What Predicts Mental Health in Religious and Nonreligious Social Work Students?

The study was supported by a faculty grant from the University of California, Berkeley. Rufina Wu assisted with the literature search; Cheryl Francisconi and Amy Benton assisted with the data collection; and Amanda Lehning and Jing Guo performed the data analysis.

Abstract

This study examined religiosity, spirituality, mindfulness, and their association with mental health in religious and nonreligious social work students. A total of 65 MSW students participated in a paper‐and‐pencil survey. Of these, 25 were religious, i.e., claimed membership in an organized religion, and 33 did not. Religious students endorsed religious comfort and strain and spiritual involvement more strongly than nonreligious students. Religious comfort was associated with spiritual involvement in both groups, but religious comfort and strain were related only in nonreligious students. Using multivariate analysis, mindfulness emerged as the only significant predictor of reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms in both religious and nonreligious students alike. Implications of study findings are discussed.

The study was supported by a faculty grant from the University of California, Berkeley. Rufina Wu assisted with the literature search; Cheryl Francisconi and Amy Benton assisted with the data collection; and Amanda Lehning and Jing Guo performed the data analysis.

Keywords:

• Religiosity
• spirituality
• mindfulness
• anxiety
• depression
• social work students

Notes

The study was supported by a faculty grant from the University of California, Berkeley. Rufina Wu assisted with the literature search; Cheryl Francisconi and Amy Benton assisted with the data collection; and Amanda Lehning and Jing Guo performed the data analysis.