Division of Psychology and Mental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Bamford Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK
BMJ Open. 2023 Jun 22;13(6):e071999. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-071999.
In this study, we seek to explore the relationship between adolescent mental well-being, religion and family activities among a school-based adolescent sample from Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Schools and Wellbeing Study is a cross-sectional study (2014-2016) of pupils in Northern Ireland aged 13-18 years.
1618 adolescents from eight schools participated in this study.
Our primary outcome measure was derived using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. We used hierarchical linear regression to explore the independent effects of a range of personal/social factors, including religious affiliation, importance of religion and family activities.
In fully adjusted models, older adolescents and females reported lower mental well-being scores-for the year-on-year increase in age β=-0.45 (95% CI=-0.84, -0.06), and for females (compared with males) β=-5.25 (95% CI=-6.16, -4.33). More affluent adolescents reported better mental well-being. No significant differences in mental well-being scores across religious groups was found: compared with Catholics, Protestant adolescents recorded β=-0.83 (95% CI=-2.17, 0.51), other religious groups β=-2.44 (95% CI=-5.49, 0.62) and atheist adolescents β=-1.01 (95% CI=-2.60, 0.58). The importance of religion in the adolescents' lives was also tested: (compared with those for whom it was not important) those for whom it was very important had better mental well-being (β=1.63: 95% CI=0.32, 2.95). Higher levels of family activities were associated with higher mental well-being: each unit increase in family activity produced a 1.45% increase in the mental well-being score (β=0.78: 95% CI=0.67, 0.90).
This study indicates that non-religious adolescents may have lower mental well-being scores when compared with their more religious peers, irrespective of religious denomination. This may relate to both a sense of lack of firm identity and perceived marginalisation. Additionally, adolescents with poor family cohesion are more vulnerable to poor mental well-being.
本研究旨在探讨北爱尔兰基于学校的青少年样本中，青少年心理健康、宗教和家庭活动之间的关系。
北爱尔兰学校和幸福感研究是一项对北爱尔兰 13-18 岁青少年的横断面研究（2014-2016 年）。
八所学校的 1618 名青少年参与了这项研究。
我们的主要结果测量指标是采用华威-爱丁堡心理健康量表得出的。我们使用分层线性回归来探讨一系列个人/社会因素的独立影响，包括宗教信仰、宗教重要性和家庭活动。
在完全调整的模型中，年龄较大的青少年和女性报告的心理健康评分较低-年龄每年增加β=-0.45（95%CI=-0.84，-0.06），女性（与男性相比）β=-5.25（95%CI=-6.16，-4.33）。较富裕的青少年报告的心理健康状况较好。宗教群体之间的心理健康评分没有显著差异：与天主教徒相比，新教徒青少年记录的β=-0.83（95%CI=-2.17，0.51），其他宗教团体β=-2.44（95%CI=-5.49，0.62）和无神论青少年β=-1.01（95%CI=-2.60，0.58）。还测试了宗教在青少年生活中的重要性：（与那些不重要的人相比）那些认为宗教非常重要的人有更好的心理健康（β=1.63：95%CI=0.32，2.95）。家庭活动水平较高与较高的心理健康相关：家庭活动每增加一个单位，心理健康评分就会增加 1.45%（β=0.78：95%CI=0.67，0.90）。
本研究表明，与宗教信仰程度更高的同龄人相比，非宗教青少年的心理健康评分可能较低，而不论其宗教信仰如何。这可能与缺乏坚定的身份认同和感知到的边缘化有关。此外，家庭凝聚力差的青少年更容易出现心理健康问题。
