Keywords

adolescents, mental health, private religious worship, public religious behaviors

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Over the years, there has been a wealth of research on religious participation[1] among adolescents and their mental health.[2] The impact of public religious behaviors, such as attending church services and participating in church activities, has been beneficial to teenagers. However, are there benefits to private religious practices, such as personal prayer and personal scripture study, to adolescent mental health? Can private religious practices provide youth with the spiritual strength and fortitude to mediate anxiety or depression? These questions will be explored in our study on adolescent mental health and religion.