Dear Colleagues,

Religiosity and spirituality (R/S) are connected with many areas of human life and are being recognised, especially in recent decades, as protective factors regarding human health. A growing number of studies report positive associations of R/S with mental health, e.g., a higher life satisfaction and meaning in life, a lower prevalence of anxiety and depression, lower suicidal tendencies, a lower substance abuse and a better cognitive functioning. Moreover, research shows also a lower health risk-taking behaviour and positive associations with physical health, e.g., a better functioning of the circulatory system, better immune and endocrine functions, a better self-rated health and a lower mortality. However, a minority of the studies still report either mixed or negative findings. There are several possible explanations of these discrepancies. First, both religiosity and spirituality are hard to measure multidimensional constructs and so measurement problems can contribute to the heterogeneity of results. Moreover, research on R/S is often oversimplified, not taking into account different dimensions of these constructs. Second, most of the research on associations of R/S with health has been performed in predominantly religious countries and there is significantly less literature documenting the associations in other cultural environments, such as secular countries. Third, some ways of experiencing R/S has already been associated with worse health conditions, and so it seems important to take into account also so-called religious and spiritual struggles and negative religious coping. Thus, a better understanding the underlying mechanisms may add to our insight into the concept of R/S and its meaning for health and may have more practical implications for the work of psychotherapists, counsellors, psychiatrists, carers and other workers in helping professions.

This Special Issue seeks research papers on the associations of R/S with health that will contribute to a deeper understanding of the nature of these associations and of the conditions under which is R/S protective for health. It especially welcomes papers describing associations of R/S with health in secular countries, papers documenting consequences of measurement problems in R/S, papers focusing on less explored aspects of R/S, e.g., a God image, and papers that are connecting R/S with a broader context of one’s personality and a way of living.

Prof. Dr. Jitse P. van Dijk
Dr. Klára Maliňáková
Guest Editors

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• Religiosity 
• Spirituality 
• Health 
• Secular countries 
• Types of spirituality 
• Religious and spiritual struggles 
• Religious coping 
• Dimensions of R/S 
• God image