1975 Article: The Mental Health of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Wild_Thing 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  Wild_Thing

  
  Taken from http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/abstract/126/6/556

  The British Journal of Psychiatry 126: 556-559 (1975)
  
  © 1975 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

  The mental health of Jehovah's Witnesses

  J Spencer
  
  

  The function of religion in human society is complex. The part played by religion in psychiatric disorders is even more obscure. Previous literature and theories are divided into two groups: one school believes that intense religiosity is a symptom-complex indicative of psychiatric disorder, while the opposing view is that religious belief in some way acts as a defence mechanism protecting the individual and his psyche. The present study of 50 Jehovah's Witnesses admitted to the Mental Health Service facilities of Western Australia suggests that members of this section of the community are more likely to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital than the general population. Furthermore, followers of the sect are three times more likely to be diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia and nearly four times more likely from paranoid schizophrenia than the rest of the population at risk. These findings suggest that being a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses faith may be a risk factor predisposing to a schizophrenic illness. Further studies would be interesting in investigating whether pre-psychotic people are more likely to join the sect than normal people and what part (if any) membership has in bringing about such a breakdown.

  It begs the question ... what came first: the chicken or the egg?

  Does anybody know of any other studies done on the topic of Jehovah's Witnesses and mental health? I bet it would be hard to find willing participants. Wild Thing
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  Elsewhere

  It begs the question ... what came first: the chicken or the egg?

  The frying pan!
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  Wild_Thing

  Did you know that there is actually a 12-step group, like AA, called Fundamentalists Anonymous? How wild is that? Anybody ever heard of them?

  FA Twelve Steps

  1. I realize that I had turned control of my mind over to another person or group, who had assumed power over my thinking.

  2. That person or group persuaded me of the inerrancy of the Bible, in spite of its many internal contradictions.

  3. I became addicted to the Bible as the supreme focus of my faith, in spite of the commandment that God should come first.

  4. I admit to God, to myself and to another person the shortcomings of my belief in the unbelievable.

  5. I have made an inventory of my false claims about the Bible.

  6. I have made a list of those whom I led into confusion about the Bible.

  7. I am willing to make amends to all those whom I may have led astray.

  8. I realize that I have the inner power to restore sanity to my life and to search Scripture for the truth.

  9. I will reach out to friends who can help me clarify my thinking about the Bible, God and Jesus.

  10. I confess that only with God's help can my mind grasp the truth.

  11. I will seek through prayer and meditation to improve my conscious contact with God, praying for knowledge of God's will for me and the power to carry that out.

  12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these twelve steps, I will offer these steps to other former biblical fundamentalists.
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  greendawn

  I suppose what you are asking is are there more psychopathic cases in the dubs because they attract many such persons or do they turn normal ppl to psychopaths?
  
  I don't think there was a study that looked into this, but what is sure is that any ppl with problems do not get helped by being in god's loving organisation and many do suffer emotional problems due to the high pressure environment of the WTS.
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  Mary

  followers of the sect are three times more likely to be diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia and nearly four times more likely from paranoid schizophrenia than the rest of the population at risk. These findings suggest that being a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses faith may be a risk factor predisposing to a schizophrenic illness. Further studies would be interesting in investigating whether pre-psychotic people are more likely to join the sect than normal people.

  I find this very interesting as it's common knowledge in most congregations that half the members are on either anti-depressants or anti-psychotic drugs. And I definitely think that this religion (or other cults for that matter) are somehow "appealing" to people with mental disorders due to the Borg's "conspiracy theories" on why there's so many problems in the world (aka: it's all Satan's fault). It also offers them a very structured and disciplined way of life with numerous rules that must be followed. For someone who suffers from say, obsessive-compulsive disorder-----this very structured routine of 5 meetings a week, service and study and assemblies, week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, would be very appealing to them as the routine never varies. Plus, people with any sort of mental health issue would find the idea that God is going to fix their problems "real soon" would also have enormous appeal. Also, as many peole who have suffered from mental illness, do not have any education beyond high school, then the Organizations view that higher education is not desireable and is baaaaad, would make them feel better about themselves.

