Objetivos: Avaliar o impacto das intervenções espirituais/religiosas sobre a saúde de indivíduos, descrever os protocolos utilizados e analisar a qualidade metodológica dos artigos. Métodos: Revisão sistemática e meta-análise realizada nos seguintes bancos de dados: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, The Cochrane Collaboration, Embase e Scielo. Através de expressão booleana foram incluídos artigos que: (i) investigaram os desfechos na saúde; (ii) realizaram ensaios clínicos randomizados, e (iii) foram redigidos em inglês, espanhol ou português. Foram excluídos protocolos sobre prece intercessória ou cura à distância. O estudo foi realizado em duas fases: (1) a leitura de título e resumo, (2) leitura completa dos artigos e avaliação de sua qualidade metodológica. Resultados: Através da revisão sistemática, 4751 estudos foram obtidos, dos quais 4367 foram excluídos por não se encaixarem nos critérios de inclusão ou por serem repetidos (fase 1). Dos restantes 162 artigos, 123 foram excluídos por não serem intervenções espirituais/religiosas ou por apresentarem randomização inadequada, permanecendo assim 39 artigos (fase 2). Em geral, os estudos têm mostrado que as intervenções espirituais/religiosas diminuíram os sintomas de depressão, ansiedade, consumo de álcool, excesso de peso e estresse, e melhoraram qualidade de vida em diferentes doenças. A meta-análise mostrou efeitos significativos sobre a ansiedade (p<0.0001), mas não sobre a depressão (p=0.41) ou qualidade de vida (p=0.56). Conclusão: Os estudos sobre intervenções espirituais/religiosas mostraram benefícios em sintomas clínicos (principalmente ansiedade e estresse), maior adesão a tratamento médico e satisfação com o procedimento. A diversidade de população e protocolos apontam para a necessidade de mais estudos envolvendo E/R como tratamento complementar na saúde.

Although there is a wide array of evidence showing the restraining role of religiosity on delinquency among adolescents, its impact on interpersonal violence is controversy. This study aims to explore whether religiosity is associated or not with diminishing violence in a Brazilian population-based representative sample and to investigate religiosity as a mediator between the victim of child abuse and the perpetuation of violence in adulthood. This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 2011-2012 using face-to-face interviews and included 4,608 individuals aged 14 years and older. The survey included measures of religiosity (religious affiliation and importance of religion), violence (involvement in fights, domestic violence and police detention), depression (CES-D), social support and alcohol dependence. Logistic regression models and mediation analyses were used to investigate the relationship between religiosity and violence and its possible mediators. In the total sample analyses, after adjustments, religious affiliation was inversely associated with lower involvement in fight (OR=0.60,CI95%:0.37-0.98) and less police detention (OR=0.37,CI95%:0.20-0.70), whereas the importance of religion was only associated with lower involvement in fights (OR=0.60,CI95%:0.36-0.99). Sub analyses revealed different associations depending on the age group evaluated. However, mediation tests showed that the association of religious affiliation on violence outcomes was mediated (partially or totally) by alcohol use. Also, high levels of religiosity were associated with less self-reports of child abuse. Being beaten by the parents was associated with religious affiliation ( 2=19.38; p=0.008) and importance of religion ( 2=21.33; p=0.006), and watch them threaten each other was also associated with religious affiliation ( 2=9.38; p=0.049) and with importance of religion ( 2=13.98; p=0.021). Child abuse showed an association with having been victim and perpetuating the cycle of violence in adulthood. However, no evidences were found regarding the role of religiosity as a mediator variable between those associations. In conclusion, religiosity seems to be an important factor associated with lower levels of violence in this nationwide representative survey and alcohol dependence seems to mediate this relationship. Likewise, religiosity seems to be xiv more present in individuals with less child abuse reports, but it does not mediate the relationship between child abuse and violence in future life. Health professionals should be aware of these findings in their clinical practice