According to a new study, after reviewing 15 years of data concerning 89,708 women, those who attended a religious service one or more times per week had a five times lower risk of suicide than women who never attended service. The authors of the study conclude, “Our results do not imply that healthcare providers should prescribe attendance at religious services. However, for patients who are already religious, service attendance might be encouraged as a form of meaningful social participation. Religion and spirituality may be an under appreciated resource that psychiatrists and clinicians could explore with their patients, as appropriate.”
JAMA Psychiatry, June 2016