Is Contemporary Christianity Promoting or Hindering Mental Health in Africa? An Exploration of the Impact of Charismatic Church Activities and Doctrines on the Mental Well-Being of Selected Ghanaian Congregants
Main Article Content
Keywords
Contemporary Christianity, Church Activities, Mental Well-Being, Congregants, Ghana
Abstract
Contemporary Christianity in Africa has seen an increase in Pentecostalism/ Charismatism, whose activities include performing miracles, prophecies and exorcism. Although it is acknowledged that the charismatic movement has its roots in Pentecostalism, clear differences can be identified between Pentecostalism and Charismatism. Given this distinction, this study focused on exploring the effects of the activities of charismatic churches on the mental health of their church members. Eightysix respondents from six charismatic churches in Accra and Kumasi participated in the study through individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and observations of church activities. Our results show that church practices such as prophecies and miracles, as well as other activities such as prayer meetings and fellowship groups, had both positive and negative impacts on mental well-being. Church doctrines and teachings similarly had both positive and negative impacts on participant well-being. Positive impacts included building of resilience, comfort and hope in difficult times, developing self-efficacy and positive self-regard, as well as positive behavioural and lifestyle changes. Negative impacts included fostering feelings of guilt, shame and fear, increased paranoia and suspicion, as well as potential exclusion and the resultant despair from flouting church rules or expectations. These impacts are discussed with emphasis on their implications for mental well-being and interventions.
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References
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Connor, P. (2010). 'Balm for the Soul: Immigrant Religion and Emotional Well-Being'. International Migration 50: 130-157.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2435.2010.00623.x
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Dein, S. and Littlewood, R. (2005). 'Apocalyptic Suicide: From a Pathological to an Eschatological Interpretation'. International Journal of Social Psychiatry 51: 198 - 210. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764005056762
Dein, S. L. (2013). 'Religion and Mental Health: The Contribution of Anthropology'. World Psychiatry 12: 34 - 35.
Ellison, C. (1991). 'Religious Involvement and Subjective Well-Being'. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 32: 80-99.https://doi.org/10.2307/2136801
Exline, J. J., Yali, A. M., and Sanderson, W. C. (2000). 'Guilt, Discord, and Alienation: The Role of Religious Strain in Depression and Suicidality'. Journal of Clinical Psychology 56: 1481-1496. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-4679(200012)56:12<1481::AID-1>3.0.CO;2-A
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Gifford, P. (2004). Ghana's New Christianity: Pentecostalism in a Globalizing African Economy. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.
Hadzic, M. (2011). 'Spirituality and Mental Health: Current Research and Future Directions'. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health 13: 223-235. https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2011.616080
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Jong, J. (2013). 'On Faith and the Fear of Fatality: A Review of Recent Research on Deities and Death. Journal for the Cognitive Science of Religion 12: 193-214. https://doi.org/10.1558/jcsr.v1i2.193
Koenig, H. G. (2009). 'Research on Religion, Spirituality and Mental Health: A Review'. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 54: 283-291.https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370905400502
Koenig, H. G. (2010). 'Spirituality and Mental Health'. International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies 7: 116-122.https://doi.org/10.1002/aps.239
Koenig, H. G., and Larson, D. B. (2001). 'Religion and Mental Health: Evidence for an Association'. International Review of Psychiatry 13: 67-78. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540260124661
Koenig, H. G., King, D. E. and Carson, V. B. (2012). Handbook of Religion and Health. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-012-9568-y
Koenig, H. G., George, L. K., and Peterson, B.I. (1998). 'Religiosity and Remission from Depression, in Medically Ill Older Patients'. American Journal of Psychiatry, 155, 536-542. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.155.4.536
Larbi, E. K. (2001). Pentecostalism: The Eddies of Ghanaian Christianity. Accra: Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies.
