Religious people ‘happier and less stressed than non-believers during Covid-19 pandemic’

RELIGIONS NEWS SERVICE (REDNA) – Religious people coped much better during the Covid-19 pandemic than non-believers, according to a new study.

Daily Record reported researchers found those with faith experienced much less unhappiness and stress during the pandemic, with mental health decline being 60 per cent worse for non-religious people.

The research team believe religion may protect people from increased distress and reduced wellbeing in times of crisis.
To get their results the University of Cambridge researchers studied data from people in both the UK and US throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the UK study, the team analysed data from 3,884 people during the first two national lockdowns. They found while lockdowns were associated with a universal uptick in unhappiness, the average increase in feeling miserable was 29 per cent lower for people who described themselves as belonging to a religion.