Religious services linked to increased optimism, decreased risk of depression
102 replies, posted
[release](Reuters) - Regular attendance at religious services is associated with a more optimistic outlook and a lesser inclination to be depressed, compared to those who do not attend services at all, a study concluded on Thursday.
The study's findings supports previous research that religious participation can promote psychological and physical health -- and reduce mortality risks -- possibly by calming people in stressful times, creating meaningful social interactions and helping curtail bad habits.
Those who said they attended services more than once a week in the previous month were 56 percent more likely to be above the median score in a measure of optimism than those who did not attend services, according to the study published in the Journal of Religion and Health.
And those who reported attending services weekly were 22 percent less likely to be depressed or have depressive symptoms compared to non-attenders.
But a researcher on the study cautioned against people assuming that adopting a religion and heading off to a church, synagogue, temple or mosque would brighten their lives.
"There is a correlation, but that does not mean there is causality," said Eliezer Schnall, an associate professor of clinical psychology at Yeshiva University in New York. "One could argue people who are more optimistic may be drawn to religious services.
"The person who says, 'I guess if I go to services, that will make me more optimistic' -- while a possibility, that may not be true," he said.
Another caveat Schnall offered was that the study examined older women, so the benefits of religious activity may not apply to younger people or to males. Older women in particular have been shown in past research to engage in more social interaction at services, and to gain the most from it.
MORTALITY
Schnall worked on a 2008 study of the same group of women that found those who attended religious services regularly reduced their risk of death by 20 percent over the follow-up period that averaged nearly eight years.
"We're trying to connect the dots here," he said. "We know they're less likely to die, and health outcomes can be related to psychological factors."
The two studies examined answers provided by nearly 93,000 women, aged 50 to 79, who participated in the Women's Health Initiative study that began in 1991. Funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the survey tracks women's health, habits, beliefs and outcomes.
In response to questions asked when they enrolled, 34 percent of the women said they had not attended services in the previous month, 21 percent attended less than once a week, 30 percent attended weekly, and 14 percent more than once week.
They also answered a raft of questions to judge their level of optimism and their susceptibility to depression.
Schnall said there was no "dose response" when it comes to frequency of attending religious services and mental health.
But religious practice in general can encourage a "positive worldview, include calming rituals, and have other psychological and social benefits," the report said.
The study found people who attend services regularly were 28 percent more likely to report having positive social support -- which often meant they were more likely to have someone to help with chores or take them to the doctor if they needed it.
Religious people may also be more likely to avoid smoking or drinking alcohol in excess, to visit physicians, and to engage in other healthy lifestyle behaviors, it said.
When compared to other social groupings such as sporting events or playing cards, fellow religious congregants can provide closer confidants, Schnall said.
There are occasions, however, where religious disagreements with clergy, family members, or fellow parishioners can create psychological strains, the report noted.[/release]
Source: [url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/10/us-usa-religion-health-idUSTRE7A966K20111110]Reuters[/url]
I swear there was a study that said something about not being religious made people happier.
And if I wasn't on a phone, I'd go fetch it.
[QUOTE=Sgt. Khorn;33233509]I swear there was a study that said something about not being religious made people happier.
And if I wasn't on a phone, I'd go fetch it.[/QUOTE]
There's always studies that support every side because people always find a way to give evidence to their bias
Before the big religious debate occurs like in every other thread, I'll just get my two cents out.
Depending on how you see it, both theists and atheists have their own perks to happiness.
If you're a [B]theist[/B], you:
Believe in some kind of afterlife paradise
Believe that whatever deity you worship is going to look after you
If you're an [B]atheist[/B], you:
Are simply free from following the rules of any religious book.
I don't think either will make you happier than the other. It just depends on what you go for.
I don't think religion is what's making people happy, its the community that comes with it. A church is generally a healthy community and feeling included does boost self esteem blah blah blah. Stuff like confessionals would help people come to terms with guilt, etc.
Kurt Vonnegut said he'd never try to convince a religious person that God didn't exist, because it was cruel, and people need religion.
He was an atheist.
[editline]11th November 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Squeaken;33233591]I don't think religion is what's making people happy, its the community that comes with it. A church is generally a healthy community and feeling included does boost self esteem blah blah blah. Stuff like confessionals would help people come to terms with guilt, etc.[/QUOTE]
Because the idea that the belief in an everloving God and an afterlife could, in itself, make someone happy is [B]completely fucking retarded[/B] amirite
It's hand in fucking hand with the community but it does help.
[QUOTE=Elecbullet;33233615]Kurt Vonnegut said he'd never try to convince a religious person that God didn't exist, because it was cruel, and people need religion.
He was an atheist.[/QUOTE]
And? There are plenty of Atheists who wouldn't confront a religious person about their beliefs outside of a debate about them. I'm not the kinda guy who's going to go around town saying "Why do you believe in God?", because it's counter-productive.
