Depression in Chronic Illness: Does Religion Help?

摘要

Religious beliefs and practices are widely prevalent around the world. So is depressive disorder, particularly among persons with chronic illness. Are religious practices and depression related, and if so, how can we incorporate this relationship in developing treatments for depression among the chronically ill?Worldwide, depression is the leading cause of disability and a major contributor to the global burden of disease. More than 350 million people of all ages suffer from depression (World Health Organization [WHO], 2012). In the United States the lifetime prevalence of depressive disorder is about 15% (10% in men and 20% in women) (Steffens et al., 2000), whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that at least 1 in 10 adults 18 and older currently suffer from depression (CDC, 2012).The prevalence of depression increases to as high as 45% in hospitalized patients with medical illness (Koenig & Blazer, 2006).