Pathways Connecting Family Religiosity and Mental Health Among Young Adults

1
Pathways Connecting Family Religiosity and Mental
Health Among Young Adults

• Elizabeth C. Hair
• Kristin A. Moore
• Alena M. Hadley
• Kathleen Sidorowicz

Heritage Foundation Religion Research
Conference December 3, 2008
Contact Elizabeth C. Hair, Ph.D.
ehair_at_childtrends.org
2
Key Research Questions

• How does family religiosity during adolescence
  affect an individuals mental health during the
  transition into young adulthood?
• What role does an individuals own religiosity
  play in this relationship?
• How do family processes and peer social support
  affect this relationship?

3
Motivating Factors

• Much of the research on religiosity and mental
  health in youth has ignored the effect of family
  religiosity.
• This research examines the relationships between
  family religiosity, youth religiosity, family
  processes, and peer social support to form a more
  complete picture of how these variables affect
  mental health.
• We examine these relationships over time to
  determine the lasting effects of family
  religiosity into young adulthood.

4
Hypotheses

• Hypothesis 1 There will be a positive
  relationship between adolescent family
  religiosity (conceptualized as parent religious
  beliefs and parent attendance) and young adult
  mental health

5
Hypotheses Continued

• Hypothesis 2 Parent religious beliefs and
  attendance will function through the youths own
  religious beliefs and attendance.
• Specifically, parent religious beliefs should be
  related to young adult religious beliefs, and
• Parent religious attendance should be related to
  youth religious attendance

6
Hypotheses Continued

• Hypothesis 3 Parent religiosity will predict
  family religious and non-religious activities and
  parental awareness, which will, in turn, predict
  young adult mental health
• Hypothesis 4 Peer social support will also be
  an important predictor of young adult mental
  health.

7
Data Source

• National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997
  Cohort (NLSY-97)
• Nationally representative sample of adolescents,
  ages 12 to 16 in 1997, who were surveyed over
  time
• Primarily developed to examine school and labor
  force behaviors, but also collects information on
  a broad array of relationship and well-being
  indicators
• Study participants were interviewed annually
  between 1997 and 2006
• Sample All adolescents between the ages of 12
  and 14 in 1997 (N4,818)

8
Strategy of Analysis

• Structural Equation Modeling was used to test our
  hypotheses for the path model
• Predictors Parent religious beliefs and
  attendance
• Outcome Young adult mental health
• Pathways (mediators) Family religious and
  non-religious activities, parental awareness,
  peer social support, youth religious attendance,
  young adult religious beliefs
• Social and demographic controls

9
Measuring the Variables Predictors

• Family Religious Activities
• Parent Religious Beliefs Measured in 1997 and
  addresses faith, the study of religious texts,
  participation in religious activities, and
  importance placed on religion and prayer
• Parent Religious Attendance Frequency of
  religious service attendance in the 12 months
  prior to the 1997 interview date

10
Measuring the Variables Pathways

• Family Religious Activities Whether or not the
  family consistently attended religious services
  when the respondent was between 14 and 17 years
  old
• Family Activities Whether or not family
  consistently engaged in non-religious activities
  when the respondent was between 14 and 17 years
  old

11
Measuring the Variables Pathways Continued

• Parental Awareness Respondents perception of
  mother and fathers awareness of adolescent
  activities and friends during survey Rounds 1
  through 5
• Peer Social Support Respondents perceived
  closeness to a best friend at Round 6

12
Measuring the Variables Pathways Continued

• Youth Religious Attendance Frequency of
  religious service attendance in the 12 months
  before the Round 6 interview date
• Young Adult Religious Beliefs Addresses faith,
  the study of religious texts, participation in
  religious activities, and degree of importance
  placed on religion and prayer at Round 9

13
Measuring the Variables Outcome

• Young Adult Mental Health Self-perceptions of
  mental states, including happiness, sadness,
  depression, nervousness, and calmness, in the 30
  days prior to the Round 10 interview.

14
Measuring the Variables Social and Demographic
Controls

• Marital Characteristics
• Family Characteristics
• Adolescent Characteristics
• Peer Characteristics
• Environment Characteristics

