Effect of Prayer and Meditation on Depression and Disability: Health and Retirement Study 2000-2010

• In Event: 322 - Section on Medical Sociology Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 22. Alternative and Complementary Medicine

Abstract

This study analyzes data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) from 2000-2010, investigating the relationship between prayer, mediation, and trajectories of depression and disability following a cancer diagnosis. While the rise in the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) in the United States is well documented, to date, there are few studies that have examined the extent to which specific CAM practices are used by older adults, and the subsequent long-term health impact. Specifically, this study empirically investigates: 1) the main effects of prayer and meditation on measures of depressive symptoms and functional limitations; and 2) the moderating effects of prayer and meditation on the impact of a cancer diagnosis on depressive symptoms and functional limitations. This study draws on existing sociological research on social stress and support, the mind-body connection, and experimental intervention studies of prayer and meditation. Following the results of study analyses, future research directions and clinical applications are addressed.

Author

• Sophia Lyn Nathenson, Oregon Institute of Technology