Religion and Mental Health

Studies have shown that people with faith are more content with fewer mental issues compared with secular people. It's not that easy, though, because you have different faiths, more correctly, different religious orientations. You have four different kinds of religious orientations, and only one is associated with better mental health than among secular individuals.
I will briefly explain the four various ones; extrinsic, intrinsic, quest, and fundamentalist orientation. Extrinsic religious orientation is a way to incorporate the faith that is beneficial and practical. It's only called on when needed. Because of that, it is not well integrated with life. Quest orientation has to face complex existential questions. It is seeking answers while being curious and open. Religious fundamentalists can be described as resistant to modernity and rigidity. They may be at increased risk of psychopathologies like depression, anxiety, guilt, or low self-esteem. They are less likely to seek help or only seek help from therapists that hold the same religious orientation. 
That leaves us to the intrinsic orientation. I contract to an eccentric; an intrinsic orientation tends to view religion as a reference or framework from which other aspects of life are perceived and understood—for example, a strong ethical and moral commitment that stresses the love for your neighbor. Religion is the supreme value the answer to life's most essential questions—a sincere devotion to the divine.
Studies have found that only the intrinsic religious orientation makes a person a little bit more content with life with less depressed symptoms, comparing with a secular person. Happier? Happiness is hard to measure; therefore, I don't like to use the term. Happiness, as I see it, is a byproduct of a well-lived life with some luck involved.
Chris - IronCouch.com