Religion shapes health and wellbeing, reports suggest

A Nature Health piece compiles research and news about how religion and faith-based organisations influence health and recovery, citing academic reviews, disaster-relief studies and community responses such as a church sheltering families.

A Nature Health article examines how religion can influence health and wellbeing. It brings together academic reviews, policy reports and news examples. The cited material spans clinical reviews, disaster-relief research and community programmes. The piece is presented as a synthesis of published studies and reports. Highlights: - The article cites the Handbook of Religion and Health by Koenig, King and Carson as a key academic review. - It references an Urban Institute report (De Vita et al., 2008) on the role of faith-based and community organisations in relief after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. - A news example cited is a CBS Los Angeles report (7 November 2024) that a Camarillo church became an overnight shelter for families forced to flee. - It includes a UNAIDS report (Vitillo, 2006) on faith-based responses to HIV in Southern Africa. Summary: The article assembles research and news to describe multiple ways religion and faith groups intersect with health and recovery efforts. It cites academic literature, policy analysis and local news cases to illustrate varied contributions. Undetermined at this time.