A growing body of research from 2020 to 2025 shows that religion and spirituality offer powerful protection against depression, anxiety, and even chronic illness.

A 2016 systematic review published in the journal Heart found that loneliness and social isolation raise your risk of heart attack by 29% and stroke by 32%—numbers comparable to the effects of light smoking or obesity. Researchers analyzed data from 23 studies involving over 181,000 adults, tracking heart attacks, strokes, angina, and cardiovascular deaths.

The Harvard Study of Adult Development, ongoing since 1938, found that strong relationships—not money or fame—are the best predictors of long-term health and happiness. People with close community ties live longer and feel better.