Morning Readers,
This article was inspired by recent news that some schools may be breaking the law when it comes to teaching RE in schools. With this in mind, I wondered if there was a correlation between teen mental health problems and having a faith. I hope this article proves to be as insightful to read as I found researching it.
Happy Beautiful day,
Katie Smiles
Dear Father,
is there a correlation?
evidence to suggest for both sides
conclusion: evidence inconclusive- a more longitudal study would be needed
Did you know that,
At the same time,
So what's the evidence? Well a 2005 study of older adults in America found that being religious served as a aid to alleviating depression among people in poorer health, 'with the highest levels of depression among those who were in poor health and not religious'. Additionally, a 2013 study found that patients who are being treated for mental-health issues such as depression or anxiety responded better to treatment if they believed in God. But what if you're a non believer and still want to reap the benefits?
Well, studies suggest that meditation and repeating certain phrases (related to meditative prayer) activate areas of the brain involved in regulating emotional responses, including the frontal lobes, Newberg said.
However, at the same time Rettner argues that 'its impact depends on a person's beliefs, and whether religion is generally accepted by the larger community,' (LiveScience, 2015)
This article was inspired by recent news that some schools may be breaking the law when it comes to teaching RE in schools. With this in mind, I wondered if there was a correlation between teen mental health problems and having a faith. I hope this article proves to be as insightful to read as I found researching it.
Happy Beautiful day,
Katie Smiles
Dear Father,
is there a correlation?
evidence to suggest for both sides
conclusion: evidence inconclusive- a more longitudal study would be needed
Did you know that,
'More than a quarter of England's secondary schools do not offer religious education, despite the law saying they must, suggests research given to BBC local radio' (BBC, 2017)
At the same time,
'50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 '
So what's the evidence? Well a 2005 study of older adults in America found that being religious served as a aid to alleviating depression among people in poorer health, 'with the highest levels of depression among those who were in poor health and not religious'. Additionally, a 2013 study found that patients who are being treated for mental-health issues such as depression or anxiety responded better to treatment if they believed in God. But what if you're a non believer and still want to reap the benefits?
Well, studies suggest that meditation and repeating certain phrases (related to meditative prayer) activate areas of the brain involved in regulating emotional responses, including the frontal lobes, Newberg said.
However, at the same time Rettner argues that 'its impact depends on a person's beliefs, and whether religion is generally accepted by the larger community,' (LiveScience, 2015)
'For example, if a religion advocates hate of nonbelievers, these negative beliefs would also become part of the way the brain works, Newberg said. In theory, this would turn on areas of the brain involved in thinking about hate, and could increase stress and stimulate the release of stress hormones, Newberg said' (LiveScience, 2015)
So my thinking is, what if as part of RE, acceptance and understanding for other faiths was taught in schools? Would this fuel a more compassionate and understanding society for the future? Would love to know your thoughts in the comments below.
Happy Beautiful day,
Katie Smiles xx
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