Religious Upbringing In Childhood Linked To Poorer Mental & Cognitive Health

[RAMROD 117,019]

A new large-scale study of European adults suggests that, on average, being religiously educated as a child is associated with slightly poorer self-rated health after the age of 50. The research, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, also indicates that this association is not uniform, varying significantly across different aspects of health and among different segments of the population.

Past research has produced a complex and sometimes contradictory picture regarding the connections between religiousness and health. Some studies indicate that religious involvement can offer health benefits, such as reduced suicide risk and fewer unhealthy behaviors. Other research points to negative associations, linking religious attendance with increased depression in some populations.

Most of this work has focused on religious practices in adulthood, leaving the long-term health associations of childhood religious experiences less understood. To address this gap, researchers set out to investigate how a religious upbringing might be linked to health outcomes decades later, taking into account the diverse life experiences that can shape a person’s well-being.

The researchers proposed several potential pathways through which a religious upbringing could influence long-term health. These include psychosocial mechanisms, where religion might foster positive emotions and coping strategies but could also lead to internal conflict or distress. Social and economic mechanisms might involve access to supportive communities and resources, while also potentially exposing individuals to group tensions.

Finally, behavioral mechanisms suggest religion may encourage healthier lifestyles, such as avoiding smoking or excessive drinking, which could have lasting positive effects on physical health. Given these varied and sometimes opposing potential influences, the researchers hypothesized that the link between a religious upbringing and late-life health would not be simple or consistent for everyone.

To explore these questions, the study utilized data from the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe, a major cross-national project. The analysis included information from 10,346 adults aged 50 or older from ten European countries. Participants were asked a straightforward question about their childhood: “Were you religiously educated by your parents?” Their current health was assessed through self-ratings on a five-point scale from “poor” to “excellent.” The study also examined more specific health indicators, including physical health (chronic diseases and limitations in daily activities), mental health (symptoms of depression), and cognitive health (numeracy and orientation skills).

The researchers employed an advanced statistical method known as a causal forest approach. This machine learning technique is particularly well-suited for identifying complex and non-linear patterns in large datasets. Unlike traditional methods that often look for straightforward, linear relationships, the causal forest model can uncover how the association between a religious upbringing and health might change based on a wide array of other factors. The analysis accounted for 19 different variables, including early-life circumstances, late-life demographics like age and marital status, and current religious involvement.

The overall results indicated that, on average, having a religious upbringing was associated with poorer self-rated health in later life. The average effect was modest, representing a -0.10 point difference on the five-point health scale. The analysis showed that for a majority of individuals in the sample, the association was negative.

The analysis also considered how adult religious practices related to the findings. The negative association between a religious upbringing and later health was stronger for individuals who reported praying in adulthood. It was also stronger for those who reported that they never attended a religious organization as an adult. This combination suggests a complex interplay between past experiences and present behaviors.

Future research could build on these findings by using longitudinal data to track individuals over time, providing a clearer view of how early experiences unfold into later life health. More detailed measures of religious education could also help explain why the experience appears beneficial for some health domains but detrimental for others. Researchers also suggest that exploring the mechanisms, such as coping strategies or social support, would provide a more complete understanding.

https://www.psypost.org/a-religious-upbringing-in-childhood-is-linked-to-poorer-mental-and-cognitive-health-in-later-life/

[PartySick 172,484]

I absolutely believe it and I'm so happy I threw off the shackles of believing in superstitious garbage like gods and magic  

Good to see religion being scientifically proven to be a literal disease

[Purrrrrr 18,075]

no way 

[Earthling 3,701]

3 minutes ago, PartySick said:

I absolutely believe it and I'm so happy I threw off the shackles of believing in superstitious garbage like gods and magic  

Good to see religion being scientifically proven to be a literal disease

Reading comprehension- that’s not even the conclusion of the OP.

They basically said it’s complex and requires further analysis since it appears “beneficial in some domains while detrimental in others”

The study asked a pretty shallow question “did you receive a religious education from your parents”- that can include so many diverse life experiences and approaches that I honestly am not surprised it’s inconclusive 

[PartySick 172,484]

1 minute ago, Earthling said:

Reading comprehension- that’s not even the conclusion of the OP.

