Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Oct;59(5):2205-2214.
doi: 10.1007/s10943-020-01035-2.

Maintaining Health and Well-Being by Putting Faith into Action During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Harold G Koenig  1   2   3   4
Affiliations

Maintaining Health and Well-Being by Putting Faith into Action During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Harold G Koenig. J Relig Health. 2020 Oct.

Abstract

Anxiety and fear adversely affect the physiological systems that protect individuals from infection. This article comments on the role that religious faith and practice can play in helping individuals remain free from infection by the coronavirus and in helping to moderate the effects of infection if that should occur. The author provides six recommendations to help individuals maintain spiritual, mental, and physical resilience during these anxious times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Immune function; Protection; Religion; Religiosity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The author has no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Barnett JB, Dao MC, Hamer DH, Kandel R, Brandeis G, Wu D, Meydani SN, et al. Effect of zinc supplementation on serum zinc concentration and T cell proliferation in nursing home elderly: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2016;103(3):942–951. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.115188. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Blanton PG. The other mindful practice: Centering prayer & psychotherapy. Pastoral Psychology. 2011;60(1):133–147. doi: 10.1007/s11089-010-0292-9. - DOI
    1. Block KI, Mead MN. Immune system effects of echinacea, ginseng, and astragalus: A review. Integrative cancer therapies. 2003;2(3):247–267. doi: 10.1177/1534735403256419. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bonura KB. The psychological benefits of yoga practice for older adults: Evidence and guidelines. International Journal of Yoga Therapy. 2011;21(1):129–142. doi: 10.17761/ijyt.21.1.j4ll204h12535874. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Brown RL, Shahane AD, Chen MA, Fagundes CP. Cognitive reappraisal and nasal cytokine production following experimental rhinovirus infection. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity-Health. 2020;1:100012. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2019.100012. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources