TY - JOUR
T1 - Spirituality and its relation to mental health outcomes
T2 - An examination of youth in foster care
AU - Makanui, Kalani P.
AU - Jackson, Yo
AU - Gusler, Stephanie
N1 - Funding Information:
The current project was made possible by funding from the National Institutes of Mental Health, RO1 grant MH079252-03. A special thanks to the entire Studying Pathways to Adjustment and Resilience in Kids (SPARK) team and research assistants.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 American Psychological Association.
PY - 2019/8
Y1 - 2019/8
N2 - The effects of spirituality and youth relationships with others on internalizing, externalizing, and adaptive outcomes were examined in a sample of 159 youth between the ages of 8 and 21 in foster or residential care. Indirect effects of direct coping and perceived social support on the relations between these factors and youth outcomes were examined. Preliminary analyses indicated a significant relation between youth spirituality and adaptive outcomes, with a significant indirect effect of perceived social support on these relations. However, these relations were nonsignificant when accounting for youth relationships with others. Final results indicated that youth relationships with others significantly affected youth adaptive functioning through both coping and perceived social support. Youth relationships also significantly affected youth internalizing symptoms, albeit only through youths' perceived levels of social support. These findings suggest that, while spiritual beliefs are potentially an important factor in affecting outcomes for foster youth, the strongest effects likely occur through youths' relationships with others, social support, and coping in relation to adaptive outcomes for these youth.
AB - The effects of spirituality and youth relationships with others on internalizing, externalizing, and adaptive outcomes were examined in a sample of 159 youth between the ages of 8 and 21 in foster or residential care. Indirect effects of direct coping and perceived social support on the relations between these factors and youth outcomes were examined. Preliminary analyses indicated a significant relation between youth spirituality and adaptive outcomes, with a significant indirect effect of perceived social support on these relations. However, these relations were nonsignificant when accounting for youth relationships with others. Final results indicated that youth relationships with others significantly affected youth adaptive functioning through both coping and perceived social support. Youth relationships also significantly affected youth internalizing symptoms, albeit only through youths' perceived levels of social support. These findings suggest that, while spiritual beliefs are potentially an important factor in affecting outcomes for foster youth, the strongest effects likely occur through youths' relationships with others, social support, and coping in relation to adaptive outcomes for these youth.
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U2 - 10.1037/rel0000184
DO - 10.1037/rel0000184
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85048133726
VL - 11
SP - 203
EP - 213
JO - Psychology of Religion and Spirituality
JF - Psychology of Religion and Spirituality
SN - 1941-1022
IS - 3
ER -