Relationship between religiosity and psychopathology in patients with depression

OBJECTIVE: To compare the psychopathology between depressed patients with low religiosity and those with high religiosity and to correlate the level of religiosity with the psychopathology in the psychiatric clinic of a general hospital in Chandigarh, North India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty depressed patients with low religiosity and 30 patients with high religiosity were assessed on the Religiosity Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Beck Hopelessness Scale and Suicidal Intent Questionnaire. RESULTS: In the patients with depression, hopelessness and suicidal intent correlated negatively with the level of religiosity. CONCLUSION: In depressed patients, hopelessness and suicidal intent are inversely related to the level of religiosity.