I read an interesting article published in a leading medical journal.
May 6, 2020
Religious Service Attendance and Deaths Related to Drugs, Alcohol, and Suicide Among US Health Care Professionals
Ying Chen, ScD1,2; Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH3,4; Ichiro Kawachi, MD, PhD5; Michael Botticelli, MEd6; Tyler J. VanderWeele, PhD1,2
In both cohorts, male and female, religious service attendance was assessed at study baseline with the question: “How often do you go to religious meetings or services?” Responses were grouped into 3 categories: never, less than once per week, and at least once per week.
The findings suggest that religious service attendance is associated with a lower risk of death from despair among health care professionals. These results may be important in understanding trends in deaths from despair in the general population.
The statistics show:
Jews are the least observant of all religious groups whether in the West or in Israel.
The suicide rate is the lowest among Israelis, despite all the stress they have and also Jews in general. So, there is no connection here for lack of religious attendance and suicide. Also, the Asian Muslims are more observant and also have less suicide.
Once I had written a blog using some data, tongue in cheek, that religious people in the USA tend to be fatter than non-religious people. Interesting? Also, countries with greater religiosity have greater teenage pregnancy? The epidemiologists are troubadours of tragedy and then can have a field day manipulating the figures..
All Protestant English speaking countries have high rates of Overweight
USA UK AUSTRALIA NZ CANADA . Interestingly enough Catholic Ireland less teenage pregnancy as well as the rate of overweight.
It is nice to know such articles exist and we can think about it, it makes us think.
People who attended religious services often had less despair. As an anthropologist I would ask, are these people because despair drove them there ?
Observing USA over the past few years, it does feel like the general sensation of despair has increased, as has many of the behaviours that may lead to despair.
I was reminded of the words of the Siberian Shaman, in Aleph by Paulo Coelho:
I cannot cure despair when people take comfort in it.
Writing during the special period of home confinement at the global level, I have made an observation that: people feel alive when they are living their conflict. For them Conflicts in their lives have replaced their life.
Perhaps religious observances bring comfort to peoples despair, certainly organized religion is the cause of despair of some serious conflicts around the world at the moment.
