RACE AND ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION: THE IMPACT OF RELIGIOSITY
ABSTRACT
This study explores the relationship between race, religiosity, and depression among
American adolescents. Using data on 18,192 adolescents from Wave I of the National
Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we explore whether minority adolescents report higher
levels of depression than white adolescents, and whether religious participation, religious
affiliation, and the importance placed on religion have different effects on depression for
minority adolescents. Results indicate that Black, Latino, and Asian adolescents have higher
depression than white adolescents, but the relationship between religiosity and depression differs
by race. While religious participation is negatively associated with depression for white and
Black adolescents, it is positively associated with depression for Asian adolescents; Asian
adolescents who frequently attend religious services report higher depression than Asian
adolescents who attend religious services less frequently. In addition, the negative impact of
religious participation on depression is more pronounced for Asian girls than Asian boys.
Overall, this study contributes to the literature on race and depression among adolescents by
suggesting that the relationships between religious affiliation, religious participation, and
depression may vary among adolescents from different racial groups.
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Convention