social support, all of which can foster good mental health.
Additionally, many people with mental illness report that private prayer, devotional readings, and spiritual programming (on TV, the radio, or the internet) can provide hope, solace, and comfort, which can enhance the recovery and healing process.
Religion and Mental Health Services
Numerous studies show that religious faith is rarely heralded as a resource for recovery by routine mental health services. In fact, there has been long-standing and ongoing tension between psychiatry, psychology, and religion. So much so, many mental health professionals have self-identified as atheists and have expressed great skepticism towards leading historical figures in psychology such as Freud, Skinner, and Ellis, who leaned heavily on religion within their mental healthcare practices.
While this situation can be detrimental to all people with mental illnesses, it can be but especially devastating for minority groups, who have primarily had nothing more than