On the links between religion, mental health and inter-religious conflict: A brief summary of empirical research

Recently, the field of psychology has begun to display a growing interest in the influence of religion on people's psychological well-being. By and large, the empirical findings of this body of inquiry have revealed positive associations between religious beliefs and practices and different indices of health and well-being and demonstrated that religion serves as a valuable tool for individuals dealing with life stressors. Yet, there is ample data to suggest that religion can also have a negative influence on the psychological well-being of the individual. This duality of religion is the focus of this summary paper which consists of two main sections. The first considers the potential constructive and destructive sides of religion with regard to general health and well-being. The second section refers to religious variables that promote or mitigate prejudice and perceived conflict with others.