▁May o ▁C lin ic ▁research ers ▁exam ined ▁the ▁association ▁between ▁religious ▁invol vement ▁and ▁spiritual ity , ▁and ▁physical ▁health , ▁mental ▁health , ▁health - related ▁quality ▁of ▁life , ▁and ▁other ▁health ▁out comes . ▁The ▁authors ▁reported ▁that : ▁" M ost ▁studies ▁have ▁shown ▁that ▁religious ▁invol vement ▁and ▁spiritual ity ▁are ▁associated ▁with ▁better ▁health ▁out comes , ▁including ▁greater ▁lon ge vity , ▁cop ing ▁skills , ▁and ▁health - related ▁quality ▁of ▁life ▁( even ▁during ▁terminal ▁ill ness ) ▁and ▁less ▁anx iety , ▁de pression , ▁and ▁suic ide ." ▁ ▁The ▁authors ▁of ▁a ▁subsequent ▁study ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁religion ▁on ▁health ▁is ▁largely ▁benef icial , ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁review ▁of ▁related ▁literature . ▁According ▁to ▁academic ▁James ▁W . ▁Jones , ▁several ▁studies ▁have ▁discovered ▁" pos itive ▁correl ations ▁between ▁religious ▁belief ▁and ▁practice ▁and ▁mental ▁and ▁physical ▁health ▁and ▁lon ge vity ." ▁▁ ▁An ▁analysis ▁of ▁data ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁US ▁General ▁Social ▁Survey , ▁whilst ▁broad ly ▁confirm ing ▁that ▁religious ▁activity ▁was ▁associated ▁with ▁better ▁health ▁and ▁well - be ing , ▁also ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁different ▁dimensions ▁of ▁spiritual ity / rel ig ios ity ▁in ▁health ▁is ▁rather ▁more ▁complicated . ▁The ▁results ▁suggested ▁" that ▁it ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁appropriate ▁to ▁general ize ▁find ings ▁about ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁spiritual ity / rel ig ios ity ▁and ▁health ▁from ▁one ▁form ▁of ▁spiritual