  While I'm sure Charles Russell never set out to create such a horrific environment, it's really sad that this religion has such a negative effect on people's psyche.
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  PoppyR

  It begs the question ... what came first: the chicken or the egg

  LOL!! I was thinking this just as I read it. I think the witnesses attract weirdos! My old congregation certainly had it's fair share, my stepfather was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, personally I just think he was a nasty bastard but he was loved by the congregation, he nearly murdered my mother before the elders sanctioned her leaving him .. she would never have done that before of course, because it was better to die and have all your children scarred for life than risk the dissaproval of Jehoover!

  Poppy
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  MsMcDucket

  To answer your question: Yes, I do think that I was insane when I became a Jehovah's Witness. After joining the cult, I became even more depressed, anxious, and paranoid. Then I got to the point where I thought I had committed "spiritual suicide"---I disassociated myself. For 18 years, I still believed in the cult, and I thought that I was a failure that would not make it through "Armageddon".

  Now, that I have left the group. They (the dubs) considered me a demonized apostate. To others, non-witness christians, they believe I'm crazy because I question the authenticity of the bible. The other day, some holier-than-thou woman told me that I was going to "hell" because I didn't believe in what she had to say. I told her that I WAS going to HELL because it's just the grave and that I don't believe in any afterlife. I told her that I think the bible is a book of FAIRY TALES. For shame! You'd a thought that I'd killed someone from the look that she gave me.

  I told her that all religion does is make people think that they are better than everyone else. So, I guess I'm crazy according to the world's standards. You have got to believe in some God are you'll find that you're the odd man/woman out.

  Since, my twin daughters have started shunning me, I've had thoughts of suicide. That's crazy right?

  Sorry, for the rant, but you asked...
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  mariposa

  Interesting...I know I was at the lowest point of my life, on the verge of a mental breakdown when I started to study. And boy did the jdubs help me!!!!!

  For the first time in my life, I suffered from panic attacks....in the hall...during meetings. Then I auctually went on anti-depressents given to me by a doctor who had been treating jdubs for years. When I decided to go off of them, my witness amigos advised against it, go figure. This coming from people who had been on them for over a decade, tried to kill themselves various times, etc etc...

  I haven't been to a meeting in 4 years, but believed it was the truth for 3 of those and I haven't been better...what a difference it makes to...oh..I don't know...DEAL with your problems rather than waiting, waiting, waiting on someone else to solve them for you.
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  Sunnygal41

  what a difference it makes to...oh..I don't know...DEAL with your problems rather than waiting, waiting, waiting on someone else to solve them for you.

  bingo, Mariposa...........that wraps up my thoughts perfectly. I spent 25 years in that cult myself and finally 7 years ago walked away from it and my marriage of twenty years..........best thing I ever did...........my life and beliefs have changed so much in seven years that if I talked with ANY of my former dub associates they'd be shocked and would say I was demonized. My mom and I recently had a disagreement and she stopped talking to me for a coupla days...........I told her that the dubs are all brainwashed........that they catch you at a very vulnerable time in your life and indoctrinate you.........I think I got too close to home for her and that's why she was offended........us girls, we really had no choice, we were 12 and 14 years old and were trying to make our mom happy..........could have saved myself years of unhappiness by listening to my gut and not getting baptized.......ah well, all water over the dam now.
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  Wild_Thing

  Yeah, the witnesses encourage everything to counteract healthy ways of thinking and dealing with things. Instead of really dealing with the problem, you are told to "pray more" and/or "wait on Jehovah"! And to really make someone crazy, they tell them it is them ...and they are not doing enough to trust in Jehovah.

  I also think they exasterbate more serious mental problems with their persecutorial complex. "Everyone is after us! Trust no one that challenges Jehovah's borganization"! What a perfect place for a paranoid schizophrenic!

  I tend to lean toward the thinking that if you weren't crazy when you joined the witnesses, you soon became crazy afterwards!