Religion and Health In Arctic Norway—The association of religious and spiritual factors with non-suicidal self-injury in the Sami and non-Sami adult population—The SAMINOR 2 Questionnaire Survey

ABSTRACT

Research has found psychological dimensions of religiosity/spirituality (R/S) beneficial against non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), whereas the effect of R/S social aspects is less studied. Using data from the SAMINOR 2 Questionnaire Survey (2012, n = 10,717 ages 18–69; response rate: 27%; non-Sami: 66%; females: 55%), we examined the association of R/S—religious attendance, congregational affiliation, Laestadian family background, religious importance/view of life—with NSSI in the adult Sami and non-Sami population of Arctic Norway. We also applied multivariable-adjusted regression models and mediation analyses to explore how religious participation transmits its effect on NSSI through violence exposure and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Across ethnicities, 3.3 percent (n = 355) reported lifetime NSSI—ranging from 1.2 percent among Laestadians to 7.7 percent in unaffiliated. Regular religious attendance had a significant negative total effect on NSSI (OR = .59). Ninety-five percent of this effect seemed to be due to fewer anxiety and depression symptoms in the attendance group.

KEYWORDS:

• NSSI
• religion
• religious attendance
• sami
• laestadianism
• SAMINOR 2

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The project was supported by SANKS under grant numbers S 06-2017, S 12-2017, and S 06-2019 and by Finnmark Hospital Trust under grant number 2015/2236-2.