Associations Between Religiosity, Spirituality and Depressive Symptoms Among People Experiencing Homelessness in São Paulo, Brazil: An Observational Study

TL;DR

This study explores how religiosity and spirituality affect depression in homeless people in São Paulo, finding that positive spiritual practices reduce depressive symptoms while negative coping increases them.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the relationship between religiosity, spirituality, and depression in a vulnerable homeless population in a developing country context.

Findings

Positive religious-spiritual coping practices are linked to reduced depressive symptoms in homeless individuals.

Negative religious-spiritual coping, such as guilt and punishment, increases the risk of depression.

The study suggests integrating beneficial RS aspects into psychosocial interventions for homeless people.

Abstract

Despite the evident relationship between religiosity and spirituality (RS) and symptoms of depression found in different population groups, there is a lack of studies in more vulnerable groups, especially among people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in least developed countries. Our aim was to assess the association between RS and depressive symptoms in PEH in a large Brazilian urban center. This is an observational study in which a sample of PEH participated. We assessed the following variables: religiosity, spirituality, religious-spiritual coping and symptoms of depression. Results: A total of 456 PEH had participated, with an average age of 44.5 (SD = 12.6) years. Of these, 49.6% reported depressive symptoms at clinical level. The linear regression indicated that various aspects related to RS, such as going to a religious temple, having a private spirituality practice, and having a positive religious-spiritual coping related to the positive reinterpretation of stressful situations, were associated with a reduction in the chance of the participants reporting depressive symptoms. However, the presence of negative religious-spiritual coping, related to guilt, feelings of punishment, insecurity, and negative reinterpretation of stressors, increased the risk of symptoms of depression. Our results highlight the relevance of developing and testing the effects of psychosocial interventions that specifically incorporate aspects of RS which produce beneficial impact in the care of PEH who have a religion. This could be a helpful mechanism for reducing symptoms of depression and contributing to the social reintegration of these people. Furthermore, future studies should investigate how to mitigate the potential negative RS beliefs that may contribute to worsening symptoms of depression, to prevent them and mitigate their effects.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11126-025-10163-5.