J M
- Studies say that those who attend religious services at least once a week will less likely to commit suicide
- According to Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, “Religious faith can help people find a sense of meaning and purpose even in suffering”
The continuously increasing suicide rates has been alarming but a group of practicing Catholics appears to have resisted the actions of self-harming and despair.
According to a study published by JAMA Psychiatry, between the years of 1996 and 2010, those who attend any religious service once a week or more has five times less of a risk to commit suicide. However, it is not clear if the study can be applied to a diverse population of Americans.
A study made up of nurses and dominated by Catholic or Protestant women, the suicide rate was observed was about half of U.S women as a whole. Out of more than 89,000 participants aged 30 to 55, 36 women committed suicide in the span of 15 years.
The church attendance is not the only factor to be considered. It also matters which church they attend. For example, it was found out that Protestants who worshiped weekly at church were far less likely to commit suicide compared to those who only attended services once a while. On the other hand, these same Protestant women were still seven times more than the devout Catholics. Among the 6,999 Catholic women who said they attended mass more than once a week, there was not a single suicide.
Tyler J. VanderWeele of Harvard’s T.H Chan School of Public Health stated that “Religion and spirituality may be an underappreciated resource that psychiatrists and clinicians could explore with their patients, as appropriate,”
A new study documented a steep rise in suicides in the U.S between 1994 and 2014. The rates climbed among men and women in all age groups between 10 and 74. However, women remain less likely to take their own lives compared to men. Between the ages of 45 and 64, the rate of suicide increased by 80% over 1999’s rates.
According to Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, an associate professor of psychiatry at UC Irvine, “Religious convictions and practices can help people foster a sense of hope, even in the midst of major crises or adversities. Religious faith can help people find a sense of meaning and purpose even in suffering, It is safe to assume that religious conviction and faith must be genuine and sincere if they are to provide the mental and physical health benefits that several studies have suggested.”