Levin, J. S., Markides, K. S. and Ray, L. A. (1996). 'Religious Attendance and Psychological Well-Being in Mexican Americans: A Panel Analysis of Three-Generations Data'. The Gerontologist 36: 454-463. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/36.4.454
Omenyo, C. N. (2006). Pentecost Outside Pentecostalism: A Study of the Development of Charismatic Renewal in the Mainline Churches in Ghana. Zoetermeer: Boekencentrum.
Pargament, K. I., Koenig, H. G., and Perez, L. M., (2000). 'The Many Methods of Religious Coping: Development and Initial Validation of the RCOPE'. Journal of Clinical Psychology 56: 519-543.
Petersen, I., and Govender, K. (2010). 'Theoretical Considerations: From Understanding to Intervention'. In Promoting Mental Health in Scarce-Resource Contexts: Emerging Evidence and Practice, pp. 21-48. Edited by I. Petersen, A. Bhana, A. J. Flisher, L. Swartz, and L. Richter. Cape Town: Human Sciences Research Council.
Pobee, J.S. (1979). Towards an African Theology. Nashville: Abingdon.
Salifu Yendork, J., and Somhlaba, N. Z. (2017). '"I am Happy Because of God": Religion and Spirituality for Well-Being in Ghanaian Orphanage-Placed Children'. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality 9:Suppl. 1: S32-S39. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000094
Shreve-Neiger, A. K. and Edelstein, B. A. (2004). 'Religion and Anxiety: A Critical Review of the Literature'. Clinical Psychology Review 24: 379-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2004.02.003
Sipsma, H., Ofori-Atta, A., Canavan, M., Osei-Akoto, I., Udry, C. and Bradley, E. (2013).'Mental Health in Ghana: Who Is At Risk'? BMC Public Health 13: 288.
Smith, J. A. (1996). 'Beyond the Divide between Cognition and Discourse: Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in Health Psychology'. Psychology and Health 11: 261-271. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870449608400256
Smith, J. A., and Osborn, M. (2003). 'Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis'. In Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods, pp. 51-80. Edited by J. A. Smith. London: Sage.
Smith, T. B., McCullough, M. E. and Poll, J. (2003). 'Religiousness and Depression: Evidence for a Main Effect and the Moderating Influence of Stressful Life Events'. Psychological Bulletin 129: 614-636. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.4.614
Somhlaba, N. Z., and Wait, J. W. (2008). 'Psychological Adjustment to Conjugal Bereavement: Do Social Networks Aid Coping Following Spousal Death'? Omega: Journal of Death and Dying 57: 341-366. https://doi.org/10.2190/OM.57.4.b
Strawbridge, W. J., Shema, S. J., Cohen, R. D., Roberts, R. E., and Kaplan, G. A. (1998). 'Religiosity Buffers Effects of Some Stressors on Depression But Exacerbates Others'. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 53B: S118-S126. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/53B.3.S118
Wallace Jr., J, and Forman, T. (1998). 'Religion's Role in Promoting Health and Reducing Risk among American Youth'. Health Education and Behaviour 25: 721-41. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019819802500604
Williams, D.R. and Sternthal, M.J. (2007). 'Spirituality, Religion and Health: Evidence and Research Directions'. Medical Journal of Australia 186: 47-50. https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2007.tb01040.x
Anderson, A. (2004). An Introduction to Pentecostalism: Global Charismatic Christianity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ano, G. G., & Vasconcelles, E. B. (2005). 'Religious Coping and Psychological Adjustment to Stress: A Meta-Analysis'. Journal of Clinical Psychology 61: 461-480. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20049
Asamoah-Gyadu, J. K. (2013). Contemporary Pentecostal Christianity: Interpretations from an African Context. Oxford: Regnum Books.https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1ddcp37
Beit-Hallahmi, B. (2001). '"O Truant Muse": Collaborationism and Research Integrity'. In Misunderstanding Cults, pp. 35-70. Edited by B. Zablocki, and T. Robbins. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. https://doi.org/10.3138/9781442677302-004
Brown, D. R., Ndubuisi, S. C. and Gary, L. E. (2010). 'Religiosity and Psychological Distress among Blacks'. Journal of Religion & Health 29: 55 - 68. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00987095
Chatters, L.M. (2000). 'Religion and Health: Public Health Research and Practice'. Annual Review of Public Health 21: 335-367.https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.21.1.335
Connor, P. (2010). 'Balm for the Soul: Immigrant Religion and Emotional Well-Being'. International Migration 50: 130-157.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2435.2010.00623.x
Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Traditions. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Dein, S. and Littlewood, R. (2005). 'Apocalyptic Suicide: From a Pathological to an Eschatological Interpretation'. International Journal of Social Psychiatry 51: 198 - 210. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764005056762
Dein, S. L. (2013). 'Religion and Mental Health: The Contribution of Anthropology'. World Psychiatry 12: 34 - 35.
