Over the past two decades, countries around the world have aimed education, research, and policies to combat the world’s growing mental health crisis. Although many strategies have been considered, the relationship between mental health and spirituality, religion, and faith remains largely unknown.
Faith and health: the global connection between spirituality and health, a new report by Gallup and the Radiant Foundation reveals fresh insights into the relationship between religion/spirituality and happiness. It also adds to an existing body of research showing that religious people are often happier than non-religious people.
Main findings
Gallup World Poll data from 2012 to 2022 shows that religious people are happier than non-religious people on many measures of happiness.
An analysis of global public opinion data collected over 10 years in 152 countries and territories, including interviews with nearly 1.5 million people, shows a strong link between religiosity and happiness. The Gallup Index, which measures the fundamentals of positive emotions, social life, optimism, and community, shows a positive relationship between religiosity (defined by self-stated importance of religion in daily life) and well-being outcomes. It shows that there is.
A one-point difference in index scores between religious and non-religious people represents an impact on an estimated 40 million adults worldwide. For example, a four-point difference between religious and non-religious people on the Positive Experience Index means that an estimated 160 million adults worldwide have more positive experiences than non-religious adults. It means there is.
Gallup’s other global indicators show no relationship between religiosity and happiness, and in some cases the relationship is negative, with more religious people tending to score worse. For example, on an individual level, religious people are likely to attribute negative events in their lives, such as illness, to abandonment by a higher power, and thus experience more negative emotions than nonreligious people. There is a gender.
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The relationship between religiosity and well-being outcomes is complex and may vary by religiosity at the country level.
The research and analysis detailed in the report shows that there is often a positive relationship between spirituality and well-being, but the relationship is complex and nuanced.
There is a stronger positive relationship between religiosity and happiness in the most religious or moderately religious countries, where more than 66% of the population say religion is important to them. Countries classified as less religious are more likely to be wealthy and have higher happiness scores for their residents, regardless of religiosity or economic impact.
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People who say religion is important to them believe they derive greater personal benefits through social and civic connections.
An analysis of global polling data from 2012 to 2022 shows that religious people score significantly higher than nonreligious people on Gallup’s Social Life Index, which assesses people’s social support structure. Masu.
The findings show that an estimated 200 million religious people worldwide are more satisfied with the opportunity to meet people than they would be if they were non-religious, and that approximately 100 million more people who identify as religious It shows that people have others to rely on in times of hardship. more necessary than if they were not religious.
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Similarly, the connection between spirituality and well-being is evident in Gallup’s Civic Engagement Index, which measures people’s propensity to volunteer their time and help others. Such civic-minded behavior can also lead to positive well-being outcomes. Although there are regional differences, globally religious people score higher than non-religious people, on average 4.8 points higher.
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Despite the decline in religious identity in the United States, the gap between religious and nonreligious groups on Gallup’s Civic Engagement Index is largest in North America (10.3 points). Fewer Americans have a religious identity or attend religious services on a regular basis than in the United States. past.
what it means
This Gallup Radiant report comes as scholarship uncovers the potentially positive impact of faith on well-being at a time of heightened negative sentiment. We are investigating the apparent contradiction that .
A possible factor behind this seeming contradiction is a lack of awareness of the relationship between faith and happiness. Generational influence. “Othering” — viewing or treating a person or group of people differently than oneself. Religious polarization. and the evolution of religious practice. Furthermore, the decline in religious freedom in parts of the world, especially religious minorities, may affect the trajectory of religious identity.
While most of this Gallup World Poll analysis draws on long-standing trends regarding the importance of religion in daily life, the new world poll asked on behalf of the Well-being for Planet Earth Foundation in 2021 Among the poll items, a measure of spirituality was also found to be positively associated with religiosity. Higher happiness around the world.
Given the global increase in negative experiences and growing mental health crisis, multifaceted solutions are needed. The role of religion and spirituality can be considered as a way to combat the mental health crisis. Leaders looking for solutions during this crisis can consider the opportunities that religion and spirituality can offer to various organizations, including the workplace.
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Learn more about Gallup’s country data sets for the full methodology and specific survey dates.
Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works.
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