Religious belief helps fend off mental illnesses

Having a strong faith can help a person overcome mental issues such as depression, a new US study suggests.

Research carried out at the McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts found that believing in a greater force helps to significantly improve treatment of people with psychiatric illnesses.

The study involved monitoring the progress of 159 people over a period of one year. Each of these were asked to rate their belief in God on a scale of one to five.

It found that those with a low belief in a deity took twice as long to treat as those which were highly religious.

David Rosmarin, a clinician and instructor in the hospital's department of psychiatry, said faith not only improved a person's wellbeing, it also reduced the chances of them harming themselves.

"I hope that this work will lead to larger studies and increased funding in order to help as many people as possible," he added.