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The Relation between Religion and Well-Being

Author

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  • Adam B. Cohen

    (Arizona State University)

  • Kathryn A. Johnson

    (Arizona State University)

Abstract

This article reviews research on religion and well-being, focusing primarily on Western, traditional religions. We provide some nuance, caveats, and future directions for further research. We discuss how and why religious groups may differ in their well-being, that there may be important subgroup differences, that there are multiple dimensions to both religion and well-being, that religion and other cultural identities may interact to impact well-being, and that religion (e.g., religious anxieties) may be associated with lower well-being in some ways. We consider how religious extremism relates to well-being and also suggest that more research is needed regarding well-being in other types of religious and spiritual groups. We hope that this article will add complexity to the important intersections between religion and well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Adam B. Cohen & Kathryn A. Johnson, 2017. "The Relation between Religion and Well-Being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(3), pages 533-547, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ariqol:v:12:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s11482-016-9475-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11482-016-9475-6
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    1. Ahmed M Abdel-Khalek & Adel Shokry Korayem & David Lester, 2021. "Religiosity as a predictor of mental health in Egyptian teenagers in preparatory and secondary school," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 67(3), pages 260-268, May.
    2. Hui-Chuan Hsu, 2020. "Typologies of Loneliness, Isolation and Living Alone Are Associated with Psychological Well-Being among Older Adults in Taipei: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-14, December.

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