Religiosity and the mental health of adolescents in Great Britain |
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Authors: | Howard Ian Meltzer Nisha Dogra Panos Vostanis Tamsin Ford |
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Affiliation: | 1. Health Sciences, University of Leicester , 22-28 Princess Road West, Leicester, LE1 6TP, UK hm74@le.ac.uk;3. Health Sciences, Greenwood Institute of Child Health, University of Leicester , Westcotes House, Westcotes Drive, Leicester, LE3 0QU, UK;4. Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry , Veysey Building, Salmon Pool Lane, Exeter, EX2 4SG, UK |
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Abstract: | Most studies show that religion is a protective factor for mental health. A few argue that it is detrimental and the remainder conclude it makes no difference. We investigate the religiosity correlates of childhood psychopathology – strength of belief, importance of being able to practice one’s religion, and worship frequency. Questions on religiosity were included in the mental health survey of children in Great Britain administered to 2992 11–19-year-olds in 2007. The Development and Well-Being Assessment was used to generate rates of clinically recognisable mental disorders. Logistic regression analysis was used to establish the magnitude of the religiosity correlates of emotional and conduct disorders. Young people with a stated religion who had weakly held beliefs or who regarded religious practice as unimportant were those with the greater likelihood of having emotional disorders. Regular attendance at religious services or prayer meetings reduced the likelihood of having a conduct disorder. |
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Keywords: | religiosity emotional disorders conduct disorders young people |
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