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Religion and Mental Health

Mihalj Szentmartoni orcid.org/0009-0008-2947-0053 ; Filozofsko teološki institut Družbe Isusove u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska

Abstract

In this paper the author deals with the role of religion in mental health. With regard to the mental illness he argues that religious disturbances and obsessions are only the secondary phenomena, and can not be considered as the cause of the illness. However, the author admits, that in some cases religion can provoke personal pathological organization. This is particularly true when the religious thought becomes predominant and exclusive to the extent of causing serious deformities of one's social self.
The major part of the paper deals with the positive role that religion can play in mental health. It can exercise a beneficial influence in prevention of psychoneurosis by strengthening the inner world of the person. Religion gives the person a sense of acceptance, security, meaning and positive approach to life. It is the position of this author, that religion also includes considerable therapeutic possibilities, since similar psychological phenomena are present in the religious experience as well as in the psychotherapeutic process. In conclusion the autor says that religion can certainly not replace psychoterapy, nor pschotherapy can be a valuable substitution for religious experience, through both of them are important and can be of considerable help for modern man.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

54653

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/54653

Publication date:

20.4.1983.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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