Ellison, C. (1991). 'Religious Involvement and Subjective Well-Being'. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 32: 80-99.https://doi.org/10.2307/2136801
Exline, J. J., Yali, A. M., and Sanderson, W. C. (2000). 'Guilt, Discord, and Alienation: The Role of Religious Strain in Depression and Suicidality'. Journal of Clinical Psychology 56: 1481-1496. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-4679(200012)56:12<1481::AID-1>3.0.CO;2-A
Gartner, J., Larson, D. B., and Allen, G. D. (1991). 'Religious Commitment and Mental Health: A Review of the Empirical Literature'. Journal of Psychology and Theology 19: 6-25. https://doi.org/10.1177/009164719101900102
'Pastor Obinim Defends "Healing" Manhood Live on TV'. Ghana Web July, 2015. Retrieved from http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Pastor-Obinimdefends-healing-manhood-live-on-TV-369476.
Gifford, P. (2004). Ghana's New Christianity: Pentecostalism in a Globalizing African Economy. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.
Hadzic, M. (2011). 'Spirituality and Mental Health: Current Research and Future Directions'. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health 13: 223-235. https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2011.616080
Hill, P. C., and Pargament, K. I. (2003). 'Advances in the Conceptualization and Measurement of Religion and Spirituality'. American Psychologist 58: 64-74. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.58.1.64
Jessor, R., M., Turbin, M. and Costa, F. (1998). 'Risk and Protection in Successful Outcomes among Disadvantaged Adolescents'. Applied Developmental Science 2: 194-208. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532480xads0204_3
Johnson, B. R., DeLi, S., Larson, D. B., and McCullough, M. (2000). 'A Systematic Review of Religiosity and Delinquency Literature'. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 16: 32-52. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043986200016001003
Jong, J. (2013). 'On Faith and the Fear of Fatality: A Review of Recent Research on Deities and Death. Journal for the Cognitive Science of Religion 12: 193-214. https://doi.org/10.1558/jcsr.v1i2.193
Koenig, H. G. (2009). 'Research on Religion, Spirituality and Mental Health: A Review'. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 54: 283-291.https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370905400502
Koenig, H. G. (2010). 'Spirituality and Mental Health'. International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies 7: 116-122.https://doi.org/10.1002/aps.239
Koenig, H. G., and Larson, D. B. (2001). 'Religion and Mental Health: Evidence for an Association'. International Review of Psychiatry 13: 67-78. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540260124661
Koenig, H. G., King, D. E. and Carson, V. B. (2012). Handbook of Religion and Health. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-012-9568-y
Koenig, H. G., George, L. K., and Peterson, B.I. (1998). 'Religiosity and Remission from Depression, in Medically Ill Older Patients'. American Journal of Psychiatry, 155, 536-542. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.155.4.536
Larbi, E. K. (2001). Pentecostalism: The Eddies of Ghanaian Christianity. Accra: Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies.
