Religion, religiosity and depression: re-assessing their relationship

Natalia Melgar (), Shoshana Neuman () and Maximo Rossi
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Natalia Melgar: Departamento de Economía, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de la República
Shoshana Neuman: Department of Economics, Bar-Ilan University, Israel;CEPR, London; and IZA, Bonn

No 1412, Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) from Department of Economics - dECON

Abstract: We provide evidence on the significant effect of religiosity (measured by attendance to religious services) on reducing depression. In particular, it is found a significant negative effect of religiosity on the probability of being depressed. Findings of previous studies are extended by showing that while the religious denomination seems to have a non-significant effect on the probably of depression, other aspects of religiosity, in particular the religious diversity of the country of residence does affect the prospects of depression. The probability of being depressed is higher, the lower the religious diversity. Other personal socio-economic variables have the expected and documented effects.

Keywords: depression; religion; religiosity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 Z12 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 13 pages
Date: 2012-09
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ude:wpaper:1412

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