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Religion
may ease anxiety, research finds
Religious belief may help control stress-related anxiety,
a University of Toronto study suggests.
Volunteers did a stressful task while researchers monitored
activity in an area of the brain called the anterior
cingulate cortex (ACC), which is involved in emotion,
CTV.ca reported. Participants with strong religious
belief had less ACC activity than non-believers, suggesting
they experienced less anxiety while doing the task and
when they made mistakes.
The study was published in the journal Psychological
Science.
Religious belief may offer peace of mind that helps
people control their anxiety, suggested study leader
Michael Inzlicht, an assistant professor of psychology,
CTV.ca reported.
“Religion provides meaning to many people. It helps
people to understand what to do, where to go next, what
decision to make. It may be that having this sense of
meaning reduces their anxiety,” he said.
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