Study: The key to 'sustained happiness' is religion

(Image credit: Patrick Hertzog/AFP/Getty Images)

published 12 August 2015

If you're looking to glean long-term happiness from a social activity, don't turn to volunteer work. A study by researchers at the London School of Economics and Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands found that the secret to sustained happiness actually lies in participation in a religious organization.

Out of four categories of social activities — which included volunteering or charitable work, taking educational or training courses, participating in religious organizations, and participating in political or community organizations — participation in religious organizations was "the only social activity associated with sustained happiness." Researchers noted, however, that it is unclear whether the benefits of participating in a religious organization are linked to being in the religious community, or to the faith itself.

Interestingly, while religious organizations boosted happiness, researchers found that joining a community organization actually led to decreased happiness over time. "One of the most puzzling findings is that although healthier people are more likely to volunteer, we found no evidence that volunteering actually leads to better mental health," researcher Mauricio Avendano said in a press release. "It may be that any benefits are outweighed by other negative impacts of volunteering, such as stress."