Religiosity, Depression, and Suicide

作者：Steven John Stack · 年份：1992 · DOI：10.1093/oso/9780195069853.003.0006 · 被引用次数：23 · 研究领域：Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology、Religion and Society Interactions、Suicide and Self-Harm Studies

Abstract The literature on the impact of religiosity on suicide and depression has pursued a number of recurrent themes. The social integration/regulation perspective of Durkheim (1966) has been the dominant theoretical link between religion and suicide; the sheer numbers of religious rituals and beliefs are seen as critical to suicide prevention (e.g., Stack, 1980; Kowalski, Faupel, & Starr, 1987). Others have contended that a few key aspects of religion may be enough to lower suicide risk (Stark, Doyle, & Rushing, 1983; Stack, 1983b); this is the religious commitment view. A relatively new “networks” approach explores factors such as the organizational aspects of religious bodies (hierarchical structure, primary group ties, and the like) in order to assess suicide risk (Pescosolido & Georgianna, 1989). This chapter reviews each of these theories and the empirical literature associated with them. It treats the special problem of religion and depression in a shorter section, and a conclusion provides a summary and suggestions for future research.