Why Is Religious Attendance Linked to More Anxiety in U.S. South Asians? The Mediating Role of Congregational Neglect.

Objectives: Previous research has identified a positive association between religious attendance and anxiety in U.S. South Asians. The current study assesses the mediating role of congregational neglect as a potential mechanism explaining this association.

Design: Analyses relied on data from the Study on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH) questionnaire in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study (n = 936), the largest community-based study of health among U.S. South Asians. Analyses were conducted using path analysis and adjusted for a variety of background characteristics.

Results: Results confirmed that higher levels of religious service attendance were associated with higher levels of anxiety. Congregational neglect was a significant mediator in this relationship, explaining 27% of the association between religious attendance and anxiety. Congregational neglect also had the second largest standardized coefficient in the model.

Conclusions: This study provides evidence that congregational neglect plays an important intervening role in the connection between religious service attendance and anxiety among U.S. South Asians. The findings move beyond description, flagging a relevant social process which underlies the relationship. By recognizing the potential adverse effects of religious attendance on anxiety in this population, it may be possible to develop interventions aimed at enhancing social inclusion in South Asian religious communities. In addition to practical implications, this study highlights the need for further research on how communal religious participation shapes mental health in ethnic and racial minority populations in the United States.