Synopsis "Influence of Religion on LGBTQ+ Mental Health"
When researchers first began studying the relationship between religion and mental health, a number of studies found a negative impact of religion, however, it was later found that many of the initial studies used biased clinical observations and flawed methodology (Koenig, 2000; Koenig & Larson, 2001; Moreira-Almeida et al., 2006). More contemporary research withimproved methods has found that religion generally appears to have a positive impact on mentalhealth. In most studies, religion has been found to decrease anxiety, depression, risky sexualbehaviors, and substance use. The research is mixed regarding psychosis and bipolar disorder, and research on stress has found that religion can be both a source of comfort and a source ofstress in people's lives. It is notable that this may be a function of the religion to which onebelongs and the salience of religion in their lives (Abramowitz et al., 2004; Baker & Gorsuch, 1982; Khalaf et al., 2014; Koenig, 2000; Koenig & Larson, 2001; McCullough & Larson, 1999;Miller et al., 2012; Steketee et al., 2001; Wink et al., 2005; Wood & Conley
