Divergent Effects of Heaven and Hell Beliefs on National Suicide Mortality

AI Summary

Cross-national analysis (73,834 respondents, 57 countries) linked World Values Survey religiosity measures with WHO age-standardised suicide mortality.
Separate models showed each belief measure and religious attendance associated with lower suicide mortality, even after controlling for psychiatrists' and psychologists' per-capita availability.
After adjusting for GDP per capita, income inequality and unemployment, only importance of God and belief in Heaven remained significantly associated with lower suicide mortality.

AI Summary

METHODS: In the present study, we combined data from the World Values Survey (over 73,834 individuals in 57 countries) with age-standardized suicide mortality from the World Health Organization to evaluate whether national levels of belief in God, importance of God, belief in Heaven, belief in Hell, and religious attendance were associated with lower suicide mortality. RESULTS: In separate analyses, each belief measure and attendance were associated with lower suicide mortality, even after controlling for the per capita availability of psychiatrists and psychologists. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that both belief in Heaven and the perceived importance of God are associated with lower national suicide mortality, highlighting potentially relevant dimensions of religiosity that may inform culturally sensitive public-health strategies.

Basic summary

Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2026 Jun;56(3):e70119. doi: 10.1111/sltb.70119.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Belief in a caring God and in a punitive afterlife (Heaven and Hell) is observed across diverse cultural and religious contexts. Yet it remains unclear whether these beliefs are differently associated with suicide mortality.

RESULTS: In separate analyses, each belief measure and attendance were associated with lower suicide mortality, even after controlling for the per capita availability of psychiatrists and psychologists. However, when economic factors (GDP per capita, income inequality, and unemployment) were included, only the reported importance of God and belief in Heaven remained statistically significant. In contrast, belief in God, belief in Hell, and religious attendance showed attenuated or nonsignificant associations.

CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that both belief in Heaven and the perceived importance of God are associated with lower national suicide mortality, highlighting potentially relevant dimensions of religiosity that may inform culturally sensitive public-health strategies.

PMID:42219797 | DOI:10.1111/sltb.70119

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