Research Links Being Religious with a Happy Life - but only for Jews

Observant Jews are happier with life, and Jews living in Hareidi cities can expect to live longer than others, according to a new study by the Taub Center for Social Studies.

However, the researchers cautioned:

It is important to note that the relatively positive self-reports of Hareidim may also be due to a social norm that frowns on complaining, and would particularly disapprove of 'airing one’s dirty laundry' in the context of a secular survey.

Relatively high percentages of Hareidim attest to being very happy with their relationships with family members: 80.2 percent versus 62.7 percent or less in other population groups….

A relatively low percentage of Hareidim report feelings of loneliness. Only 11.4 percent of Hareidim said that they were lonely, compared with at least twice that amount among other groups.

A rise in satisfaction levels moving up the religiosity scale does not appear among non-Jews. About 37.7 percent of non-Jewish respondents in the study who identified as very religious or religious felt lonely – more than the not very religious (30.7 percent) and the non-religious (30.0 percent).

A direct link was found "between a city’s socioeconomic and the life expectancy of its residents" but the trend is different for Hareidim in Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak and Jerusalem, according to the study.

The researchers also noted a study carried out in 1996 that showed that national religious Jews living on kibbutzim have a lower mortality write than secular kibbutzniks.

The 1996 study stated:

These findings indicate that, even in closed and highly-structured communities such as kibbutzim, level of religious observance has an impact on health status.