The relationship between faith and mental health is more complex and more interesting than either its champions or its critics usually allow. Research consistently shows that religious practice is associated with better mental health outcomes on many measures — lower rates of depression and suicide, stronger social support, greater sense of meaning — while also showing that certain religious contexts, particularly those marked by shame, fear, and conditional belonging, are associated with harm. Faith communities have historically been primary mental health resources for billions of people; they are also environments where mental health struggles are sometimes spiritualized in ways that delay appropriate treatment.
Each step builds on the last.