To some, the difference between the words "religious" and "spiritual" may not be apparent. But to the authors of a new study, the difference is more significant than ever before.
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, the University of Denver, and UB, found that religiosity and spirituality independently predict health outcomes after collective trauma, according to a study. The research was published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine.
Results yielded a previously undiscovered causal relationship: The health of participants after a traumatic event was dependent on whether they were religious, the measure of how often an individual attends structured services, or spiritual, an independent commitment to faith.
"Although both may serve to help people adjust psychologically and physically to collective trauma, religiosity and spirituality are not the same," said Michael J. Poulin, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology.
After Sept. 11, 2001, researchers already involved in studies about the positive functions of religion capitalized on the opportunity to study the health effects of a traumatic event that happened to a mass of people simultaneously.
"We realized we had the duty to study this phenomenon," Poulin said.
A nationally representative sample of 890 adults was taken prior to Sept. 11, and in the three years following the attacks, health information was collected on six occasions.
The study found that both religious and spiritual individuals had lower odds of new onset mental and musculoskeletal ailments and infectious ailments, respectively.
The difference was seen in the severity of cognitive intrusions; defined as "unwanted intrusive thoughts" about Sept. 11, Poulin said. While religious individuals had fewer cognitive intrusions, spiritual individuals experienced more cognitive intrusions that quickly declined in frequency.
Researchers speculate that different aspects of the religious experience result in variations in coping and stress management, which, in turn, may cause diverse health effects.
"Having robust social connections predicts better adjustment to stressful events," Poulin said. "Most often, participation in a religious community results in more social activity."
The social aspect of being a member of a religious community is considered to help individuals cope after trauma.
"Religious people know there's something out there that is greater than themselves," said Rev. Paul Salemi, priest at St. Gregory the Great, a Catholic house of worship in Williamsville. "Those who [are not religious] don't have the same sense of hope. If faced with the reality of death, they don't know how to deal with it."
The intrinsic values that accompany spirituality are "very weighty and very personal" issues that appear to help facilitate positive personal growth after trauma, according to Poulin.
"Believing in some benevolent order makes it easier to reinterpret negative events in a positive light," Poulin said.
Adrien D'Angelo, a junior English major, tries to look at religion objectively but also considers himself a spiritual person.
"Spirituality helps people see the link they have with whatever they consider to be a higher force than themselves," D'Angelo said. "People are able to do good if they have something to motivate them. It helps with their well-being."
D'Angelo believes that if one is struggling in the aftermath of a traumatic event, it wouldn't be far-fetched for them to take an increased interest in religion.
"If people have it in their mind that death is not simply an end and that a person has gone on to a better place, it would be easier," D'Angelo said.
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Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
