/sci/ - Science & Math

Science Says: Religion Is Good For Your Health
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolefisher/2019/03/29/science-says-religion-is-good-for-your-health/#445372e43a12

>There is ample reason to believe that faith in a higher power is associated with health, and in a positive way. For example, researchers at the Mayo Clinic concluded, “Most studies have shown that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcomes, including greater longevity, coping skills, and health-related quality of life (even during terminal illness) and less anxiety, depression, and suicide. Several studies have shown that addressing the spiritual needs of the patient may enhance recovery from illness.

>That said, the lack of knowledge linking religious behaviors and health is fascinating given that health care is deeply rooted in religious institutions, and vice versa. In fact, it was religious organizations that built many of the first hospitals, and clergy (supplementing low church wages) were often practicing physicians and medical providers.

>80% of research on spirituality/religiousness and health focuses on mental health. This is because most associations with faith are related to how one thinks about the world and their role in it. Words that are often associated with religious beliefs include connectedness, hope, optimism, trust and purpose. All of which have been shown to boost mental health. Compassion, forgiveness and gratefulness are also qualities that are strongly associated with individuals who are spiritual and religious. Practicing these qualities is thought to be associated with deceased stress and increased resiliency.

>Interestingly, although religion and spirituality correlate to an external locus of control (God as a higher power in control of our destiny), most research concludes that those who are religious have a strong internal sense of control.

Religion’s Relationship to Happiness, Civic Engagement and Health Around the World
https://www.pewforum.org/2019/01/31/religions-relationship-to-happiness-civic-engagement-and-health-around-the-world/

>People who are active in religious congregations tend to be happier and more civically engaged than either religiously unaffiliated adults or inactive members of religious groups, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of survey data from the United States and more than two dozen other countries.

>This analysis finds that in the U.S. and many other countries around the world, regular participation in a religious community clearly is linked with higher levels of happiness and civic engagement (specifically, voting in elections and joining community groups or other voluntary organizations).