Religious Doubt, Helping Others, and Psychological Well-Being

A growing body of research reveals that religious doubt may have a deleterious effect on well-being. However, relatively less is known about how people try to cope with doubt. The purpose of this study is to see whether providing tangible help to others offsets the effects of religious doubt on well-being. Findings from a nationwide survey of middle-aged and older adults indicate that helping strangers reduces the negative relationship between religious doubt and three indicators of well-being: self-esteem, life satisfaction, and optimism. But in contrast, similar dissonance reduction benefits were not provided by helping family members and friends.