Academic Study Finds Church-Going African Americans Suffer Fewer Mental Health Issues

A new study by researchers at the University of Michigan and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, finds that African Americans who attend religious services are significantly less likely to suffer from mental health issues than other African Americans. In short, religion is a major beneficial factor for African Americans in helping them deal with the pressures of American life.

Researchers surveyed 3,000 African Americans and found that those who attended church were less likely to suffer from depression, psychological distress, and post-traumatic stress syndrome and were less likely to consider suicide.

The full study, “Church and Family Support Networks and Depressive Symptoms Among African Americans: Findings from The National Survey of American Life,” was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Community Psychology. It may be accessed here.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs