Guilt, discord, and alienation: The role of religious strain in depressionand suicidality

Although religion is usually portrayed as a source of comfort, individuals may also experience strain in their religious lives. Associations between r eligious variables and psychological distress were examined within two grou ps: a nonclinical sample of 200 college students and a clinical sample of 5 4 persons seeking outpatient psychotherapy. Participants reported more comf ort than strain associated with religion. Religious strain was associated w ith greater depression and suicidality, regardless of religiosity levels or the degree of comfort found in religion. Depression was associated with fe elings of alienation from God and, among students, with interpersonal confl icts on religious domains. Suicidality was associated with religious fear a nd guilt, particularly with belief in having committed an unforgivable sin. Religious strain, along with religiosity, was associated with greater inte rest in addressing religious issues in psychotherapy. These results highlig ht the role of religious strain as a potentially important indicator of psy chological distress. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.