Washington, Aug 7 (IANS) Faith in God shields you against worries and helps you tackle life's uncertainties.


"The implications...for the field of psychiatry are that we have to take patients' spirituality more seriously than we do," said David Rosmarin, assistant professor of psychology at the Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital.

His study makes a case for integrating patients' beliefs with their mode of treatment, especially for those who are religious, the Journal of Clinical Psychology reports.

Yet, Rosmarin said mental health providers rarely if ever ask patients about their spiritual beliefs. "That's crazy," he said. "We don't even ask. We aren't trained to. And it is important."

Those who trusted in God were found to have lower levels of worry and more tolerance of uncertainty than those who doubted God's help.

These findings are based on two separate studies.

They were presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Washington, D.C.