For much of American history, churches played an important role in everyday life. For many families, attending a church service on Sunday was a weekly tradition.
People gathered not only for worship but also to spend time with friends, support one another during difficult periods, celebrate important life events, and build strong local connections. Churches often served as community centers where people felt valued, connected, and less alone.
Today, however, the picture looks very different. Over the past several decades, church attendance in the United States has steadily fallen. While many Americans still describe themselves as religious or say they believe in God, fewer people regularly take part in church activities.
A new study suggests that this long-term change may be linked to a serious public health problem that has affected communities across the country.
The research was conducted by Tamar Oostrom of The Ohio State University, together with Tyler Giles of Wellesley College and Daniel Hungerman of the University of Notre Dame. Their findings were published in the Journal of the European Economic Association.
The researchers examined whether declining church attendance could be connected to the rise of what experts call “deaths of despair.” This term refers to deaths caused by drug overdoses, suicide, and liver disease linked to heavy alcohol use.
These causes of death have increased dramatically in the United States over recent decades and have become a major concern for health professionals and policymakers.
To explore the issue, the research team analyzed several large sets of information. They reviewed national surveys that tracked how often people attended religious services and compared them with government records showing causes of death in different states over many years. By examining these trends side by side, they discovered a striking pattern.
States that experienced the largest declines in church attendance between 1985 and 2000 later saw larger increases in deaths of despair. The connection appeared especially strong among middle-aged white adults without a college degree, a group that previous studies have also identified as being at particularly high risk for deaths linked to drugs, alcohol, and suicide.
The pattern was not limited to one part of the country. It appeared among both men and women and was seen in rural communities as well as cities. This suggests that the relationship was widespread rather than being driven by a single region or lifestyle.
One of the most interesting parts of the study involved so-called blue laws. These were laws that restricted certain business activities on Sundays. For many years, stores in some states remained closed on Sundays, leaving fewer options for shopping or work. As a result, attending church was often a more common activity.
During the 1980s and 1990s, many states began removing these restrictions. Minnesota, South Carolina, and Texas were among the states that repealed their blue laws in 1985.
After these laws disappeared, church attendance dropped noticeably. Weekly attendance fell by roughly five to ten percentage points. Over time, these same states also experienced increases in deaths of despair.
The timing is important because it suggests that changes in community life may have begun influencing health outcomes before the opioid crisis became widely recognized.
Powerful prescription opioids such as OxyContin became more common in the late 1990s, and they are often blamed for the rise in overdose deaths. However, the researchers found evidence that the trend toward despair-related deaths may have started earlier.
According to the study, deaths of despair were actually declining from the late 1970s into the early 1990s. Around the same time that church attendance began falling more sharply, this improvement slowed and eventually stopped.
Later, when prescription opioids became widely available, deaths increased much more rapidly. This suggests that opioid drugs may have intensified an existing problem rather than creating it entirely on their own.
The researchers believe that one possible explanation involves the loss of social connections. Churches often provide people with more than religious teachings.
They can create lasting friendships, offer emotional support, encourage volunteer work, and give people a sense of meaning and purpose. When individuals face challenges such as financial stress, illness, grief, or loneliness, these community networks may help them cope.
The study also found an interesting difference between religious belief and religious participation. Belief in God did not decline nearly as much as church attendance. Many people continued to hold religious beliefs, but fewer regularly attended services or participated in church communities.
This finding suggests that being part of a supportive group may provide benefits that simple personal belief alone cannot fully replace.
The researchers also considered whether other organizations might have stepped in to fill the role once played by churches. So far, there is little evidence that this has happened on a large scale.
Many traditional community organizations have also experienced declining participation. At the same time, people increasingly spend time online and on social media rather than meeting face to face.
Although online communication can help people stay connected, it may not always provide the same sense of belonging, trust, and personal support that develops through regular in-person relationships. As a result, some people may feel more isolated even while remaining digitally connected.
The authors emphasize that church attendance is not the only factor affecting health and well-being. Economic conditions, education, employment opportunities, family relationships, mental health care, and access to medical services all play important roles.
Nevertheless, the findings suggest that strong community ties may be more important for public health than many people realize.
The study highlights a broader lesson about human well-being. People often need more than material resources to thrive. They also need meaningful relationships, social support, and a sense of belonging.
As communities continue to change, understanding how these social connections influence health could help guide efforts to reduce loneliness, improve mental health, and prevent future deaths linked to despair.
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