Ninety-seven percent of Seventh-day Adventists participating in a recent health survey described themselves as “very happy” or “fairly happy”—results that are consistent with studies suggesting a positive relationship between religion and good mental health.

Some 3,400 people took part in the Adventist health survey during the 2000 Adventist World Session in Toronto, Canada, the top international meeting of the Adventist Church held every five years.

Fifty percent of the survey respondents described themselves as “very happy” and 47 percent said they were “fairly happy.” 

The high rate of Adventists reporting themselves as “very happy” is not surprising, says Dr. Aubyn Fulton, chair of the Behavioral Science department at Pacific Union College, an Adventist institution located in California, United States.  “There is pretty good evidence that people with high religious commitment and participation report more happiness than those with low commitment and participation,” he says.

In the past, psychological research has tended to concentrate on what is wrong with people, not what is right with them, Fulton says. “Ironically, psychology has only recently begun to study happiness and what we sometimes call subjective ‘well-being’ in any depth.”  He cites the work of psychologist David Myers, one of a growing number of researchers studying “positive psychology.”  Data compiled by Myers suggests that people actively involved in a religious community “experience significant mental health advantages and are less likely to become delinquent, abuse drugs and alcohol, divorce, or commit suicide.”

Fulton points to a number of factors that may help account for the difference.  “Religious people are more likely to be part of a supportive community, which helps people cope with stress and threats to happiness,” he explains.  “Faith provides meaning and purpose that sustains people through difficult times, and faith also gives hope for the future.”

Fulton cautions, however, that this survey alone does not establish that Adventists as a group are happier than members of the general population. He says there is also no data supporting the view that Adventists are happier than people of other religious faiths. 

Some forms of religious faith can actually make people unhappy, Fulton adds. “Religious people with a conception of God as harsh or vindictive seem to be more at risk for a range of negative outcomes including drug and alcohol problems,” he says.

Dr. Gerald Winslow, chair of the religion department at Loma Linda University, another California-based Adventist institution, says that in looking at the Adventist health survey results, it’s important to note that the definition of happiness may vary from person to person. Some may define happiness as having a certain level of material comfort, while others see it as a feeling of joy that arises from specific events or circumstances.

Winslow also questions whether happiness is the primary goal of Christianity. “One of the great philosophers, Immanuel Kant, argued that the goal in life was not happiness,” says Winslow. “The goal in life was to be faithful to one’s responsibilities and then one would deserve to be happy.” 

Other philosophers suggest that “happiness is not that occasional thing people feel on a trip to Disneyland,” he adds. “It’s not a rollercoaster ride. It’s that steady, stable life of virtue.”

The Adventist health survey, conducted by the health ministries department of the Adventist Church worldwide, covered a wide range of issues and was aimed at establishing a baseline of Adventist health and lifestyles practices that will be tracked by future studies. Another health survey will be conducted at the 2005 Adventist World Session in St. Louis, Missouri, United States.