Question: In adults with depression, how effective is faith or religious-based therapy, compared to any other intervention, in improving patient outcomes?

Answer:

No definite clinical implications can be made from the available evidence. There is some research to suggest that further consideration of religious psychotherapy in adults with depression and/or anxiety is warranted, but the reliability of current evidence is uncertain.

Study authors of two different systematic reviews both stated that more high quality studies with larger sample sizes are needed. Future studies need to consider a number of issues including an evaluation of what types of methods work best with different types of clients/faiths, variations in length and intensity of treatment, and other factors such as the relationship between the therapist and the religious client.