Assistant professors Nirmala Lekhak (Nursing) and Tirth Bhatta (Sociology) collaborated with Case Western Reserve University colleagues Eva Kahana (Sociology) and Frances Payne Bolton (Nursing) to publish a study, "," examining the mechanisms underlying the positive effect of prayer on mental health in older adults. Using a nationwide web-based survey, this study provides empirical evidence regarding the importance of prayer in enhancing positive emotions (e.g., compassionate love) and its subsequent positive effects on mental health. Their study fills an important gap in the literature by examining the role of positive emotions in explaining the impact of prayer on mental health in later life. Their findings indicate that spiritual practices of prayer are associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms and anxiety due to an increase in compassionate love.
