Religious denominations, religious context, and depressive feelings in Europe

• In Event: 2329 - Section on the Sociology of Religion Referred Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 2. Religion and Identity in Context

Abstract

In the present study, we examine the extent to which depressive feelings vary across religious denominations, and how this relates to the religious context. We apply a multilevel model using data from the sixth (2012) and seventh (2014) wave of the European Social Surveys, comparing 277 regions within 29 European countries. Our results show that lowest levels of depression are found in both the Protestants and Catholics, and highest in the Muslim population. These differences cannot be explained by differences in levels of religiosity between these groups. In addition, being a member of a religious minority is not always related to more depressive feelings. In regions with a majority of Muslims and in regions without any majority denomination, the religious minorities actually report fewer depressive feelings than the majority group. Finally, differences in levels of depression between the minority religious groups cannot be fully attributed to perceived religious discrimination in these groups.

Authors

• Sarah Van de Velde, University of Antwerp

• Lore Van Praag, University of Antwerp

• Veerle Buffel, KULeuven