.• Ph.D~(Qj~"s-o:-..o~M.~" 'I>~I~ )~l.il,) ~4 0"li~i,) 1:'sychological Reports, 2003, 92, 787-790. © Psychological Reports 2003 RELIGIOUS VALUES IN A GROUP OF PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENTS J MAHMOUD MIRZAMANI AND MOHAMMAD REZA MOHAMlV1ADI Baghiyatollah Medical Center Baghiyatollah Medical Sciences University Tehran University of Medical Sciences Summary.-Religious values were investigated in a group of psychiatric outpa- tients using the Allport, Vernon and Lindzey Study of Values and the Revised Symp- tom Checklist-90-Revised. Scores of 70 psychiatric patients were compared with those of a control group of 50 university staff and students. Analysis indicated that scores for religious values was significantly lower in the outpatient group than in the control group. There was a low significant correlation between religious values and anxiety (-.26) and depression (-.23). Allport and colleagues suggested values to be particular types of atti- tudes that are more intense and extensive (Allport, Vernon, & Lindzey, 1970a). Life is made meaningful and is directed by these values. One useful classification of values was developed by E. Spranger (1928) who identified six kinds of -value orientations: (1) Religious value: (meaningful relation with the universe), (2) Theoretical value (discovery of truth and systematic order of knowledge), (3) Economic value (practical or useful affairs, wealth), (4) Aesthetic value (artistic aspects of life), (5) Social value (love of people), and (6) Political value (oriented toward power). The well-known questionnaire, Study of Values, designed by Allport, Vernon, and Lindzey measures the rel- ative strength within an individual of Spranger's six value orientations. Much research has been done to investigate the relationship between religious values and mental health or even mortality in different populations. For example, Kark, Shemi, Friedlander, Martin, Manor, and Blondheim (1996) reported that religious attitudes correlated with reduced suicide at- tempts and Kendler, Grandner, and Prescott (1997) showed that religious attitudes were associated with less negative stress. In a meta-analysis of data from 42 independent samples (including 126,000 subjects) McCullough, Hoyt, Larson, Koenig, and Thoresen (2000) suggested that people with high religious involvement were more likely to be alive at follow-up than people with lower religious involvement. Other studies have been conducted on the association of psychological problems with religious involvement. For exam- ple, Jalilvand and Ejei (1997) found a significant negative correlation for prayer and anxiety. 'Please address correspondence to Mahmoud Mirzamani, Baghiyatollah Hospital, Mollasadra Street, Vanak Square, Tehran 1435944711, I. R. Iran or e-rnail (Mirzamani2003@yahoo.co.uk).