ENI — A survey by The Associated Press and MTV has found that religion and family are two of the strongest components contributing to the happiness of youth aged 13 to 24 in the United States.
“It's easier for kids who are happy and have things going well in their life to find the time and energy to participate in religion,” Lisa Pearce, co-principal investigator for the National Study of Youth and Religion, was quoted as saying by AP.
The survey of 1,280 people found that 80 percent of those who call religion or spirituality the most important thing in their lives say they are happy, while of those who say faith isn't important to them, 60 percent consider themselves happy.
Pearce said the relationship between religion and happiness may depend on the individual's experiences. “It could be kids who have bad experiences in church end up leaving and being unhappy with religion,” she noted.
Spending time with family was the top answer to the open-ended question, “What brings you happiness?” Next was spending time with friends, followed by time with a significant other person.
