Associations Between Intrinsic Religiosity, Mental Health, and Quality of Life in a Christian Community

This cross-sectional study examined the associations between intrinsic religiosity, symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, and overall quality of life in members of a high religious/spiritual Christian community in the northern region of Brazil during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 1,053 participants (78.06% without chronic disease; 57.83% reported good quality of life). Data were collected in 2020 using an online questionnaire that included sociodemographic information, the Duke Religion Index (DUREL), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the WHOQOL-BREF. Statistical analyses were conducted in R (version 4.4.1) and RStudio, using Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Weighted Least Squares Mean and Variance adjusted estimation, McDonald's omega and Composite Reliability indices. The SEM indicated that intrinsic religiosity was negatively associated with depression (β = -0.530, p = .030) and stress (β = -0.797, p = .010), and positively associated with anxiety (β = 0.979, p < .001). Overall quality of life was positively associated with intrinsic religiosity (β = 0.284, p < .001). Age, gender and income did not significantly influence quality of life. The findings suggest that intrinsic religiosity plays a multifaceted role in mental health and quality of life, presenting both protective and ambivalent associations. The results highlight the complexity of religiosity as a psychological resource in a Brazilian Christian context and reinforce the need for longitudinal studies to clarify these relationships.