They basically said it’s complex and requires further analysis since it appears “beneficial in some domains while detrimental in others”

The study asked a pretty shallow question “did you receive a religious education from your parents”- that can include so many diverse life experiences and approaches that I honestly am not surprised it’s inconclusive 

Girl it's right there:

29 minutes ago, RAMROD said:

The overall results indicated that, on average, having a religious upbringing was associated with poorer self-rated health in later life.

In other words, "religion makes you unwell" orrrrr "religion is a disease"

It's my conclusion regardless, growing up in a religious household in the Bible belt. You'd get locked away as a psych patient for some of the stuff these people truly believe but because it's a delusion that millions of others share it's "totally normal".

[27monster27 15,852]

Now hopefully the world can follow in Japans footsteps and make religious indoctrination illegal until one hits the age of 18.

[Ilia Malinin 2,878]

so being forced to go to church did end up making me feel like sh*t.  glad to know that refusing to go after i turned sixteen did me some good.

[Economy 52,844]

55 minutes ago, PartySick said:

I absolutely believe it and I'm so happy I threw off the shackles of believing in superstitious garbage like gods and magic  

Good to see religion being scientifically proven to be a literal disease

Thats a strong statement considering the findings were "slight and varied significantly by groups"

 

I think some humans use it as an excuse for power and abuse...

 

But ive also seen ppl who handled the prospect of death or hardship well because of hopr they got from their faith so i think its important not to view it so black and white and not just associate religion with muslim extrimists or misguided US Republicans

[Lord Mayhem 3,425]

Who would've thought? 

As someone raised by Jehovahs Witnesses and barely survived leaving...it truly drives people to the most toxic of mental states in both extremes of the spectrum...I eish we lived in a world where our species and society based our understanding of life and the universe on science, fact, sound reasoning, and critical thinking...

[Bonkers 30,860]

Does religion MAKE you dumb, or do religious people BE dumb?   

[JoeCool 991]

6 minutes ago, Economy said:

Thats a strong statement considering the findings were "slight and varied significantly by groups"

 

I think some humans use it as an excuse for power and abuse...

 

But ive also seen ppl who handled the prospect of death or hardship well because of hopr they got from their faith so i think its important not to view it so black and white and not just associate religion with muslim extrimists or misguided US Republicans

From my own personal experience I had Church forced on me as a kid and hated it.  I still remember this incident being in Church with my parents and seeing some kids from my high school there and being like so mortified.  Today it's actually kinda funny looking back.    

But when I went back to as an adult under more my own terms....  while not perfect I found it a positive guiding influence in my life.  Especially when life feels tough so to speak 

[Economy 52,844]

27 minutes ago, JoeCool said:

From my own personal experience I had Church forced on me as a kid and hated it.  I still remember this incident being in Church with my parents and seeing some kids from my high school there and being like so mortified.  Today it's actually kinda funny looking back.    

But when I went back to as an adult under more my own terms....  while not perfect I found it a positive guiding influence in my life.  Especially when life feels tough so to speak 

On balance i think religion has been used badly way more than good. But even so, its not black and white for everyone in every circumstance

[Controversiaga 15,991]

Only makes sense 

[PartySick 172,484]

57 minutes ago, Economy said:

Thats a strong statement considering the findings were "slight and varied significantly by groups"

 

I think some humans use it as an excuse for power and abuse...

 

But ive also seen ppl who handled the prospect of death or hardship well because of hopr they got from their faith so i think its important not to view it so black and white and not just associate religion with muslim extrimists or misguided US Republicans

I associate religion with delusion first, then extremism. It is very much black or white imo 'cause no level of delusional belief in the supernatural is healthy period.

Regardless of whether it's fascists using religion as an excuse to hurt others or grandma giving thanks to god for her bologna sandwich, it's all bad.

And I personally don't believe that deluding yourself or surrendering to a fairytale's omnipotent being is a healthy way to process death and pain.

Religion is ALWAYS bad. Period.

[Reid LePage 5,026]

and the water is found wet in the forks kitchen