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Mortality among middle-aged, non-Hispanic whites has increased by >5% since the turn of the century, primarily due to increased incidence of suicide, unintentional opioid overdose, and alcoholism (“deaths of despair”). These researchers examined whether such deaths were influenced by self-reported religious service attendance in roughly 110,000 female nurses and male healthcare workers enrolled in two prospective, long-term studies. Study periods lasted 16 and 26 years, respectively.
Regular attendance was associated with fewer deaths of despair. Compared with people who never attended religious services or meetings, women who attended at least one per week were 75% less likely to die by suicide and men were 48% less likely to do so. Female …