Open AccessReligion and Mental Health in Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations: A Review of the Literature
Author(s) -
Ann W. Nguyen
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
innovation in aging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2399-5300
DOI - 10.1093/geroni/igaa035
Subject(s) - religiosity , salience (neuroscience) , ethnic group , mental health , extant taxon , context (archaeology) , psychology , gender studies , sociology , gerontology , social psychology , medicine , psychiatry , anthropology , geography , archaeology , evolutionary biology , cognitive psychology , biology
Religion has been an important source of resiliency for many racial and ethnic minority populations. Given the salience, sociohistorical context, and importance of religion in the lives of black and Latino Americans, this literature review focuses on the mental health and well-being outcomes of religion among black and Latino Americans across the adult life course and specifically in later life. This review provides an overview of religious participation and religiosity levels and an in-depth discussion of extant research on the relationship between the multiple dimensions of religiosity and mental health in these 2 populations. Racial differences between blacks, Latinos, and non-Latino whites are also examined. Suggestions for limitations of the current literature and future directions for research on religion and mental health in racial/ethnic minority populations, especially older minorities, are proposed.