The decreasing quality of mental and emotional health, particularly for young people, across all parts of the West, comes despite the dramatic increase in mental health and counseling resources in recent years. As it turns out, it may be that a real solution was staring us in the face all along: When your grandmother told you to get to church, she was right. 

According to a new study published by the Institute for Family Studies, “Evidence suggests that religious involvement may have even more profound health effects for adolescence than for adulthood, with far reaching implications across the life course.” 

Some of this is due to the secondary effects of a religious life, such as connection to community and the sense of being part of something bigger than just you and the moment. But these beneficial side effects point to something deeper. 

Going to church is healthier because it’s how we were designed—to live in light of a higher order and in fellowship with others.