Spiritual Struggles and Mental Health: Can Belief in Miracles Protect Us?
Saturday, September 6, 2025.
Many folks have a story about a miracle.
A cancer scan that comes back clear. A loved one surviving an accident against all odds. Or simply making it through a season of life that seemed impossible.
But what does believing in miracles actually do for our mental health?
A new study in Mental Health, Religion & Culture offers an intriguing answer: sometimes, belief in miracles can buffer against depression—but not for everyone, and not in the same way.
The Study: Stress, Spirituality, and Healing
Researchers analyzed data from the Study on Stress, Spirituality, and Health (SSSH), a large, multi-cohort project launched in 2015 to understand how religious and spiritual factors influence health. Three distinct groups were examined:
American Indians from the Strong Heart Study (521 participants)
South Asians from the MASALA Study (1,150 participants)
White Nurses from the Nurses’ Health Study II (2,598 participants)
Participants answered questions about their belief in God, miracles, and whether divine intervention plays a role in healing. They also completed surveys on religious/spiritual (R/S) struggles (e.g., “I felt confused about my beliefs”) and depressive symptoms (using the CES-D scale).
Who Believes in Miracles?
American Indians: 47% believed in miraculous healing
South Asians: 26%
White Nurses: 23%
Belief in miracles was most common among American Indian participants, reflecting deep cultural and communal traditions of spiritual healing.
Miracles and Mental Health: A Complicated Picture
Here’s where it gets interesting:
Among White nurses, belief in miracles was linked with lower depressive symptoms.
Among American Indians and South Asians, no such link appeared.
Across all groups, spiritual struggles were strongly tied to higher depressive symptoms.
And here’s the twist: those who did believe in miracles seemed less negatively impacted by spiritual struggles. In other words, faith in divine healing sometimes cushioned the blow of doubt and distress.
Why the Differences?
Cultural context matters. In American Indian communities, where spiritual healing is already widespread, miracle belief may not carry the same “extra” protective effect—it’s simply part of life.
Professional identity matters. For nurses, daily exposure to suffering and death may make belief in miracles a crucial psychological resource, allowing them to reconcile medical science with hope.
Bicultural pressures matter. South Asians in the U.S. often juggle traditional religious values with secular expectations. In that context, miracle belief may not map neatly onto mental health.
Hope, Struggle, and the Therapist’s Chair
For therapists, clergy, or healthcare providers, the message is clear: don’t skip the spiritual questions.
A belief (or disbelief) in miracles can shape how they cope with illness, loss, or stress. Dismissing such beliefs risks alienating people whose resilience partly depends on them. At the same time, struggles with faith are just as important to surface—they’re often where the pain shows up.
This echoes what we often see in couples therapy: struggles around belief, meaning, and hope are rarely “just spiritual.” They ripple out into intimacy, trust, and the way people support one another in hard times.
The Limits of Miracles (and the Study)
A note of caution: this was a cross-sectional, self-report study. That means we can’t claim miracle belief causes lower depression. And participants only had two oversimplified options for describing God’s role, which hardly captures the full spectrum of human spirituality.
Takeaway on Belief in Miracles
Belief in miracles isn’t just about theology—it’s about mental health, resilience, and cultural identity.
For some (like White nurses), it can be a buffer against depression. For others, the story is more layered. What’s universal is this: when spiritual struggles rise, mental health often takes a hit. And in those moments, even the faintest belief that healing is possible—whether through medicine, community, or something beyond—can matter.
If you find yourself navigating the tension between faith, doubt, and emotional well-being, therapy can help. We won’t try to tell you what to believe—but we’ll explore how your beliefs (and your struggles with them) shape your relationships, your resilience, and your path forward.
FAQ: Belief in Miracles and Mental Health
Is it unhealthy to believe in miracles?
Not at all. This study shows that for some groups, belief in miracles can protect against depressive symptoms. Problems arise only when belief leads to passivity—waiting for divine intervention instead of seeking treatment or support.
What if I’m struggling with my faith?
Spiritual struggles are common—and linked with higher depression in this study. Talking about doubt in therapy or with a trusted spiritual advisor can reduce isolation and open space for growth.
Can couples disagree about faith and still thrive?
Yes. What matters is how you handle the difference. Science-based couples therapy shows that partners don’t need identical beliefs—they need respect, curiosity, and skills for navigating differences.
How should healthcare providers respond to patients who believe in miracles?
By listening. Patients who feel dismissed may disengage from care. Providers can affirm the hope that miracles represent, while gently reinforcing the importance of medical treatment.
Are miracle beliefs only religious?
Not necessarily. For some, “miracle” is shorthand for extraordinary resilience, unexplainable recovery, or unexpected life changes. Even more secular folks may talk about “a miracle” as a way of acknowledging life’s unpredictability.
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
REFERENCES:
Upenieks, L., Kent, B. V., Kanaya, A. M., Eliassen, A. H., Cole, S. A., & Shields, A. E. (2024). Belief in miracles, religious/spiritual struggles, and depressive symptoms: Exploring variation among American Indian, South Asian, and White cohorts in the study on stress, spirituality, and health. Mental Health, Religion & Culture.