15
Parent Religious Beliefs (1997)
Family Religious Activities Between 14 17
Young Adult Religious Beliefs (ages 20-22)
Young Adult Mental Health (ages 21-23)
Youth Religious Attendance (ages 18 20)
Parent Religious Attendance (1997)
Parental Awareness Between 1997 2001
Closeness to a Best Friend (ages 18-20)
Family Activities Between 14 17
16
0.15
N.S.
0.11
Parent Religious Beliefs (1997)
Family Religious Activities Between 14 17
Young Adult Religious Beliefs (ages 20-22)
Young Adult Mental Health (ages 21-23)
Youth Religious Attendance (ages 18 20)
Parent Religious Attendance (1997)
Parental Awareness Between 1997 2001
Closeness to a Best Friend (ages 18-20)
Family Activities Between 14 17
17
0.15
N.S.
0.11
Parent Religious Beliefs (1997)
Family Religious Activities Between 14 17
Young Adult Religious Beliefs (ages 20-22)
Young Adult Mental Health (ages 21-23)
Youth Religious Attendance (ages 18 20)
Parent Religious Attendance (1997)
0.45
0.16
Parental Awareness Between 1997 2001
Closeness to a Best Friend (ages 18-20)
Family Activities Between 14 17
18
0.15
0.19
N.S.
0.21
0.11
Parent Religious Beliefs (1997)
Family Religious Activities Between 14 17
Young Adult Religious Beliefs (ages 20-22)
Young Adult Mental Health (ages 21-23)
Youth Religious Attendance (ages 18 20)
Parent Religious Attendance (1997)
0.45
0.16
Parental Awareness Between 1997 2001
Closeness to a Best Friend (ages 18-20)
0.23
0.28
Family Activities Between 14 17
19
0.15
0.19
N.S.
0.21
0.11
Parent Religious Beliefs (1997)
Family Religious Activities Between 14 17
Young Adult Religious Beliefs (ages 20-22)
Young Adult Mental Health (ages 21-23)
Youth Religious Attendance (ages 18 20)
Parent Religious Attendance (1997)
0.45
0.16
Closeness to a Best Friend (ages 18-20)
Parental Awareness Between 1997 2001
0.23
0.09
Family Activities Between 14 17
0.28
0.08
20
0.15
0.19
N.S.
0.21
0.11
Parent Religious Beliefs (1997)
Family Religious Activities Between 14 17
Young Adult Religious Beliefs (ages 20-22)
Young Adult Mental Health (ages 21-23)
Youth Religious Attendance (ages 18 20)
Parent Religious Attendance (1997)
0.45
0.16
Closeness to a Best Friend (ages 18-20)
0.06
Parental Awareness Between 1997 2001
0.23
0.09
Family Activities Between 14 17
0.28
0.08
21
0.15
0.19
N.S.
N.S.
0.21
0.11
Parent Religious Beliefs (1997)
Family Religious Activities Between 14 17
Young Adult Religious Beliefs (ages 20-22)
Young Adult Mental Health (ages 21-23)
Youth Religious Attendance (ages 18 20)
0.06
Parent Religious Attendance (1997)
0.22
0.45
0.16
Closeness to a Best Friend (ages 18-20)
0.06
Parental Awareness Between 1997 2001
0.23
0.09
Family Activities Between 14 17
0.28
0.08
22
0.15
0.19
N.S.
N.S.
0.21
0.11
Parent Religious Beliefs (1997)
Family Religious Activities Between 14 17
Young Adult Religious Beliefs (ages 20-22)
Young Adult Mental Health (ages 21-23)
Youth Religious Attendance (ages 18 20)
0.06
Parent Religious Attendance (1997)
0.22
0.45
0.16
Closeness to a Best Friend (ages 18-20)
0.06
Parental Awareness Between 1997 2001
0.23
0.09
Family Activities Between 14 17
0.28
0.08
Figure 1. Structural equation model for the
influence parent religious beliefs and attendance
in early adolescence and parent and adolescent
factors in middle adolescence and youth on young
adult mental health. Where there was a
statistically significant effect, standardized ß
coefficients are presented on the figure.
23
Key Findings Hypotheses 1 and 2

• Adolescent family religiosity is associated with
  young adult mental health, and this relationship
  functions through young adult religiosity
• Parent religious beliefs affect young adult
  mental health through young adult religious
  beliefs
• Parent religious attendance indirectly affects
  mental health through youth religious attendance.
  

24
0.15
0.19
N.S.
N.S.
0.21
0.11
Parent Religious Beliefs (1997)
Family Religious Activities Between 14 17
Young Adult Religious Beliefs (ages 20-22)
Young Adult Mental Health (ages 21-23)
0.06
Youth Religious Attendance (ages 18 20)
Parent Religious Attendance (1997)
0.22
0.45
0.16
Closeness to a Best Friend (ages 18-20)
0.06
Parental Awareness Between 1997 2001
0.23
0.09
Family Activities Between 14 17
0.28
0.08
25
Key Findings Hypotheses 3 and 4

• Family religiosity predicts several family
  process variables, which in turn are associated
  with young adult mental health
• Peer social support predicts young adult
  religious beliefs which are, in turn, associated
  with young adult mental health

26
0.15
0.19
N.S.
N.S.
0.21
0.11
Parent Religious Beliefs (1997)
Family Religious Activities Between 14 17
Young Adult Religious Beliefs (ages 20-22)
Young Adult Mental Health (ages 21-23)
0.06
Youth Religious Attendance (ages 18 20)
Parent Religious Attendance (1997)
0.22
0.45
0.16
Closeness to a Best Friend (ages 18-20)
0.06
Parental Awareness Between 1997 2001
0.23
0.09
0.28
Family Activities Between 14 17
0.08
27
Direct and Indirect Effects of Religion
Characteristics on Mental Health
28
Study Implications

• Use of a nationally representative sample allows
  us to reconcile previously contradictory findings
  on associations between young adult religiosity
  and mental health
• Highlights the importance of family processes and
  peer social support in the relationship between
  adolescent religiosity and young adult mental
  health

29
Study Implications Continued

• Family religiosity in early adolescence has
  effects on children through the teen years and
  into young adulthood.
• Provides a basis for conceptualizing the various
  components of the religiosity construct
• Thought-oriented versus action-oriented
  indicators of religiosity

30
Research in the service of children
www.childtrends.org www.childtrendsdatabank.org F
or questions on this presentation, please contact
Dr. Elizabeth C. Hair ehair_at_childtrends.org