People who leave strict religions go through a great deal of stress and emotional upheaval. We know that heavy stress does make people sick, or at least feel worse.
However, it seems to me that people who leave a less restrictive church for another don't seem to get beat up as badly by family, friends and clergy, as they do when leaving Mormonism or other highhly controlled environment. For instance, I know several people who go if they want, attend their friends church if they want and go inactive if they want, and seem to have no greater backlash than to change restaurants.
On the opposite, we do know what it takes to stop going to church or to decide to go elsewhere. And we know that there are recovery groups and professionals who see the folks from strict controlling cults andchurches, but rarely ever see folks who can worship where or if they please.
Thus, it is reasonable to say that the poorer health issues due to leaving their church are programmed into the individual over the course of their lifetime by that church.
It's got more to do with the amount of control the religion/culture/regime placed on them, I think. They are unprepared to make their own decisions and often convinced that they are damned simply because they've lost the one true way/faith/state/whatever.
My understanding is that people who are released from prison after a long incarceration frequently have trouble adapting to their new freedom and responsibility. I don't think that is a reason to stop letting people out of prison after they have served their sentence; maybe some support and counciling would help.
This board provides support and counciling for those who are releasing themselves from mormonism.
I think it has to do with the people in the strict religions answering in the affirmative when they were not really all that healthy. They answer that way because they are told that they are blessed because of their faith.
As I was getting out of the church I developed all sorts of health problems, from high blood pressure, to rashes, to pulled muscles, to back problems, swollen hands--most of that was because I was stressing from leaving that stupid made-up church. And most of that stuff has gone away now that I'm out and don't worry about it.