VIEW VIEWPOINT

Anxiety and Church Attendance

Written by Kerby Anderson May 9 - 2024
Kerby Andersonnever miss viewpoints

Ira Stoll begins his commentary by mentioning that Jonathan Haidt’s new book, The Anxious Generation, is currently the #1 New York Times bestseller. But he then adds that there may be “another, non-technology possible contributor to the mental health crisis that’s getting less attention but may be just as significant.”

That factor is church attendance. It appears that as church attendance goes down, mental health issues go up. A study in Harvard Public Health estimated “about 40 percent of the increasing suicide rate in the United States from 1999 to 2014 might be attributed to declines in attendance at religious services during this period.” Another study estimated that declining church attendance from 1991 to 2019 accounted for 28 percent of the increase in depression among teenagers.

A major review of 215 studies reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that “weekly religious service attendance is longitudinally associated with lower mortality risk, lower depression, less suicide, better cardiovascular disease survival, better health behaviors, and greater marital stability, happiness, and purpose in life.”

Ira Stoll observes that “plenty of mental-health clinicians I know see in religious-service attendance some of the habits and attitudes that can help to combat depression and anxiety. There’s the supportive community, the face-to-face interaction, the getting out of bed and out of the house, the sense of purpose and meaning, the expressions of gratitude and humility.”

And these are just the social benefits of church attendance. There are also spiritual benefits that come from committing your life to Jesus Christ and spending time in Bible study and prayer. That’s why going to church is so important.viewpoints new web version

Listen to this Viewpoint

Viewpoints

View All
1789141999 6aa423efe9f54
September 14, 2026
Kerby Anderson

Trade War with Canada

Why is the U.S. in a trade war with Canada? In many ways it makes no sense. They are our neighbors to the north. We share some of the same history and language with citizens in Canada. Nearly one mill...

Listen
1789079912 6aa331688dd7f
September 11, 2026
Penna Dexter

Muslim Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts around the country are winning awards and earning patches for promoting the Islamic faith.

Listen
1788966821 6aa177a5a181b
September 11, 2026
Kerby Anderson

Twenty-Five Years Ago

Twenty-five years ago, nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes in an attack on America. Two planes struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. A third plane hit the Penta...

Listen

Take Action

View All
Protect Privacy Against Flock Cameras
August 9, 2026

Protect Privacy Against Flock Cameras

Flock cameras are everywhere. While one camera is a tool, the more than 100,000 AI-powered cameras now posted around our nation are a new layer of dig...

Support the SAVE Act
July 20, 2026

Support the SAVE Act

SAVE Election Integrity with Voter ID.

Support the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act
April 15, 2026

Support the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act

The abortion pill harms women and kills unborn children. Congress must act.

FACE Act Repeal Act of 2025
January 12, 2026

FACE Act Repeal Act of 2025

Pro-lifers have been abused under the FACE Act for long enough.