The Gallup poll found that 67 percent of Americans who attend religious services weekly said they are very satisfied “with the way things are going” in their personal life. Among Americans who attend services nearly weekly or monthly, 44 percent answered that way. Among those who rarely or never attend religious services, 48 percent said they are very satisfied.
Gallup’s Frank Newport said the correlation between religiosity and wellbeing is supported by other research. For example, a major 2012 Gallup report found that very religious Americans “rate their lives more positively, are less likely to have ever been diagnosed with depression, and experience fewer daily negative emotions.” The 2012 report added, “The very religious also make much better health choices than do those who are not as or not at all religious.”
The reasons behind the correlation are varied. Some researchers point to the “calming, positive influence of belief in a higher power that comes with religion.” Others note the “positive impact of being part of a close-knit religious community that fosters friendships with other religious people.”
Newport wrote, “Belief in religion can give one a sense of purpose, a belief that life itself has purpose, and belief in an afterlife can mitigate worry about inevitable death.”
Research also shows that expressing gratitude reduces anxiety, and expressing gratitude is a core component of many religions.