View Full Version : Religious affiliation lowers suicide rate



Patrick
12-27-2004, 11:56 PM
It's always amazing to see the miracles of faith in the medical practice. Thisis a great article of research proving just how important faith is to the psyche!

-------
"Religious Affiliation May Lower Suicide Risk

Mon Dec 27, 2:05 PM ET Health - Reuters
By Charnicia E. Huggins

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Depressed men and women who consider themselves affiliated with a religion are less likely to attempt suicide than their non-religious counterparts, according to new study findings.

"If someone acknowledges being religious, all else being equal, they are at lower risk to act on suicidal thoughts than someone who does not acknowledge religious affiliation," study co-author Dr. Maria A. Oquendo told Reuters Health.

Further, she added, "it does not appear to make a difference what religion they state their affiliation for."

Previous research has shown that religious countries tend to have lower rates of suicide than secular nations. Studies have also shown that a higher degree of religious commitment is associated with less suicidal behavior.


In the current study, Oquendo and her colleagues at Columbia University in New York City examined the influence of religious affiliation on suicide attempt in a study of 371 depressed inpatients at a psychiatric institute. About half of the study participants had attempted suicide at least once in their lifetime.

Overall, men and women who said they belonged to a religion had a history of less suicide attempts than those who reported no religious affiliation, Oquendo and her team report in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Specifically, 48 percent of patients affiliated with Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism or other religion reported having attempted suicide, compared with 66 percent of those with no religious affiliation.

Religious patients also reported experiencing less suicidal thoughts than did their non-religious peers, despite similar high scores on assessments of depression and hopelessness.

Patients with no religious affiliation were more likely to have had a first-degree relative who committed suicide and to have a history of substance abuse, the study's findings indicate. They also tended to be younger, were less often married or had children and were less often in contact with their family members.

Upon further analysis, Oquendo and her team found that attempted suicide was most common among patients who did not think suicide was immoral and those with less feelings of family responsibility, both of which were most common among men and women with no religious affiliation.

"It appears that people who state they have a religious affiliation are more likely to have moral objections to suicide and may not act on suicidal thoughts because they think it is wrong to do so," Oquendo said.

"These findings suggest that asking patients about such topics and supporting their involvement with their religious group may be protective against suicidal behavior," she added. "Of course that has not been demonstrated, but our study suggests it is a possibility," she said. "

mranderson
12-28-2004, 07:38 AM
There are people who have chosen not to attempt suicide and do not have strong religious beliefs.

Example. I know someone who has had bouts of depression that said he is not religious and is comfortable with his beliefs (being not sure where the next phase is) because not being sure keeps him from that snap.

He says he is a realist. When speaking of heaven, he says "I would not know what heaven is like. I have never been there." THAT is a true statement.

So. The article may not be entirely true.

Keith
12-28-2004, 08:33 AM
At the rate he is going, he may never make it there.

mranderson
12-28-2004, 11:54 AM
At the rate he is going, he may never make it there.

You could be correct. :Smiley233

GrandMaMa
02-21-2006, 09:54 AM
It's always amazing to see the miracles of faith in the medical practice. Thisis a great article of research proving just how important faith is to the psyche!

-------
"Religious Affiliation May Lower Suicide Risk

Mon Dec 27, 2:05 PM ET Health - Reuters
By Charnicia E. Huggins

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Depressed men and women who consider themselves affiliated with a religion are less likely to attempt suicide than their non-religious counterparts, according to new study findings.

"If someone acknowledges being religious, all else being equal, they are at lower risk to act on suicidal thoughts than someone who does not acknowledge religious affiliation," study co-author Dr. Maria A. Oquendo told Reuters Health.

Further, she added, "it does not appear to make a difference what religion they state their affiliation for."

Previous research has shown that religious countries tend to have lower rates of suicide than secular nations. Studies have also shown that a higher degree of religious commitment is associated with less suicidal behavior.


In the current study, Oquendo and her colleagues at Columbia University in New York City examined the influence of religious affiliation on suicide attempt in a study of 371 depressed inpatients at a psychiatric institute. About half of the study participants had attempted suicide at least once in their lifetime.

Overall, men and women who said they belonged to a religion had a history of less suicide attempts than those who reported no religious affiliation, Oquendo and her team report in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Specifically, 48 percent of patients affiliated with Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism or other religion reported having attempted suicide, compared with 66 percent of those with no religious affiliation.

Religious patients also reported experiencing less suicidal thoughts than did their non-religious peers, despite similar high scores on assessments of depression and hopelessness.

Patients with no religious affiliation were more likely to have had a first-degree relative who committed suicide and to have a history of substance abuse, the study's findings indicate. They also tended to be younger, were less often married or had children and were less often in contact with their family members.

Upon further analysis, Oquendo and her team found that attempted suicide was most common among patients who did not think suicide was immoral and those with less feelings of family responsibility, both of which were most common among men and women with no religious affiliation.

"It appears that people who state they have a religious affiliation are more likely to have moral objections to suicide and may not act on suicidal thoughts because they think it is wrong to do so," Oquendo said.

"These findings suggest that asking patients about such topics and supporting their involvement with their religious group may be protective against suicidal behavior," she added. "Of course that has not been demonstrated, but our study suggests it is a possibility," she said. "

Hmmmm? I suppose they chose to omit the religous zealots that add to their daily ensemble a bomb suicide vest as part of their studies.

GrandMaMa
02-21-2006, 09:57 AM
At the rate he is going, he may never make it there.

For anyone that hasn't already been THERE, no one knows where there is or what it is, only what someone else says it is. The only time anyone will know anything for certain is when they do or don't go where they think they are.

Randy
02-21-2006, 05:54 PM
For anyone that hasn't already been THERE, no one knows where there is or what it is, only what someone else says it is. The only time anyone will know anything for certain is when they do or don't go where they think they are.
Man, you have way too much time on your hands. This thread was started over a year ago. Let it rest.

GrandMaMa
02-21-2006, 06:00 PM
Man, you have way too much time on your hands. This thread was started over a year ago. Let it rest.

Actually, I have NO time on my hands, I just happened to stumble across this post, is that against the rule? Is there a time limit that should cut off responses? Why are you here?