Struggling and enduring with God, religious support, and recovery from severe mental illness

Objectives: People with severe mental illnesses may achieve varying degrees of recovery, including symptom reduction and community integration. Research also indicates that religiosity facilitates coping with psychological disorders. In this study, we assessed the relationship between religiosity and recovery from severe mental illnesses. Design: Self‐report data were collected from 81 participants with severe mental illnesses. We measured recovery, religious support, and participants' struggle or endurance with faith. Results: Religious support and enduring with faith were positively associated with recovery. Struggling was negatively associated with recovery, and that relationship was mediated by religious support. Conclusions: Religious variables, including religious support and spiritual struggle, might affect recovery from severe mental illnesses. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 67:1–16, 2011.