Israeli study finds link between religious observance, stronger sense of purpose, better mental health

A ne Israeli study suggests that religious observance may be associated with better mental health, with researchers finding that religiosity is linked to a stronger sense of purpose in life and lower risks of depression and addiction.

The study, conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) in cooperation with the Israel Center for Addiction and Mental Health (ICAMH), examined the relationship between religiosity and meaning in life. Researchers analyzed data collected from 3,000 Israeli Jewish adults in February 2025, including secular, traditional religious and ultra-Orthodox Jews.

The study was led by Dr. Aaron Cherniak, Dr. Dvora Shmulewitz and Prof. Mario Mikulincer of HUJI’s psychology department and the findings were published in the "International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction."

While the research focused on Israeli Jews, the researchers said the findings could have broader implications. “The findings may have implications far beyond Israel, offering new clues about how people can better protect their mental health during times of crisis,” the researchers said.

Cherniak, a clinical psychologist who also received rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva University in New York, stressed that religiosity itself may not be the primary factor behind the findings.

“Our findings suggest that being religious is not the whole story,” stated Cherniak, who works as a clinical psychologist and also received rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva University in New York. “Much of its protective effect appears to come from the extent it can help people cultivate meaning in life and reduce potentially harmful digital exposure,” he explained. “The encouraging implication is that these are factors anyone can strengthen, regardless of whether they are religious.”

The study identified three factors associated with better mental health: a stronger sense of purpose in life, less time spent on social media and reduced exposure to harmful online content, including hate speech and highly distressing war-related material.

The researchers suggested that religious observance may contribute to mental health not only by providing a greater sense of purpose, but also by offering social support and potentially serving as a protective factor against drug and alcohol abuse.

“In future research, we intend to delve deeper into the components of religiosity to better understand which specific aspects drive risk and resilience,” Cherniak told the Jerusalem Post. He also addressed Israel’s Haredi population, which reports the highest levels of happiness despite relatively low employment and socioeconomic levels.

“Haredi participants are often underrepresented in surveys, and even when they do participate, they may not be reflective of most in that population,” Cherniak said. “There’s a need for partnerships within distinct population subgroups to increase participation in research, decrease stigma, and disseminate vital psychoeducational resources.”

The study’s findings do not mean that religious people are immune to the mental health challenges of modern life, Cherniak emphasized.

“Ultimately, the modern world presents challenges and temptations that can entrap people of all backgrounds, and people stand a better chance the more psychosocial resources they have, including meaning in life and healthy digital habits – whether those are rooted in religious worldviews or other systems of meaning.”

Cherniak suggested that religious communities may provide an additional layer of protection through regular, in-person social interaction.

Religious communities “often provide dense, regular in-person social contact – synagogue, communal meals, life-cycle events – which could reduce the pull toward social media for connection and belonging, not just the available time for it,” he said.

“Less discretionary time and more meaning in life may be two faces of the same underlying thing rather than competing explanations,” he added. “Untangling these threads is exactly the kind of nuance a single cross-sectional study can’t resolve on its own, and a good direction for future work.”

The researchers also emphasized the importance of distinguishing between staying informed and "consuming graphic imagery that rarely adds new information and mostly adds distress.”

“And spend time on people and physical activity that restores rather than depletes so news consumption isn’t the dominant emotional input of your day,” he added.

The study’s findings on meaning and purpose in life also raise interesting questions about family life and fertility. Recent demographic data show that Jewish fertility in Israel continues to rise even as many Western countries experience declining birth rates. The number of Jewish births rose by 2.6% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year.