The impact of religiousness on life satisfaction and anxiety level of the patients with depression disorders treated at the neuro-psychiatric center in riem, munich

INTRODUCTION: Religious people suffer less from depression disorder than less or non-religious people. According to a longitudinal study investigating religiousness and negative life events, religious participants demonstrated fewer depressive symptoms than non-religious. Furthermore, depressed patients with higher religiosity scores show lower values of depression symptoms. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between religiosity and patients with depression symptoms in the Neuro-Psychiatric Center in Riem (NPZR). The correlation between religiousness and life satisfaction as well as anxiety level was analyzed. Additionally, possible gender differences are also assesed. METHODS: The patients of the NPZR were selected as sample of the study (N =106, F=61, M=45). The participants were provided with three surveys including the life satisfaction questionnaire, state trait anxiety inventory and the Centrality Scale. A Pearson Correlation was conducted to investigate the association between life satisfaction, level of anxiety and religiousness. T-Test was carried out to find out the differences between female and male patients. RESULTS: There was a positive relationship between religiousness and life satisfaction of the depressed patients (r = .608, p= .001). There was also a significant relationship between religiosity and anxiety level (r = - .548, p < .001). However there was no significant difference between male and female patients with regard to their religiousness (t= .149, p= .882). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that while there is a significant relationship between life satisfaction, level of anxiety and religiousness of the patients, the gender of the patients has no impact on the religiosity of participants.