Religious issues in ethnic minority mental health with special reference to schizophrenia in Afro-Caribbeans in Britain: a systematic review

By about ten years ago, there was some consensus that there was an overall positive association between the two. Underlying this, there are many effects to consider, many aspects of religion, and many aspects of mental health. The last decade has seen a mushroom-like growth of studies and reviews (see Loewenthal, 1995; Bhugra, 1996; Worthington, Kurusu, McCullough & Sandage, 1996). There is scope for methodological improvements, and many interesting questions to be answered. This review is concerned with one set of such questions: religion and mental health among Afro-Caribbeans particularly those living in the UK and the USA, with particular reference to schizophrenia