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Religiosity and mental health of pre-adolescents with psychiatric problems and their parents: The TRAILS study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

W. van der Jagt-Jelsma ,
M.R. de Vries-Schot ,
Rint de Jong ,
C.A. Hartman ,
F.C. Verhulst ,
H. Klip ,
P.A.M. van Deurzen  and
J.K. Buitelaar
W. van der Jagt-Jelsma*
Affiliation:
Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Dr. E. Schattenkerkweg 1, 8025 BW, Zwolle, The Netherlands
M.R. de Vries-Schot
Affiliation:
GGz In de Bres, Drachten, The Netherlands
Rint de Jong*
Affiliation:
Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Dr. E. Schattenkerkweg 1, 8025 BW, Zwolle, The Netherlands
C.A. Hartman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
F.C. Verhulst
Affiliation:
Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
H. Klip
Affiliation:
Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
P.A.M. van Deurzen
Affiliation:
Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
J.K. Buitelaar
Affiliation:
Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, The Netherlands Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail address: w.vanderjagt@karakter.com (W. van der Jagt-Jelsma).
*Corresponding author. E-mail address: w.vanderjagt@karakter.com (W. van der Jagt-Jelsma).
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Abstract

Background:

This study investigated the association between the religiosity of parents and pre-adolescents, and pre-adolescents’ psychiatric problems.

Method:

In a clinic-referred cohort of 543 pre-adolescents at least once referred to a mental health outpatient clinic mental health problems were assessed using self-reports (Youth Self-Report; YSR), parent reports (Child Behavior Checklist; CBCL), and teacher reports (Teacher's Report Form; TRF) of child behavioral and emotional problems. Paternal, maternal, and pre-adolescent religiosity were assessed by self-report. MANCOVAs were performed for internalizing and externalizing problems as dependent variables, with maternal religiosity, paternal religiosity, pre-adolescent religiosity, parental religious harmony, and gender as independent variables, and socioeconomic status and divorce as covariates.

Results:

Internalizing problems. Pre-adolescents of actively religious mothers had more internalizing symptoms than pre-adolescents of nonreligious mothers. Harmony and gender did not significantly affect the association between maternal religiosity and internalizing problems. Externalizing problems. No associations between religiosity of pre-adolescents, religiosity of mothers, religiosity of fathers and/or harmony of parents and externalizing problem behavior have been found.

Discussion and conclusions:

Overall, associations between mental health and religiosity were modest to absent. Results are discussed in the context of a clinic-referred cohort, the quest phase of internalizing religious beliefs and role modeling of parents.

Keywords

Mental healthPre-adolescentsReligionReligiosityParentsClinic-referred cohort
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 30 , Issue 7 , October 2015 , pp. 845 - 851
Copyright
European Psychiatric Association 2015

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Footnotes

Abbreviations: GLM, Generalized Linear Model; TRAILS, TRAcking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey; CBCL, Child Behavior Checklist; YSR, Youth Self-Report; TRF, Teacher’s Report Form.

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