Exploring Gaps in the Intersection of Religion and Mental Health: A Systematic Literature Review Using an Inductive Approach

This paper undertakes a systematic literature review to identify research gaps and explore the future scope of research in the field. The objective is to pinpoint gaps in existing studies, offering insights into potential avenues for future research. An Inductive approach is employed to identify the themes and gap in the studies, highlighting the novelty and significance of this study. There is a scarcity of research such as the mediating effects of demographic factors between religion and mental health, role of constitutional laws in mitigating religious biasness. Additionally, social norms and cultural influences significantly intersect with religion and mental health, warranting further exploration as potential mediators in future studies. To conduct this review, the highest-cited articles from Google Scholar were considered. Articles are sourced from reputable platforms like Publish and Perish. Out of a total of 1000 research papers, including books, 980 were selected for in-depth review. After screening, only one hundred forty-one papers are taken for review. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to filter the research papers, ensuring a comprehensive yet focused review. Keywords: Religion; Mental health; Religion; Social Stigma; Culture; Coping Strategy