The effects of spiritual/religious practices on psychological well-being among inner city homeless women

Nurse Pract Forum. 1994 Jun;5(2):106-13.

Abstract

As part of a larger, retrospective investigation of homeless women's wholistic family planning needs, we examined spiritual/religious practices in relationship to mental health status and substance use. Ninety-two percent of our sample reported one or more spiritual/religious practices, such as praying, attending worship services, or reading religious materials. Forty-eight percent of the women reported the use of prayer as significantly related to less use of alcohol and/or street drugs, fewer perceived worries, and fewer depressive symptoms.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Demography
  • Female
  • Holistic Health
  • Humans
  • Ill-Housed Persons / psychology*
  • Mental Health*
  • Religion and Psychology*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology
  • Urban Population
  • Women / psychology*