Forgiveness

== Mental health ==
Survey data from 2000 showed that 61% of those participants who were part of a small religious group reported that the group helped them be more forgiving.<ref name="How Religious Groups Promote Forgiving">{{Cite journal|title = How Religious Groups Promote Forgiving: A National Study|journal = Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion|year=2000|volume = 39|issue = 2|doi = 10.1111/0021-8294.00011|first = Robert|last = Wuthnow|pages=125–139}}</ref> People who reported that their religious groups promoted forgiveness also related success in overcoming addictions, guilt, and perceiving encouragement when feeling discouraged.{{clarify|date=July 2023}}<ref name="How Religious Groups Promote Forgiving" />

[[Mindfulness]] may play a role as a mediator in the relationship between forgiveness and health outcomes.<ref name="Forgiveness, Mindfulness, and Health">{{Cite journal|title = Forgiveness, Mindfulness, and Health|journal = Mindfulness|date = 2012-06-22|issn = 1868-8527|pages = 235–245|volume = 4|issue = 3|doi = 10.1007/s12671-012-0119-0|first1 = Jon R.|last1 = Webb|first2 = T. Dustin|last2 = Phillips|first3 = David|last3 = Bumgarner|first4 = Elizabeth|last4 = Conway-Williams|s2cid = 144214249}}</ref> When combined with mindfulness, forgiveness has a beneficial impact on physical health. However, the effects of forgiveness on health are contingent upon the presence and practice of mindfulness.<ref name="Forgiveness, Mindfulness, and Health" />

Self-forgiveness is an important part of self-acceptance and mental health in stages of life.<ref name="Self-Forgiveness A Component">{{Cite journal|title = Self-Forgiveness A Component of Mental Health in Later Life|journal = Research on Aging|date = 2005-05-01|issn = 0164-0275|pages = 267–289|volume = 27|issue = 3|doi = 10.1177/0164027504274122|first1 = Berit|last1 = Ingersoll-Dayton|first2 = Neal|last2 = Krause|s2cid = 210225071}}</ref> Failing to achieve self-forgiveness can have negative effects on mental health.<ref name="Self-Forgiveness A Component" /> Among the elderly, self-forgiveness often involves introspection about past wrongdoings, aiming to prevent their recurrence; this process contributes to enhancing their authentic self-concept.<ref name="Self-Forgiveness A Component" /> When people successfully learn from transgressions, they may experience improved mental health.<ref name="Self-Forgiveness A Component" />

Self-forgiveness can reduce feelings of guilt and shame associated with [[hypersexual]] behavior.<ref name="Self-Forgiveness and Hypersexual Behavior">{{Cite journal|title = Self-Forgiveness and Hypersexual Behavior|journal = Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity|date = 2015-01-02|issn = 1072-0162|pages = 59–70|volume = 22|issue = 1|doi = 10.1080/10720162.2014.1001542|first1 = Joshua N.|last1 = Hook|first2 = Jennifer E.|last2 = Farrell|first3 = Don E.|last3 = Davis|first4 = Daryl R. Van|last4 = Tongeren|first5 = Brandon J.|last5 = Griffin|first6 = Joshua|last6 = Grubbs|first7 = J. Kim|last7 = Penberthy|first8 = Jamie D.|last8 = Bedics|s2cid = 145006916}}</ref> Hypersexual behaviour can cause [[Suffering|distress]] and life problems.<ref name="Self-Forgiveness and Hypersexual Behavior" /> Self-forgiveness may help individuals reduce hypersexual negative behaviours that cause problems.<ref name="Self-Forgiveness and Hypersexual Behavior" />

Self-forgiveness may be associated with procrastination; self-forgiveness allows a person to overcome the negative effects linked to an earlier behaviour and adopt proactive approaches toward similar tasks.<ref name="I forgive myself">{{Cite journal|title = I forgive myself, now I can study: How self-forgiveness for procrastinating can reduce future procrastination|journal = Personality and Individual Differences|year = 2010|volume = 48|issue = 7|doi = 10.1016/j.paid.2010.01.029|first1 = Michael J. A.|last1 = Wohl|first2 = Timothy A.|last2 = Pychyl|first3 = Shannon H.|last3 = Bennett|pages = 803–808}}</ref> Embracing self-forgiveness in the context of procrastination can enhance self-esteem and mental well-being, potentially leading to a reduction in procrastination tendencies.<ref name="I forgive myself" />

The self-help book ''Forgiveness and Health: Scientific Evidence and Theories Relating Forgiveness to Better Health'' details the benefits and the mental, physical, and psychological results of forgiveness. Stress relief may be the chief factor that connects forgiveness and well-being. Levels of stress go down when levels of forgiveness rise, resulting in a decrease in mental health symptoms.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Weir|first=Kirsten|date=January 2017|title=Forgiveness can improve mental and physical health|url=https://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/01/ce-corner|website=APA CE Corner}}</ref>

Forgiveness lifts a burden, as the forgiver no longer feels anger or hatred toward the transgressor, and may better understand the transgressor. This improves their health and outlook.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Raj|first1=Paul|last2=Elizabeth|first2=C.S.|last3=Padmakumari|first3=P.|date=2016-12-31|editor-last=Walla|editor-first=Peter|title=Mental health through forgiveness: Exploring the roots and benefits|journal=Cogent Psychology|language=en|volume=3|issue=1|pages=1153817|doi=10.1080/23311908.2016.1153817|s2cid=73654630|issn=2331-1908|doi-access=free}}</ref>

A meta-analysis of several controlled studies of forgiveness-oriented psychological interventions tried to determine whether certain classes of intervention helped people to forgive, and also whether this helped their emotional health in general.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Thomas W.|last1=Baskin|first2=Robert D.|last2=Enright|title=Intervention Studies on Forgiveness: A Meta-Analysis|journal=Journal of Counseling & Development|year=2004|volume=82 |pages=79–90 |doi=10.1002/j.1556-6678.2004.tb00288.x |url=https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/Baskin-InterventionForgiveness.pdf}}</ref> It found strong support for forgiveness interventions that helped people go through a multi-step process of forgiveness, but no support for forgiveness interventions that were designed merely to help people ''decide to'' forgive.

Another meta-analysis examined how forgiveness interventions affected depression, anxiety, and hopelessness, and concluded that "interventions designed to promote forgiveness are more effective at helping participants achieve forgiveness and hope and reduce depression and anxiety than either no treatment or alternative treatments."<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Nathaniel|last1=Wade|first2=William|last2=Hoyt|first3=Julia|last3=Kidwell|first4=Everett|last4=Worthington|title=Efficacy of Psychotherapeutic Interventions to Promote Forgiveness: A Meta-Analysis|journal=Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology|year=2013|volume=82 |issue=1 |pages=154–170 |doi=10.1037/a0035268 |pmid=24364794 }}</ref>