002). Religiosity, depression, and physical maturation in adolescent girls. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 41, 206–214.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, W.R., & Thoresen, C.E. (2003). Spirituality, religion, and health. An emerging research field. American Psychologist, 58, 24–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller, P.S., Plevak, D.J., & Rummans, T.A. (2001). Religious involvement, spirituality, and medicine: Implications for clinical practice. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 76, 1225–1235.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muramoto, O. (2004). The role of the medial prefrontal cortex in human religious activity. Medical Hypotheses, 62, 479–485.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oman, D., & Thoresen, C.E. (2002). ’Does religion cause health?’: Differing interpretations and diverse meanings. Journal of Health Psychology, 7, 365–380.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pargament, K.I., Koenig, H.G., Tarakeshwar, N., & Hahn, J. (2001). Religious struggle as a predictor of mortality among medically ill elderly patients: A 2-year longitudinal study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 161, 1881–1885.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pargament, K.I., Koenig, H.G., Tarakeshwar, N., & Hahn, J. (2004). Religious coping methods as predictors of psychological, physical and spiritual outcomes among medically ill elderly patients: A two-year longitudinal study. Journal of Health Psychology, 9, 713–730.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pargament, K.I., Smith, B.W., Koenig, H.G., & Perez, L. (1998). Patterns of positive and negative religious coping with major life stressors. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 37, 710–724.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powell, L.H., Shahabi, L., & Thoresen, C.E. (2003). Religion and spirituality. Linkages to physical health. American Psychologist, 58, 36–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramondetta, L.M., & Sills, D. (2004). Spirituality in gynecological oncology: A review. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 14, 183–201.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Saroglou, V. (2003). Psychology of religion and culture. Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS).Developed under the auspices of the UNESCO, Eolss Publishers, Oxford, UK [https://doi.org/www.eolss.net].

  • Schwartz, C., Meisenhelder, J.B., Ma, Y., & Reed, G. (2003). Altruistic social interest behaviors are associated with better mental health. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, 778–785.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seeman, T.E., Dubin, L.F., & Seeman, M. (2003). Religiosity/spirituality and health: A critical review of the evidence for biological pathways. American Psychologist, 58, 53–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sperry, L. (2003). Integrating spiritual direction functions in the practice of psychotherapy. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 31, 3–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Svrakic, D.M., Whitehead, C., Przybeck, T.R., & Cloninger, C.R. (1993). Differential diagnosis of personality disorders by the seven-factor model of temperament and character. Archive of General Psychiatry, 50, 991–999.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tan, S.Y. (2003). Integrating spiritual direction into psychotherapy: Ethical issues and guidelines. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 31, 14–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Testerman, J.K. (1997). Spirituality versus religion: Implications for healthcare.Presentation prepared for the 20th Annual Faith and Learning seminar held at Loma Linda California.

  • Tisdale, T.C., Doehring, C.E., & Lorraine-Poirier, V. (2003). Three voices, one song: A psychologist, spiritual director, and pastoral counselor share perspective. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 31, 52–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaillant, G.E. (2003). Mental health. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 1373–1384.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Jaap C. van der Stel is als senior onderzoeker werkzaam bij De Geestgronden, instelling voor geestelijke gezondheidszorg. Correspondentieadres: Postbus 5, 2120 BA Bennebroek.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van der Stel, J. Spiritualiteit en religie. GEGE 33, 74–86 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03087892

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03087892

Navigation