Levin, J. S., Markides, K. S. and Ray, L. A. (1996). 'Religious Attendance and Psychological Well-Being in Mexican Americans: A Panel Analysis of Three-Generations Data'. The Gerontologist 36: 454-463. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/36.4.454
Omenyo, C. N. (2006). Pentecost Outside Pentecostalism: A Study of the Development of Charismatic Renewal in the Mainline Churches in Ghana. Zoetermeer: Boekencentrum.
Pargament, K. I., Koenig, H. G., and Perez, L. M., (2000). 'The Many Methods of Religious Coping: Development and Initial Validation of the RCOPE'. Journal of Clinical Psychology 56: 519-543.
Petersen, I., and Govender, K. (2010). 'Theoretical Considerations: From Understanding to Intervention'. In Promoting Mental Health in Scarce-Resource Contexts: Emerging Evidence and Practice, pp. 21-48. Edited by I. Petersen, A. Bhana, A. J. Flisher, L. Swartz, and L. Richter. Cape Town: Human Sciences Research Council.
Pobee, J.S. (1979). Towards an African Theology. Nashville: Abingdon.
Salifu Yendork, J., and Somhlaba, N. Z. (2017). '"I am Happy Because of God": Religion and Spirituality for Well-Being in Ghanaian Orphanage-Placed Children'. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality 9:Suppl. 1: S32-S39. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000094
Shreve-Neiger, A. K. and Edelstein, B. A. (2004). 'Religion and Anxiety: A Critical Review of the Literature'. Clinical Psychology Review 24: 379-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2004.02.003
Sipsma, H., Ofori-Atta, A., Canavan, M., Osei-Akoto, I., Udry, C. and Bradley, E. (2013).'Mental Health in Ghana: Who Is At Risk'? BMC Public Health 13: 288.
Smith, J. A. (1996). 'Beyond the Divide between Cognition and Discourse: Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in Health Psychology'. Psychology and Health 11: 261-271. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870449608400256
Smith, J. A., and Osborn, M. (2003). 'Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis'. In Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods, pp. 51-80. Edited by J. A. Smith. London: Sage.
Smith, T. B., McCullough, M. E. and Poll, J. (2003). 'Religiousness and Depression: Evidence for a Main Effect and the Moderating Influence of Stressful Life Events'. Psychological Bulletin 129: 614-636. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.4.614
Somhlaba, N. Z., and Wait, J. W. (2008). 'Psychological Adjustment to Conjugal Bereavement: Do Social Networks Aid Coping Following Spousal Death'? Omega: Journal of Death and Dying 57: 341-366. https://doi.org/10.2190/OM.57.4.b
Strawbridge, W. J., Shema, S. J., Cohen, R. D., Roberts, R. E., and Kaplan, G. A. (1998). 'Religiosity Buffers Effects of Some Stressors on Depression But Exacerbates Others'. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 53B: S118-S126. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/53B.3.S118
Wallace Jr., J, and Forman, T. (1998). 'Religion's Role in Promoting Health and Reducing Risk among American Youth'. Health Education and Behaviour 25: 721-41. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019819802500604
Williams, D.R. and Sternthal, M.J. (2007). 'Spirituality, Religion and Health: Evidence and Research Directions'. Medical Journal of Australia 186: 47-50. https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2007.tb01040.x
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Sep 30, 2024
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Is Contemporary Christianity Promoting or Hindering Mental Health in Africa? An Exploration of the Impact of Charismatic Church Activities and Doctrines on the Mental Well-Being of Selected Ghanaian Congregants. (2024). Utambuzi: Journal for the Study of the Religions of Africa and Its Diaspora, 5(1), 50-68. https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/ujsrad/article/view/3416
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Is Contemporary Christianity Promoting or Hindering Mental Health in Africa? An Exploration of the Impact of Charismatic Church Activities and Doctrines on the Mental Well-Being of Selected Ghanaian Congregants. (2024). Utambuzi: Journal for the Study of the Religions of Africa and Its Diaspora, 5(1), 50-68. https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/ujsrad/article/view/3416