Skip to main content

Disclaimer:

Some book links on this site are Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help support the work I do here.

The Weight of Being Worthy

Religion can offer structure, purpose, and belonging, but for many young people raised in high-demand religious environments, it becomes a source of fear and lasting psychological harm. A 2023 systematic review in Psychiatry Research analyzed 152 studies on adolescent religiosity and found a mixed picture. While some studies showed lower rates of depression and risky behavior among religious youth, the positive outcomes depended heavily on whether the environment provided emotional support and personal meaning (Koenig et al., 2023). When belief was enforced through guilt, fear, or strict control, the effects were often negative.

Mental health professionals have begun using the term Religious Trauma Syndrome to describe the harm caused by authoritarian religious systems. Symptoms can include anxiety, depression, identity confusion, and chronic guilt. Many individuals report decision paralysis, nightmares, and a deep-seated fear of divine punishment, especially if they grew up hearing that even thoughts could be sinful (Winell, 2011). These symptoms are especially common in youth who were taught that obedience must be absolute and that questioning was a form of rebellion.

The same 2023 review found that spiritual struggles, such as fear of divine judgment, conflict with religious leaders, or feelings of rejection by God, were associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. Adolescents in these situations often reported lower self-esteem and less willingness to seek help, especially when therapy was framed as a lack of faith or when emotional suffering was interpreted as a spiritual failing (Koenig et al., 2023). In high-demand religious systems, teens are often told their worth is tied to their performance. This might mean following purity standards, attending every service, completing missionary work, or suppressing emotions and questions. For some, particularly LGBTQ+ youth, these expectations can be impossible.

Youth who do not fit the religious mold may face internalized shame, community rejection, or even expulsion from their homes. Research published in the International Journal of Mental Health Systems found that adolescents who experienced religious discrimination or belief mismatches in their communities had significantly worse mental health outcomes, including heightened levels of anxiety and depression (Nielsen et al., 2019). In some cases, religion became a barrier to getting support. The pressure to appear faithful and the fear of social consequences kept many young people silent about their suffering.

Not all religion is harmful, but it is important to recognize that not all religion is harmless. When religious communities make space for honest questions and prioritize the mental well-being of their youth, they can provide meaningful support. But when those same communities use fear to maintain control and treat doubt as dangerous, the cost is often borne by the most vulnerable.

---------
References:
Koenig, H.G., et al. (2023). Religious and spiritual beliefs and youth mental health: A systematic review of prospective studies. Psychiatry Research. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10563335
Winell, M. (2011). Religious Trauma Syndrome: It's time to recognize it as a mental health issue.
Nielsen, M.E.L., et al. (2019). The impact of religious discrimination and mismatch on adolescent mental health. International Journal of Mental Health Systems. https://ijmhs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13033-019-0286-7


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Primary Questions: A Response

In response to my thoughts regarding the 2013 study on the LDS Faith Crisis , I had someone suggest that I read a talk by Lawrence E Corbridge. After a quick Google search, I found the talk they were referring to and wanted to share some thoughts on it. Here is the relevent exerpt from Corbridge's 2022 BYU devotional: ---------- Primary Questions and Secondary Questions: Begin by answering the primary questions. There are primary questions and there are secondary questions. Answer the primary questions first. Not all questions are equal and not all truths are equal. The primary questions are the most important. Everything else is subordinate. There are only a few primary questions. I will mention four of them. 1. Is there a God who is our Father? 2. Is Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Savior of the world? 3. Was Joseph Smith a prophet? 4. Is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the kingdom of God on the earth? By contrast, the secondary questions are unending...
Post a Comment
Read

Without the Mormon Lens: 1 - Introduction

 "I don't think Joseph Smith was a prophet"      Tears that I had been holding back finally broke free as I said the words I never thought I would say. The fear, the anger, the betrayal. The emotions that countless people who have lost their faith had felt, were rushing through me. I collapsed to the floor as this great realization washed over me.      I  had lost my faith.       It was gone.      I don't feel that it is important to share the events that led to my faith crisis, and honestly they are hard to explain. Like most people who leave the church, there were a number of issues that had piled up over the years. Items that were stacked on my shelf of concerns eventually became too much for the shelf to handle. It broke, and with it, my world shattered.      The grief was overwhelming. I had known nothing but Mormonism for my entire life, and the loss was the feeling of losing a loved one. An ...
1 comment
Read

Without the Mormon Lens: 12 - Attempt to Buy the Brass Plates

    Let's just pick up right where we left off , as Nephi and his brothers attempt to buy the plates from Laban. The Book of Mormon, pg 11 ~~~~~ The Book of Mormon ~~~~~      "And it came to pass that we went in unto Laban, and desired him that he would give unto us the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, for which we would give unto him our gold, and our silver, and all our precious things."      "And it came to pass that when Laban saw our property, and that it was exceeding great, he did lust after it , insomuch that he thrust us out, and sent his servants to slay us, that he might obtain our property. And it came to pass that we did flee before the servants of Laban, and we were obliged to leave behind our property, and it fell into the hands of Laban." (pg 11) ~~~~~~~~~~      If we look for a similar story related to Joshua, we find the account of Achan, who stole the silver, and gold, and precious...
Post a Comment
Read