Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
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.