Religion and Spirituality

Spirituality

• personal, subjective transcendent experience

• broader

• goal to understand the meaning of life

religion

institutional

• fixed ideas and ideologies

• beliefs, practices and rituals (often are mediatative)

• sense of community

4 reasons for connection of R/S

• measures/definitions for research often overlap so arent typically studied seperately

• both unfold in a social context

•  most people experience R & S simultaneously

• both arent necessarily good or bad

positive health outcomes for R/S

• higher well being

• lower levels of hospitalization, pain, better survival, cardiovascular outcomes

• better mental health

why might R/S have a negative outcome on health

if you believe that God gives out punishments or blessing based on behavior

• may think you deserved the bad health