With a Little Help from My Canadian Friends

Abstract:

A bevy of research has suggested a positive relationship between religiosity/spirituality and overall health, specifically within an American context. But we may be mistaken to assume an inquest into Canadian culture would yield the same results. The countries’ respective racial, social, and political climates contribute to their differences and sculpt their unique identities. Learn how Dr. Speed’s work analyzes the impact of these factors with regards to R/S (religion/spirituality) and health relations, delineating the significance of social support as a distinct mediator within the relationship.

About the Author: Dr. David Speed

Dr. David Speed an Associate Professor at the University of New Brunswick in the Department of Psychology. His research focuses on challenging the commonly held belief that religion and spirituality inherently lead to better health outcomes. While numerous studies suggest that religious attendance, prayer, and religiosity are correlated with improved health outcomes, there are significant gaps and inaccuracies in the existing literature.

Through his research, Dr. David Speed highlights the lack of confirmatory evidence that being nonreligious is detrimental to health. His work indicates that atheists do not necessarily fare worse than believers, suggesting that the health benefits attributed to religion and spirituality are overstated. Dr. Speed’s research critiques the prevailing assumptions in the field and addresses the complexities of studying the growing nonreligious population.