COVID-19 Stress, Religious Affiliation, and Mental Health Outcomes Among Adolescents.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To examine the relationship between religious affiliation, stressors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and mental health challenges in a representative sample of adolescents.

Methods

The sample was composed of 71,001 Utah adolescents who participated in a survey by the Utah Department of Health in 2021. Data are representative of all Utah adolescents in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12. Bootstrapped mediation was used to test indirect effects of religious affiliation on mental health challenges through COVID-19 stressors.

Results

Religious affiliation was related to significantly lower rates of teen mental health challenges as measured by suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and depression. For religiously affiliated adolescents, the rate of considering and attempting suic

SUBMITTER: Dyer WJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9938944 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature