Current Mental Health Clients' Religious/Spiritual Beliefs and Practices: A National Survey.

This article presents findings from a 2018 national survey of 989 self-identified mental health clients in the United States, examining their religious/spiritual (RS) beliefs, practices, and perceptions of how these practices influence their mental health. The majority of clients identified as moderately or very spiritual (70.4%) and religious (55.6%), frequently engaged in RS practices such as prayer, forgiveness, and service to others, and generally perceived these practices as helpful to their mental health. Comparisons with the general U.S. population and licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) revealed both similarities and differences in RS affiliation and engagement, with clients more likely to identify as religious and participate in RS activities. The study highlights the complexity of RS as both a source of support and struggle for mental health clients and underscores the importance of integrating clients' RS considerations into mental health treatment, particularly within social work education and practice, where training on this topic remains limited.