For many generations in the United States, going to church was a regular part of life for millions of people.
On Sundays, families gathered for religious services, met friends, and shared time with neighbors. Churches were not only places for prayer. They were also places where people built friendships, found support, and felt that they belonged to a community.
But over the past few decades, fewer Americans have been attending church regularly. A new study suggests that this change may be connected to a troubling trend in public health: the rise in what researchers call “deaths of despair.”
Deaths of despair include deaths caused by drug overdoses, suicide, and liver disease related to heavy alcohol use. These deaths have increased sharply in the United States over the past several decades and have become a major concern for doctors, researchers, and public health officials.
The new research suggests that the decline in church attendance may have played a role in this rise.
The study was carried out by Tamar Oostrom, an assistant professor at The Ohio State University, together with Tyler Giles from Wellesley College and Daniel Hungerman from the University of Notre Dame. Their findings were published in the Journal of the European Economic Association.
To understand what was happening, the researchers studied several large sources of information. They looked at national surveys that recorded how often Americans attended religious services. They also examined government records showing the causes of death in different states over many years.
When the researchers compared these two sets of data, they noticed an interesting pattern. In states where church attendance fell the most between 1985 and 2000, deaths of despair later increased more strongly.
The pattern appeared most clearly among white Americans who were middle-aged and did not have a college degree. This is the same group that many previous studies have shown to have rising death rates from drugs, alcohol, and suicide.
The trend appeared across both men and women. It was also seen in both rural areas and cities. This suggests that the pattern was not limited to a single region or lifestyle.
One important part of the study focused on the role of so-called “blue laws.” Blue laws were rules in many states that limited business activities on Sundays. In the past, many stores were closed on Sundays, which meant people were less likely to shop or work that day. Because of this, more people often attended church services.
During the 1980s and 1990s, many states began removing these laws. This meant that stores could open on Sundays and more people started working, shopping, or doing other activities instead of going to church.
Some of the biggest changes happened in 1985, when Minnesota, South Carolina, and Texas repealed their blue laws. After the laws were removed, weekly church attendance in these states fell by about five to ten percentage points.
Later on, these same states experienced increases in deaths of despair.
The researchers say this timing is important because it suggests the problem began before the well-known opioid crisis of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Drugs such as OxyContin are often blamed for the rise in overdose deaths. However, the study shows that death rates from despair-related causes had already started changing earlier.
According to Oostrom, deaths of despair were actually declining from the late 1970s until the early 1990s. Around the time church attendance began to drop, that decline slowed down and eventually stopped. After 1996, when powerful prescription opioids became widely available, deaths began rising rapidly.
This suggests that opioids may have made the crisis worse, but they may not have been the original cause.
The researchers believe that the loss of strong community connections could be an important factor. Churches often provide more than just social gatherings. They offer people a sense of meaning, identity, and purpose in life.
People who attend church regularly often develop long-term relationships and support networks. During difficult times, these communities may help individuals cope with stress, loneliness, or personal problems.
Interestingly, the study found that belief in God did not decline as much as church attendance did. Many people still reported believing in God, but fewer were actively participating in religious communities.
This difference may matter. The researchers say that simply believing in religion may not provide the same benefits as being part of a community that meets regularly and offers social support.
The study also raises an important question: can other types of groups replace the role that churches once played in American society?
So far, the researchers say there is little evidence that other organizations have filled this gap. Many traditional community groups have also declined over time. Meanwhile, more people now spend time on social media rather than meeting others face to face.
Online interaction can be helpful in some ways, but it may not provide the same deep sense of belonging that comes from real-life communities.
Because of this, the researchers believe the long-term decline in community participation could continue to affect people’s health and well-being.
If fewer people are connected to supportive communities that offer purpose and meaning, the risk of loneliness, stress, and despair may increase. Over time, this could contribute to higher rates of drug use, suicide, and alcohol-related disease.
The study does not claim that church attendance alone can prevent deaths of despair. Human health and behavior are influenced by many factors, including economic conditions, education, family life, and access to healthcare.
However, the findings suggest that community connections may play a much larger role in public health than many people realize.
Understanding how social support, purpose, and belonging affect people’s lives could help researchers and policymakers design better ways to protect mental health and prevent future tragedies.
If you care about wellness, please read studies about nutrients that could combat inflammation in older people, and essential foods for healthy aging.
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