The role of religious involvement on depression, risky behavior, and academic performance among Korean American adolescents

Structural equation modeling was used to test a theoretical path model of church engagement, personal spirituality, and mentoring relationships on depressive symptoms, involvement in risky behaviors, and self-reported grades among Korean American adolescents. It was hypothesized that personal spirituality and mentoring relationship quality would mediate the relation between church engagement and adolescent outcomes. Data were obtained through a self-report survey from 248 Korean American adolescents in grades 7 through 12. High levels of church engagement, as characterized by years of attendance, choice to attend, and participation in activities, predicted deeper personal spirituality and better mentoring relationships. Personal spirituality, as measured by one’s daily religious experiences, beliefs, and private spiritual practices, was a mediator of the relationship between church engagement and adolescent outcomes. Specifically, higher levels of church engagement was linked to stronger personal spirituality, which in turn predicted less depressive symptoms for girls and higher grades for boys.