Going to church makes me depressed
speaking as an atheist, singing classic songs together in a group with one guy on guitar does make you feel really good
I think it's the same thing here
People don't like death. They don't like the idea of dying, of their family members dying, of their friends dying, of their pets dying. They don't like the idea of cute animals dying.
Imagine if there was somewhere people could go where they are told "You have this thing in you that's immortal, it can't die."! I bet that place would be real popular and people who went there would be happy.
[QUOTE=Turnips5;33233654]speaking as an atheist, singing classic songs together in a group with one guy on guitar does make you feel really good
I think it's the same thing here[/QUOTE]
Churches need more jazz.
and yes, believing with real conviction that there's an invisible sky wizard watching out for you is a comforting thought
odd, im not religious and i'm completely optimistic
couldn't have to do with anything like living a good life... kinda hard to go to church every week if you're financially unstable or severely depressed to start with
[QUOTE=Megafanx13;33233660]Churches need more jazz.[/QUOTE]
Churches need more 60s British psychedelia
[I]careful with that axe, Eugene... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!![/I]
[QUOTE=Megafanx13;33233660]Churches need more jazz.[/QUOTE]
totally
[QUOTE=Elecbullet;33233682]Churches need more 60s British psychedelia
[I]careful with that axe, Eugene... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!![/I][/QUOTE]
I don't know. In my ideal world, all churches would have their own orchestras.
Is this really news? I'd be a lot more optimistic too if I believed in a happily ever after in a magical kingdom with all my dead relatives and friends waiting for me there.
Are those habit changes actually made to better themselves or is it out of fear of doing something wrong in the eyes of their God/Church/religious peers? Just how much of their behavior is actually influenced by fear or for whatever reason other than just wanting to be a better person?
Either way, good for them and all but did a study really have to be funded for this when real questions could have been answered..
Key bit here:
[release]Another caveat Schnall offered was that the study examined older women, so the benefits of religious activity may not apply to younger people or to males. Older women in particular have been shown in past research to engage in more social interaction at services, and to gain the most from it.[/release]
But either way I'm really not surprised, of course religious people feel good about going to religious services.
Smoking weed can do the same thing.
Breaking news, people actualy enjoy convening with like minded people.
[QUOTE=Elecbullet;33233615]
Because the idea that the belief in an everloving God and an afterlife could, in itself, make someone happy is [B]completely fucking retarded[/B] amirite
It's hand in fucking hand with the community but it does help.[/QUOTE]
Your anger is funny.
[QUOTE=Elecbullet;33233615]Because the idea that the belief in an everloving God and an afterlife could, in itself, make someone happy is [B]completely fucking retarded[/B] amirite
It's hand in fucking hand with the community but it does help.[/QUOTE]
Believing in a unicorn might make me happy, doesn't mean it's intelligent.
Religion does a [I]lot[/I] of things for religious people that make them happy. It's illogical to ignore that.
[editline]11th November 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Megafanx13;33234056]Believing in a unicorn might make me happy, doesn't mean it's intelligent.[/QUOTE]
Also I never said anything about how intelligent any of it was
It also makes a large portion of them stand around praying for a few hours per day/week.
Which does nothing to help any one.
It also causes fanaticism, resulting in death/rape/torture/etc.
It also causes the belief that things like 'science' are fake or evil.
And the list, of course, goes on and on.
So yes, you're right, it is cruel to remove people from their unrealistic fantasies, but ideally they wouldn't have those unrealistic fantasies in the first place.
Not to say that Atheism is perfect, it definitely isn't, but I think its a step in the right direction. In fact atheists could learn from organized religion in a few areas, i.e. organized religion's contributions to the community.
[QUOTE=Elecbullet;33234061]Also I never said anything about how intelligent any of it was[/QUOTE]
I'm saying that his "it's fucking retarded" comment means that [I]he's[/I] saying that belief in God is not intelligent. Not the words I'd have chose, but that's that.
[QUOTE=Megafanx13;33233660]Churches need more jazz.[/QUOTE]
I thought of this immediately. It's blues though, not jazz.
[video=youtube;YnaSRhMB_qo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnaSRhMB_qo[/video]
[QUOTE=Megafanx13;33234108]I'm saying that his "it's fucking retarded" comment means that [I]he's[/I] saying that belief in God is not intelligent. Not the words I'd have chose, but that's that.[/QUOTE]
The only person who said anything about "fucking retarded" is me, I'm extremely confused as to what you're talking about
[QUOTE=Elecbullet;33234387]The only person who said anything about "fucking retarded" is me, I'm extremely confused as to what you're talking about[/QUOTE]
Oh, well then I don't know. My mistake.
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