Relationships between importance of religious belief, response to anti-gay violence, and mental health in men who have sex with men in East Africa

Michael W. Ross; Alexandra M. Anderson

doi:10.1163/9789004272385_010

Relationships between importance of religious belief, response to anti-gay violence, and mental health in men who have sex with men in East Africa

Michael W. Ross, Alexandra M. Anderson

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

We studied the relationships between the Importance of Religion in 200 homosexual men in Tanzania, along with Depression, Anti-gay Violence experiences (physical, verbal, moral and sexual abuse) and Internalized Homonegativity. The majority of the respondents indicated that religion was very important to them (with no difference between Christian or Muslim respondents). Data indicated that Importance of Religion was an important mediator of the impact of Anti-gay Violence on Depression score, with those reporting that religion was more important to them having a significant relationship between experience of Anti-gay Violence and Depression. These data are consistent with both seeing the anti-gay abuse of violence as a deserved punishment as argued by fundamentalist religions and with the unavailability of religion as a coping or support mechanism for anti-gay abuse or violence. We discuss the data in terms of the Importance of Religion in these men's lives for mental health (Depression and Internalized Homonegativity) and the potentially damaging impact of anti-gay religious beliefs on members of the religion who are themselves gay.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Volume 25
Editors	Ralph L. Piedmont, Andrew Village
Publisher	Brill Academic Publishers
Pages	160-172
Number of pages	13
ISBN (Electronic)	9789004272255
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004272385_010
State	Published - 2014
Externally published	Yes

Publication series

Name	Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion
Volume	25
ISSN (Print)	1046-8064

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
⁕ Authors Note: Michael W. Ross, School of Public Health, University of Texas; Alexandra M. Anderson, School of Public Health, University of Texas. This research was supported by nimh grant 5R21MH090908 to the first author and was supported by niaid, nci, nimh, nida, nichd, nhlbi, NIA, nigms, niddk of the National Institutes of Health under award number P30AI027757. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Michael Ross, Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, School of Public Health, University of Texas, P.O. Box 20086, Houston, tx 77225, usa. E-mail: michael.w.ross@uth.tmc.edu

Publisher Copyright:
© KONINKLIJKE BRILL NV, LEIDEN, 2014

Keywords

Africa
Anti-gay violence
Depression
Homosexual men
Importance of religion
Internalized homonegativity

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1163/9789004272385_010

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Cite this

Ross, M. W., & Anderson, A. M. (2014). Relationships between importance of religious belief, response to anti-gay violence, and mental health in men who have sex with men in East Africa. In R. L. Piedmont, & A. Village (Eds.), Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Volume 25 (pp. 160-172). (Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion; Vol. 25). Brill Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004272385_010

Relationships between importance of religious belief, response to anti-gay violence, and mental health in men who have sex with men in East Africa. / Ross, Michael W.; Anderson, Alexandra M.
Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Volume 25. ed. / Ralph L. Piedmont; Andrew Village. Brill Academic Publishers, 2014. p. 160-172 (Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion; Vol. 25).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Ross, MW & Anderson, AM 2014, Relationships between importance of religious belief, response to anti-gay violence, and mental health in men who have sex with men in East Africa. in RL Piedmont & A Village (eds), Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Volume 25. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, vol. 25, Brill Academic Publishers, pp. 160-172. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004272385_010

Ross MW, Anderson AM. Relationships between importance of religious belief, response to anti-gay violence, and mental health in men who have sex with men in East Africa. In Piedmont RL, Village A, editors, Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Volume 25. Brill Academic Publishers. 2014. p. 160-172. (Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion). doi: 10.1163/9789004272385_010

Ross, Michael W. ; Anderson, Alexandra M. / Relationships between importance of religious belief, response to anti-gay violence, and mental health in men who have sex with men in East Africa. Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion, Volume 25. editor / Ralph L. Piedmont ; Andrew Village. Brill Academic Publishers, 2014. pp. 160-172 (Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion).

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abstract = "We studied the relationships between the Importance of Religion in 200 homosexual men in Tanzania, along with Depression, Anti-gay Violence experiences (physical, verbal, moral and sexual abuse) and Internalized Homonegativity. The majority of the respondents indicated that religion was very important to them (with no difference between Christian or Muslim respondents). Data indicated that Importance of Religion was an important mediator of the impact of Anti-gay Violence on Depression score, with those reporting that religion was more important to them having a significant relationship between experience of Anti-gay Violence and Depression. These data are consistent with both seeing the anti-gay abuse of violence as a deserved punishment as argued by fundamentalist religions and with the unavailability of religion as a coping or support mechanism for anti-gay abuse or violence. We discuss the data in terms of the Importance of Religion in these men's lives for mental health (Depression and Internalized Homonegativity) and the potentially damaging impact of anti-gay religious beliefs on members of the religion who are themselves gay.",

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Relationships between importance of religious belief, response to anti-gay violence, and mental health in men who have sex with men in East Africa

Abstract

Publication series

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access

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