According to a study published in an online edition of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, strong religious faith can defend stroke patients from depression.
Salvatore Giaquinto from San Raffaele Pisana Rehabilitation Center in Rome along with his team had undertaken a study among 133 survivors of stroke with an average age of 72. This project considered other factors like emotional anguish, marital status, and the physical conditions after the stroke. They concluded that a lower religious belief resulted in a higher anxiety and depression.As per Giaquinto people who are spiritually attached to a faith may have more social contacts which can result in a positive attitude especially during the recovery from stroke and other illnesses.
Dr. Waguih IsHak, a psychiatrist from Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles feels that incase of widespread damage to brain cells, there is nothing that faith could do. IsHak also adds that psychotherapy can help handle emotional distress where people are not strongly oriented towards religious faith.
Source-Medindia
JYT
