Spirituality and mental health: Exploring how faith practices and inner beliefs can strengthen resilience, foster healing, and provide meaning during life’s challenging moments.
Spirituality and mental health intersect with today’s digital landscape, where an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 mental health applications provide abundant resources for psychological well-being. The United States alone boasts 1.2 million mental health professionals, including various types of mental health providers, offering a wide range of mental health services. We’ve been observing Mental Health Awareness Month for 75 years. While our understanding and recognition of mental health conditions have never been greater, paradoxically, some experts suggest that increased awareness has coincided with declining mental well-being.
Recent research from 2023 reveals a startling statistic: approximately 50% of the global population will experience a mental health condition during their lifetime. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the situation appears even more concerning among younger generations. Dr. Harold Koplewicz, the founding President and Medical Director of the Child Mind Institute, states, “The youth mental health crisis is undeniable. Mental health disorders, not infectious diseases, have become the predominant health challenges facing children and adolescents. Emergency rooms receive a child or teenager with suicidal thoughts or attempts every half minute.”
Our current era presents unique challenges that contribute to this crisis: escalating environmental disasters, rising rates of chronic illnesses, and widespread anxiety surrounding artificial intelligence. People harbor deep concerns about AI potentially replacing their jobs, negatively affecting their children’s futures, and evolving beyond human control at an unprecedented pace.
However, beneath these contemporary challenges lies a more profound existential dilemma.
Reflecting on the words of French philosopher and priest Teilhard de Chardin, “we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” When we neglect the spiritual dimension of our nature, we forfeit access to a valuable framework that could help us navigate through these turbulent times of unprecedented change. This understanding highlights the importance of embarking on a spirituality for mental health to enhance our overall well-being.
While many find spiritual fulfillment through traditional religious practices and faith communities, Columbia psychology professor Lisa Miller emphasizes that spirituality can manifest in various forms. She notes, “The biological markers of profound spiritual or religious experiences remained consistent regardless of their religious or secular nature, showing identical physiological patterns whether experienced in a religious setting or during a nature walk in the ‘natural cathedral.’ Our brains are universally equipped with spiritual capabilities that we can engage anywhere, anytime.” This observation underscores the importance of spiritual beliefs in our lives, regardless of religious affiliation.
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The specific methods we choose to achieve states of spirituality, whether through experiencing mystery, awe, grace, or wonder, are less important than ensuring these experiences remain integral to our lives. This understanding of spirituality and religion for mental health highlights the importance of our overall well-being.
Renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow initially positioned self-actualization at the peak of his needs hierarchy, above basic physiological requirements, security, and social connection. However, in his final years, he recognized that self-actualization alone didn’t fully capture the essence of human experience, leading him to add “transcendence” as the ultimate pinnacle of human development.
As Maslow eloquently stated, “The spiritual life is an inherent part of human essence. It represents a defining characteristic of human nature, without which human nature remains incomplete.” This innate spiritual drive enables us to transcend self-focused concerns and provides resilience against feelings of hopelessness and purposelessness. Throughout human history, this capacity to derive meaning from our challenges has served as a crucial survival mechanism—a phenomenon now substantiated by contemporary scientific research on health and spirituality.
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David DeSteno, who authored How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion, observes, “In addressing fundamental human experiences like birth and death, questions of morality and purpose, and the processing of grief and loss, it would be shortsighted to dismiss the insights gathered through millennia of religious understanding.” This perspective highlights the value of religious leaders and their teachings in addressing life’s fundamental questions.
Spirituality not only helps us endure challenging times but can also facilitate personal growth and enhance spiritual health. Research conducted in 2024 examining Polish healthcare workers during the pandemic revealed that enhanced spiritual awareness correlated with positive psychological transformation following life challenges, a phenomenon known as post-traumatic growth. This finding underscores the importance of spiritual coping mechanisms in difficult situations.
Thomas Jefferson University neuroscientist Andrew Newberg explains that concentrated attention during spiritual activities such as meditation and prayer enhances frontal lobe functionality, which controls executive functions, while simultaneously reducing limbic system activity, associated with fear responses and fight-or-flight reactions. “The neurological improvements associated with spiritual practices lead to decreased stress and anxiety, which subsequently promotes better physical health outcomes,” Newberg explains. These findings underscore the connection between mental health benefits and spiritual practices, demonstrating how spirituality affects us physiologically.
