TY - JOUR
T1 - Spirituality and Depressive Symptoms in a School-Based Sample of Adolescents
T2 - A Longitudinal Examination of Mediated and Moderated Effects
AU - Pérez, John E.
AU - Little, Todd D.
AU - Henrich, Christopher C.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded, in part, by a National Research Service Award (1 F31 MH12929-01) from the National Institute of Mental Health (to J.P.). The study also was funded by grants from the Smith Richardson Foundation and the Graustein Foundation (to T.L).
PY - 2009/4
Y1 - 2009/4
N2 - Purpose: To prospectively examine whether personal agency beliefs and direct coping mediate the association between spirituality and depressive symptoms in a school-based sample of adolescents, and whether gender, race, or grade level moderate this model. Method: Students (N = 1096) from sixth through ninth grades in a northeastern public school system were administered self-report instruments in group format at baseline, 6-month follow-up, and 1-year follow-up. Demographic variables and constructs of spirituality, personal agency, direct coping, and depressive symptoms were assessed. Results: Structural equation modeling was used to examine the longitudinal associations among the constructs while controlling for socioeconomic status and baseline depressive symptoms. For the total sample, the model predicted 21% of the variance in depressive symptoms over 1 year. The model was moderated by gender but not by race or grade level. The model explained 28% of the variance in depressive symptoms for girls and 16% of the variance in depressive symptoms for boys. Moreover, there was an indirect effect of spirituality on depressive symptoms for girls but not for boys. Conclusion: These results suggest mechanisms by which spirituality may maintain lower levels of depressive symptoms among adolescent girls during periods of transition to middle and high school.
AB - Purpose: To prospectively examine whether personal agency beliefs and direct coping mediate the association between spirituality and depressive symptoms in a school-based sample of adolescents, and whether gender, race, or grade level moderate this model. Method: Students (N = 1096) from sixth through ninth grades in a northeastern public school system were administered self-report instruments in group format at baseline, 6-month follow-up, and 1-year follow-up. Demographic variables and constructs of spirituality, personal agency, direct coping, and depressive symptoms were assessed. Results: Structural equation modeling was used to examine the longitudinal associations among the constructs while controlling for socioeconomic status and baseline depressive symptoms. For the total sample, the model predicted 21% of the variance in depressive symptoms over 1 year. The model was moderated by gender but not by race or grade level. The model explained 28% of the variance in depressive symptoms for girls and 16% of the variance in depressive symptoms for boys. Moreover, there was an indirect effect of spirituality on depressive symptoms for girls but not for boys. Conclusion: These results suggest mechanisms by which spirituality may maintain lower levels of depressive symptoms among adolescent girls during periods of transition to middle and high school.
KW - Adolescent
KW - Coping behavior
KW - Depression
KW - Personal agency
KW - Religion
KW - Self-efficacy
KW - Spirituality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=62549122056&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.08.022
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.08.022
M3 - Article
C2 - 19306797
AN - SCOPUS:62549122056
SN - 1054-139X
VL - 44
SP - 380
EP - 386
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
IS - 4
ER -