Being a Christian helps emotional wellbeing and resilience, according to a new report.
The Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) surveyed over 2000 adults in the UK (Christian, Muslim and those of no faith) and found that people of faith reported greater life satisfaction and worry less than non-believers.
It shows they are also more inclined to recognise positives in life and stay optimistic when faced with challenges.
The report Faith & Happiness: How Religious Belief Shapes Britain's Emotional Wellbeing shows that Christians (78 per cent) tend to have a more positive outlook on life during tough times than those without faith (69 per cent. They also exhibit greater optimism about the future (58 per cent of Christians versus 47 per cent of those without faith).
Dr Amanda Murjan, who is a Research Associate at the IIFL and also the report’s author, told Premier Christian News:
“One of the primary things was really how they saw themselves and they saw the world. So, using a biblical expression, there was a greater tendency to accept the seasons of life, that everything is passing. It allowed them not to fight the events of life, but really open up to them and accept that everything is passing. And secondly, there was also a sense that everything within life is open to a divine purpose, divine assistance, and divine meaning to growth. So there was always a sense that they are greater than their circumstances.”
Dr Murjan said the report focuses on Christians and Muslims, as well as non-faith adults, because they are the largest religious groups in the UK. She said there were “fewer differences between Muslims and Christians than there were between Muslims, Christians and those without faith."
"Actually, a lot of the themes that were coming through were very, very similar,” she said.
When asked whether they would change anything if they could live their life again, 41 per cent of Christians said they wouldn’t change a thing, compared to 26 per cent of those without faith. Dr Murjan said this “points to a high level of contentment and lower level of regret, which is really important for our emotional health.”