Clinical experts have long wondered if there is a curative connection between religion and depression. Research is finally catching up with the question and the findings are promising. Adults at high risk for developing depression may actually benefit from a deep connection to their faith. This is particularly true in reducing the risk of recurring episodes of depression, according to a study published in August of 2011 in AJP in Advance, a publication of The American Journal of Psychiatry.

The study found that individuals who highly valued their religion and spirituality had about one quarter the risk of other study participants in experiencing major depression. Neither frequent attendance at religious services nor any particular denomination appeared to be a factor.

Researchers concluded that spirituality may prove useful for some patients when incorporated into psychotherapeutic approaches to treating depression.