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“Religious practice, independent of its theological foundations, provides a sophisticated, historically proven set of psychological tools that complement our biological makeup,” DeSteno notes. “Dismissing this knowledge base impedes scientific advancement and limits its potential benefits for humanity.”
DeSteno draws two compelling parallels: first, comparing religion to a vaccine that “strengthens both mental and physical resilience, preparing individuals for future health challenges,” and second, likening it to medicine that provides healing when illness strikes. He references a comprehensive Mayo Clinic analysis of numerous studies that revealed a consistent pattern: “individuals who regularly participated in religious worship demonstrated measurably better health outcomes.” This observation highlights the potential benefits of religious coping and participation in a religious community.
Miller’s research using MRI technology provides additional scientific validation of the relationship between religion and depression. “The brains of highly spiritual individuals showed superior health and resilience compared to those with low spirituality,” she reports. “Across various faith traditions, spiritually aware individuals’ brains demonstrated an inherent ability to protect themselves from the neurological patterns typically associated with depression.” These findings emphasize the importance of conducting spiritual assessments in mental health research and treatment.
In Miller’s framework of “achieving awareness,” we focus on structuring our existence and pursuing our goals—a mindset essential for career development and task completion. However, defining life solely through achievements creates an imbalance. Through our “awakened awareness” or spiritual consciousness, our perspective broadens considerably. We begin to recognize ourselves not merely as individual strivers but as interconnected beings within a spiritual community. This shift enables us to discover and experience deeper meaning and purpose, reflecting the progression from Maslow’s self-actualization to self-transcendence.
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In contemporary society, many individuals view therapy as the exclusive solution to modern life’s psychological and emotional challenges, often overlooking the potential benefits of spiritual interventions.
Dr. Samantha Boardman articulates this concern precisely: “I am not anti-therapy. I am anti-therapy culture. I believe therapy works best when it is targeted and purposeful.” This sentiment is reinforced by Dr. Richard Friedman of Weill Cornell Medicine, who observes that “excessive self-focus… can increase your anxiety, especially when it substitutes for tangible actions.” Such intense self-preoccupation can be effectively counterbalanced through spiritual experiences that connect us to something greater than ourselves.
Boardman identifies several daily practices that enhance mental wellbeing, including spiritual engagement, nature immersion, volunteerism, and altruistic activities. These practices can complement traditional mental health treatment approaches and support mental health recovery, highlighting the potential of spiritual coping strategies.
The spiritual component and focus on helping others have been crucial to Alcoholics Anonymous’s effectiveness. In the 1939 publication Alcoholics Anonymous, co-founder Bill Wilson expressed that “deep down in every man, woman, and child, is the fundamental idea of God. It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form or other it is there.” This statement highlights the importance of understanding spirituality in the context of mental health care and the potential role of religious faith in recovery.
Contemporary society exhibits a profound spiritual hunger. While religious attendance has declined over decades, the spiritual impulse remains robust. A recent U.S. Gallup survey revealed that 82% of respondents identify as religious, spiritual, or both, indicating a strong interest in spiritual or religious beliefs. This statistic underscores the ongoing relevance of religiousness in modern society.
While people have legitimate reasons for distancing themselves from organized religion, rejecting our inherent spiritual inclination alongside this withdrawal deprives us of our humanity’s full, expansive potential. It’s crucial to recognize that spiritual resources and addressing spiritual needs can play a significant role in supporting mental health outcomes.
As we navigate the complexities of modern life and its impact on our mental health, it’s essential to consider the potential benefits of integrating spirituality into our lives. Whether through traditional religious involvement, mindfulness practices, or secular forms of spiritual exploration, nurturing our spiritual well-being can provide valuable support for our mental and emotional health. By acknowledging the importance of spirituality and its potential to complement conventional mental health services, we can work towards a more holistic approach to mental health care that addresses both our psychological and spiritual needs. This approach recognizes the value of both mental health providers and spiritual leaders in promoting overall well-being.
Source:
Arianna Huffington (August 8, 2025). The Connection Between Spirituality and Mental Health. TIME. https://time.com/7308119/the-connection-between-spirituality-and-mental-health/
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