Exploring the Relationship Between Religion, Happiness, Distress and Fear Levels After the First Corona Outbreak in the Netherlands

Abstract

Religion is one of the constants in our society and its power and influence is still strong. The aim of this study is to analyze if religion can alleviate fear and distress levels and improve happiness levels in respondents after the first Corona outbreak in the Netherlands. The method used to undertake this was by analyzing data from one of the largest longitudinal panels in the Netherlands composed of thousands of respondents. Results showed that religious individuals tend to be slightly happier than non-religious ones and also that members of certain denominations have higher happiness levels and lower fear levels than members of smaller denominations. So it appears that religion might act as a buffer in times of crisis for certain individuals.

Keywords

• religion
• corona crisis
• happiness
• fear
• distress