下面這篇文章是美國的「全國生物科技資料中心」(The National Center for Biotechnology Information)的一篇學術性文章的提綱(Abstract)﹕
Br J Psychiatry. 1975 Jun;126:556-9.
The mental health of Jehovahs Witnesses.耶和華見證人的精神健康
Spencer J.
網址﹕http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1174772
The function of religion in human society is complex. The part played by religion in psychiatric disorders is even more obscure. 宗教和精神醫科關系複雜。Previous literature and theories are divided into two groups: 有兩個學說﹕one school believes that intense religiosity is a symptom-complex indicative of psychiatric disorder, 一派說,宗教是精神失常,while the opposing view is that religious belief in some way acts as a defence mechanism protecting the individual and his psyche. 另一派說,宗教能保護人的精神,是人的防衛功能。The present study of 50 Jehovahs Witnesses admitted to the Mental Health Service facilities of Western Australia 在澳洲一個研究,研究了50個耶和華見證人的精神病人,suggests that members of this section of the community are more likely to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital than the general population. 顯示這批人比較一般人更容易被送進精神病醫院。Furthermore, followers of the sect are three times more likely to be diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia and nearly four times more likely from paranoid schizophrenia than the rest of the population at risk. 而且,這教派的跟隨者,患精神分裂的機會,是其他人的三倍。These findings suggest that being a member of the Jehovahs Witnesses faith may be a risk factor predisposing to a schizophrenic illness.這些發現,指出相信耶和華見證人,有患上精神分裂的風險。 Further studies would be interesting in investigating whether pre-psychotic people are more likely to join the sect than normal people and what part (if any) membership has in bringing about such a breakdown.進一步研究要找出,是否那些本來有一點精神分裂傾向的人,比正常人,更容易皈依耶和華見證人。
耶和華見證人和精神健康
by Matt Slick
https://carm.org/jehovahs-witnesses-and-mental-health
Please understand that this article is not mean as a put-down of the Jehovahs Witnesses. I am simply displaying research information which raises serious questions about the Watchtower Organization.請明白,本文並非為要侮辱耶和華見證人。
It has always been a belief of mine that cult groups put an excessive burden of legalism upon their adherents—邪教群組對信徒施其大壓力,是常事,this is because they do not have a proper understanding of grace due to their lack of understanding of who God is and what He has done for us. 因為他們不明白神的恩典。Often these aberrant groups require substantial commitments of time and energy from their membership in order to maintain a good standing in the group. 這些偏離正道的組織?,人需要很大的獻身,才是一個好成員。Since cults are typically short on grace and long on law異端常不明白恩典,只知律法。 (mixed with group obligations, guilt-inducing teachings, and isolationism), I have always assumed that this unnecessary difficulty would lead to emotional and mental problems.帶來情緒和精神問題。
A few years ago, I heard of an article in a mental health journal that documented the population percentages of Jehovahs Witnesses in mental wards. 有一篇報告,研究耶和華見證人和其他人在精神病院。It took some effort, but I found it. 請自己來看﹕Following are excerpts from that article. Judge for yourself if the Jehovahs Witness organization contributed to the demise of some of its members.
(The following quotes are taken from the British Journal of Psychiatry: the Journal of Mental Science. Published by authority of The Royal College of Psychiatrists, Vol. 126, Ashford, Kent, Headley Brothers LTD, 1975. The author is John Spencer.)
"During the period of 36 months from January 1971 to December 1973 there were 7,546 inpatient admissions to the West Australian Mental Health Service Psychiatric Hospitals. 從1971年到1973年,有7,546 入住澳洲某精神病院,Of these 50 were reported to be active members of the Jehovahs Witnesses movement其中有50個是活躍的耶和華見證人。" (p. 557).
"Of the 50 admitted 22 were diagnosed as schizophrenic, 17 as paranoid schizophrenic, 10 as neurotic and one as alcoholic這50 人中有22是精神分裂,17個是偏執型精神分裂性,10是神經質,一個是酗酒。" (p. 557-58).
"From the figures gathered in the Table it is clear that members of the Jehovahs Witnesses movement are over-represented in admissions to the Mental Health Services of this State. 從上表格清楚可見,耶和華見證人特別多。Furthermore, it is clear from the Table that the incidence of schizophrenia amongst them is about three times as high as for the rest of the general population, 精神分裂的比率是三倍於一般人,while the figure for paranoid schizophrenia is nearly four times that of the general population偏執型精神分裂性是兩倍。" (p. 558).
"The study does not shed light on the question of sympto
m or defense mechanism, but suggests that either the Jehovahs Witnesses sect tends to attract an excess of pre-psychotic individuals who may then break down, or else being a Jehovahs Witness is itself a stress which may precipitate a psychosis" (p. 558).可能是耶和華見證人教派趨向于吸引本來有精神病傾向的人,或者作為一個耶和華見證人有很大的壓力。