Greg Daly and Colm Fitzpatrick
New research indicating that there are strong links between religion and the quality of family life tallies with established knowledge, a leading Irish psychiatrist has said.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic following the publication of The Ties that Bind: Is religion a global force for good or ill in the family?, Prof. Patricia Casey said the document’s findings supported existing research.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all, we know that people of Faith, in themselves, are generally more contented, less likely to become depressed or anxious,” she said. “We know from other studies that they generally have more satisfaction with marriage in general and with sexual life. So, I think this is in keeping with what I would expect given what we already know about the influence of Faith and people’s personal values and relationships.”
Factors influencing why religious married people can be happier than their secular peers include clear sources of hope and purpose in life, and the community of like-minded people, she added.
The Ties that Bind is a joint research project that draws on data from the World Values Survey (WVS) and the Global Family and Gender Survey to address how religion is linked across 11 countries to a range of family outcomes.
It finds that among heterosexual relationships, highly religious couples are more likely to enjoy high-quality relationships and more sexual satisfaction than secular and less religious couples, with women in highly religious couples being 50% more likely to report sexual satisfaction than those in less religious and secular couples.
Influence
Religion’s positive influence on fertility has become more pronounced in recent decades across the Americas, Europe, and East Asia, the report finds, while also noting that religion provides no protection from domestic violence.
Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and controlling behaviours were similarly prevalent across all relationship types.
Given this, the report notes, the challenge for religious communities is to build on their strengths to help families who are struggling, including those where domestic violence is taking place.
The report, by the Institute for Family Studies and Wheatley Institution, was jointly sponsored by Baylor University, Cardus and Ireland’s Iona Institute.