Spiritual Bypass as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Religiosity and Psychological Distress in Muslims Living in the United States

Religiosity is generally associated with better physical and mental health (Koenig et

al., 2012), and Muslims report higher degrees of faith and practice compared with others

(Pew Research Center, 2018). However, Muslims living in the United States (MLUS)

experience high rates of Islamophobia, a form of religious discrimination, and are at risk

for poorer mental health relative to their non-Muslim counterparts (Amer & Hovey, 2012).

Muslims also report high rates of mental health stigma and are less likely to seek

professional psychological help in dealing with mental health difficulties ( ift i et al.,

2013). One process through which mental health and its care may be being disrupted is

through a tendency in many Muslims to privilege or exagerrate spiritual experiences and

practices to avoid dealing with psychological difficulties. This tendency, sometimes

referred to as spiritual bypass (Welwood, 1984), has been examined in Christians and other

populations but not in MLUS. In this study of 350 MLUS, we assessed whether spiritual

bypass moderated the relationship between Islamic religiousness and psychological

distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress). We also assessed whether spiritual bypass

predicted poorer help-seeking attitudes and behaviors, and higher self-stigma of mental

health. Results indicated that when spiritual bypass was high (but not when it was low),

religiosity did lead to greater depression, anxiety, and stress. Spiritual bypass was also

related to poorer help-seeking attitudes and higher internalized mental health stigma.

Findings suggest that exaggerating spiritual explanations for ordinary situations and

engaging in psychological avoidance using spirituality may not be conducive to better

mental health among religious Muslims. Findings may also indicate one mechanism via

which MLUS may be resistant to mental health services. While the empirical study of

spiritual bypass is relatively new, it shows potential for helping us explain contradictory

findings related to how religion affects mental health in Muslims.