O comportamento suicida e a religiosidade: revisão sistemática de literatura

Abstract

The role of religiosity in determining suicidal behavior is controversial, since there are tudies where it´s considered a protective factor and others, a risk factor. In this study, the authors conducted a systematic literature review to assess the relationship between religiosity and suicidal behavior. Among the 154 articles published in scientific journals initially identified in Medline, Lilacs, SciELO and PsycInfo, we selected 59 articles that focused on the association between religiosity and suicidal behavior. To evaluate the qualitative attributes of the articles, a Qualitative Evaluation Script was developed. The results show that most articles found presented a lack of methodological rigor in measuring the concept of religiosity, possibly due to the subjective characteristic of this construct. However, it was found that the protective role against suicidal behavior exercised by religion, varies according to the culture in which it operates, whereas in some cultures suicidal behavior is not seen with total disapproval. However, most studies support the hypothesis that religiosity reduces the risk of suicidal behavior in individuals who profess some kind of belief, and participates in some religious space. Were not found, in this research, studies which measure the association between religiosity and suicidal behavior in religions of African origin.