Graduate Program
Clinical Psychology
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Semester of Degree Completion
Summer 2026
Thesis Director
Jeffrey R. Stowell
Thesis Committee Member
Wesley D. Allan
Thesis Committee Member
Steven J. Scher
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Abstract
The relationship between religiosity and spirituality (R/S) with mental health has been widely discussed in more recent years. This thesis examines factors related to religiosity, spirituality, depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as how various stigmas toward mental health, mental health treatment, and mental health treatment seeking may relate to R/S and mental health. Previous literature has identified religious coping with hardship, positive and negative dimensions of sin and behavior, the structure of different religious groups, and overall spiritual wellbeing as factors related to R/S, mental health, and beliefs about mental health . However, most previous literature come to differing conclusions regarding the relationship between R/S and mental health, with some finding statistically significant data concluding that higher R/S results in lower mental health, while others find conclusions that higher R/S results in higher mental health outcomes. The current study employed bivariate correlations to investigate the relationships between R/S and mental health, as well as R/S and beliefs about mental health . The study also employed a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to investigate the role of religious affiliation on levels of R/S, mental health, and beliefs about mental health . R/S was found to be a significant indicator in increased stigma toward mental health, mental health treatment, and mental health treatment seeking. The results indicated that higher levels of religiosity and spirituality in individuals may deter them from seeking mental health treatment. Further explanations for the results, directions for future studies, and the limitations of the current study are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Geis, Tyler, "Religiosity and Spirituality: The Mental Costs and Benefits of Belief in a College Setting" (2026). Masters Theses. 5155.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/5155
