The Relationship Between Religion and Mental Health

What Research Shows About Religion and Mental Health

Scientists have been studying the link between religious practice and mental wellness for many years. According to research from the Pew Research Center, people who attend religious services regularly experience significant benefits.

In the United States, 36% of actively religious adults describe themselves as very happy, versus about 25% of inactive or unaffiliated adults; results vary by country and context. Actively religious adults are also more likely to participate in voluntary or community groups and to vote, but across most countries, there is no consistent advantage in self-rated “very good” overall health— the U.S. is a partial exception in some datasets. (Source: Pew Research Center, 2019.)

Core Religious Beliefs That Impact Mental Health

Understanding why religion affects mental health requires looking at the fundamental beliefs that most Christian and Jewish communities share. This article focuses primarily on Christian and Jewish traditions, though other religions also show similar mental health connections. These effects have been found to vary by tradition, race, gender, and population—sometimes even reversing or disappearing in specific groups. While different denominations have varying practices, certain foundational concepts appear across almost all religious communities.

Direct Relationship with God

One of the most powerful aspects of religious faith is the sense of having a personal connection with a divine being. This relationship provides believers with a strong foundation for understanding who they are and their place in the world. This connection becomes a lived experience that shapes daily decisions and provides constant guidance.

The Power of Faith and Certainty

Religious faith provides something that’s often missing in modern life: certainty. In a world full of unknowns and constant change, having unshakable beliefs about fundamental truths can be incredibly stabilizing for mental health. This certainty extends to having confidence in life’s ultimate purpose and meaning.

How Faith Creates Mental Health Benefits

Psychologists have identified several key factors that contribute to good mental health and happiness. Martin Seligman, founder of positive psychology, developed the PERMA model, which highlights five elements of well-being—Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment—several of which are often cultivated within religious life. Religious faith is often associated with several of these important areas.

Meaning and Purpose in Life

One of the strongest predictors of mental health is whether someone feels their life has meaning and purpose. Religious faith provides what psychologists call “ultimate meaning” – the sense that life has a bigger purpose beyond just day-to-day survival. This perspective helps believers see their struggles as part of a larger, meaningful story rather than random suffering.

Positive Emotions and Hope

Faith is often associated with positive emotions, particularly hope. When people believe that their current struggles will lead to something good, they can endure difficulties with much greater resilience. Many religious traditions teach or emphasize hopeful ultimate outcomes for the faithful, which can help sustain resilience even in difficult circumstances.

The Anxiety Connection

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health challenges people face today. A large body of research links anxiety to intolerance of uncertainty—difficulty tolerating the unknown—which amplifies worry and threat appraisals. Religious faith is associated with addressing both of these anxiety triggers for some individuals, but not universally. In certain contexts, religious beliefs can also contribute to anxiety through fear of punishment or exclusion.

For many, faith provides certainty about life’s ultimate questions and outcomes. However, in some cases, rigid or punitive beliefs may heighten distress instead of relieving it. Instead of worrying about what happens after death or whether life has meaning, many religious people turn to their faith for clear answers to these fundamental concerns. By offering clear ultimate meanings and expectations, faith can reduce uncertainty and lower anxiety-maintaining worry.

Community and Social Support

Religious communities provide built-in social support networks that contribute significantly to mental health. Regular attendance at religious services creates opportunities for meaningful relationships and mutual support during difficult times.

These communities bring together people who share similar values and worldviews. This creates a sense of belonging and understanding that can be hard to find in other social settings. Most religious traditions also emphasize serving others, which provides a sense of purpose that benefits mental health.

Dealing with Suffering and Hardship

Religious faith provides a framework for understanding suffering that can transform how people experience difficult times. Religious traditions typically teach that suffering can serve positive purposes, such as building character or bringing people closer to God.

When pain has meaning, it becomes more bearable and less likely to lead to depression or despair. Faith communities often emphasize that difficulties can lead to personal growth, encouraging people to see challenges as opportunities rather than just problems to endure.

The Science Behind the Benefits

The overlap between religious principles and proven psychological techniques is remarkable. Most religious traditions include regular practices of gratitude and appreciation for life’s blessings. Meta-analyses of randomized trials show both religious and secular gratitude interventions yield small-to-moderate improvements in life satisfaction and mental health, including reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Many religious practices (e.g., contemplative prayer, meditative scripture reading) may share mechanisms with secular mindfulness—focused attention and present-moment awareness—linked to reduced stress and improved emotion regulation. These activities help calm the mind, reduce stress, and create emotional balance while connecting with something larger than oneself.

Understanding the Research Limitations

It’s important to note that correlation doesn’t prove causation when it comes to religion and mental health. While the statistics show strong connections, researchers can’t definitively say that religious practice directly causes better mental health outcomes. The evidence is mixed. Large U.S. cohorts associate frequent attendance with lower risks of depression, suicide, and deaths of despair; however, recent cross-lagged and UK longitudinal studies report little or no consistent mental-health benefit from increased attendance over time. Differences may reflect population and methodological factors.

Religious people might have different lifestyle habits, stronger social support, or other factors that contribute to better mental health independent of their faith. However, psychological aspects of religious belief likely play an important role. Importantly, negative religious coping (e.g., feeling punished or abandoned by God) is linked to worse mental-health symptoms, underscoring that not all religious engagement is beneficial. For instance, religious struggles have been associated with higher rates of depressive symptoms and greater distress in multiple populations.