Religious attendance after elevated depressive symptoms: is selection bias at work?

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Sociology of Religion
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Previous research suggests a link between religious attendance and better mental health, potentially due to self-selection.
• The role of selection bias in this relationship remains debated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether elevated depressive symptoms predict a decrease in future religious attendance.
• To examine if selection bias influences the observed association between religious attendance and depression.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal panel study of 1,673 Dutch adults over five years.
• Religious attendance assessed annually; depressive symptoms measured four times in the first year using the Brief Symptom Inventory.
• Logistic regression models analyzed changes in attendance, stratified by baseline attendance.

Main Results:

• Individuals with elevated depressive symptoms were significantly less likely to decrease their religious attendance compared to those without symptoms (RRR: 0.55, 95% CI [0.38-0.79]).
• This inverse association persisted after controlling for covariates and accounting for attrition.
• Elevated depressive symptoms did not predict an increase in attendance among non-attenders.

Conclusions:

• The findings challenge the notion that religious attendees are exclusively a healthier, self-selected group.
• Depressive symptoms may influence religious attendance patterns, rather than solely reflecting pre-existing mental well-being.
• Selection bias alone may not fully explain the relationship between religious attendance and depression.