Abstract
As Satanism represents a unique religious demographic, the present study sought to determine the prevalence of religious and spiritual struggles among modern Satanists and resulting anxiety or depressive symptoms. A sample of 693 self-identified Satanists were surveyed about their experiences of religious and spiritual struggles, perceptions of their Satanist identity, and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results indicated that Satanists predominantly struggle with interpersonal and ultimate meaning struggles. Ultimate meaning and moral struggles were predictive of both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Interpersonal struggles also predicted anxiety symptoms. Individual perceptions of Satanist identity did not have a significant influence on the relationship between R/S struggles and mental health outcomes. Future research directions on Satanism and mental health are discussed.
Advisor
Eric Sprankle
Committee Member
Jeffrey Buchanan
Committee Member
Kristie Campana
Date of Degree
2024
Language
english
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Science (MS)
Program of Study
Clinical Psychology
Department
Psychology
College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Flick, James. (2024). Religious and Spiritual Struggles among Satanists [Master’s thesis, Minnesota State University, Mankato]. Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/etds/1436/
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
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