Is the Rosary Still Relevant? Exploring its Impact on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Multinational Study.

Abstract

The study of benefits linked to meditation and prayer has provided a considerable amount of empirical evidence revealing their positive influence on health, coping, resilience and flourishing. The practice of praying Rosary has drawn much less attention in academic circles, even if it could probably be enlisted with other forms of meditation and prayer with similar positive effects. The present research based on a broad international sample from three Catholic countries (Italy, Poland and Spain) assesses the extent to which such prayer is linked to subjective well-being, empathy and other expressions of religiosity. The sample size consisted of 361 participants. Sampling was conducted using a chain or network method, initiated by reaching out to individuals involved in Catholic movements and devotional groups. The estimated response rate was approximately 65%. The results point to positive moderate correlations of rosary with those variables, like reducing depression, increasing empathy and lowering religious struggles. The network structure analysis reveals that religiosity and religious struggle have the highest number of associations with other variables, establishing them as central factors. Additionally, the qualitative analysis of open-ended questions highlights the perceived protective effect of this prayer, which serves as a source of inner peace and a coping mechanism during times of distress.