People aged 50 or over who go to church regularly have better mental health, a new Irish study shows.

The research, involving over 6,000 adults found that a majority of over 50s in Ireland attend religious services regularly, and that regular religious attendance was associated with lower depressive symptoms in this population. Observations took place for six years, from 2010 to 2016.

The relationship between being religious and mental health was found to be complex. Religious attendance was also related to having a bigger social network, which in turn had a positive effect on the mental health of the population.