2010/10/13 by Luke W. Galen, James D. Kloet · 3 citations
Social Sciences · Psychology · #Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology #Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction #Religion and Society Interactions #Religiosity #Certainty #Psychology #Social psychology #Religious belief #Mental health #General Social Survey #Population #Demography #Sociology #Epistemology #Philosophy
paper · doi:10.1080/13674676.2010.510829
openalex publication_date 2010/10/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Previous studies demonstrating a positive relationship between religiosity and mental health have sampled from a highly religious general population with little differentiation between weak religiosity and non-religiosity. Church members are typically compared with non-religious unaffiliated individuals, thus confounding belief with group effects (e.g. social support). The present study examined mental well-being, utilising the full range of certainty of belief or non-belief in God. In the first study, we compared church and secular group members on measures of life satisfaction and emotional stability. The second study used a large survey of the non-religious. A curvilinear relationship was found such that those with higher belief certainty (both confidently religious and atheists) have greater well-being relative to those with low certainty (unsure and agnostics). Multiple regressions controlling for social and demographic variables reduced, but did not eliminate this curvilinear relationship. Mechanisms of well-being may involve a confident worldview rather than religious beliefs themselves.