People with religious faith tend to have less work-related stress, according to new research.

The study, carried out in the UK, found those with a faith are less anxious in the work place, healthier and less likely to take sick days, the Daily Telegraph reports.

According to the research, religion rovides a “buffer against strains” of modern life and may provide help in combating work stress.

The study is just the latest to suggest that religion is good for one’s mental and physical health.

Dr Roxane Gervais, a senior psychologist at the Health and Safety Laboratory in Stockport, surveyed employees to find out how content they were with their working lives.

The study suggested that employees who are more actively religious were more likely to report low levels of anxiety, depression and fatigue and also higher presence of meaning in life, that is feeling that their lives have meaning.

Workers said that attending religious services connects them to a higher being as well as makes them feel better about themselves.

Dr Gervais said: “As the pace of work and life accelerates, people long for meaning, and the younger generation in particular is looking for more than just a big pay cheque at the end of the month.

“My research shows that religiosity in the workplace may act as a resource, making people more resilient to cope with the many challenges of working life. Such personal beliefs could be very helpful not only for employees, but also for employers providing people with a buffer zone.

“We should hence encourage employers to accommodate, where possible, employees’ religious beliefs while at work, and not shy away from the issue.”

Previous studies have shown that companies who accommodated workers beliefs improved morale, staff retention and loyalty.

The report also found that those who regularly practiced religion were more likely to have healthier lifestyles and so took fewer sick days.

Dr Gervais added: “Religiosity seemed to assist individuals in gaining better well-being and using more appropriate coping mechanisms.”

A study published in the Journal of Religion and Health in 2012, suggested that, regardless of which particular religion people belong to, faith can improve a person’s well-being.

The study used the results of three surveys to determine if correlations existed among participants’ self-reported mental and physical health, personality factors, and spirituality in Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, and Protestants.

Across all five faiths, a greater degree of spirituality was related to better mental health, specifically lower levels of neuroticism and greater extraversion. Forgiveness was the only spiritual trait predictive of mental health after personality variables were considered.

The study suggested that spiritual interventions such as religious-based counseling, meditation, and forgiveness protocols may enhance spiritually based beliefs, practices, and coping strategies in positive ways.

The Iona Institute published a paper in 2008 highlighting the health benefits of religious practice. Entitled “The benefits of religious practice”, it was written by leading psychiatrist Professor Patricia Casey of UCD, and one of the Institute’s patrons.