Handbook of Spirituality, Religion and Mental Health: A Comprehensive Review

Research has shown that spiritual and religious factors are strongly linked to mental health, with both positive and negative impacts. Since the first edition of the Handbook of Spirituality, Religion and Mental Health was published 20 years ago, the body of research has significantly expanded. The second edition of this book aims to not only identify the relationship between religion, spirituality, and mental health but also to understand how, why, and for whom these factors interact.

The updated version of the handbook covers eight categories of mental disorders, including mood, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, psychotic, eating/feeding, alcohol/substance use, behavioral addictions, and pain-related disorders. It also delves into the relevance of spirituality and religion to marriage/family life, suicidality, and end-of-life care.

The book reviews the research on spiritually integrated psychotherapies and provides basic clinical guidelines for addressing spiritual and religious aspects in treatment. Furthermore, it explores the neurobiology of spiritual and religious experiences as they relate to mental health, covering all major world religions and spiritual identities outside of a religious context.

With its comprehensive review of the latest research, the Handbook of Spirituality, Religion and Mental Health is an essential resource for mental health professionals, researchers, and students seeking to understand the complex interplay between spirituality, religion, and mental health.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive review of the research on the positive and negative effects of spirituality and religion on mental health
• Dedicated chapters focused on the relevance of spirituality and religion to various mental health disorders and aspects of social, emotional, and behavioral health
• Reviews of research on spiritually integrated psychotherapies and clinical guidelines for addressing spiritual and religious life in treatment
• Coverage of the neurobiology of spiritual and religious experiences as they pertain to mental health
• Includes all major world religions and spiritual identities outside of a religious context

Publication Details:

Published by: Elsevier Science

Publication Date: April 21, 2020

Language: English

ISBN: 9780128167663, 9780128167670