Religion and Depression in Adolescence

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Fruehwirth, Jane Cooley; Iyer, Sriya; Zhang, Anwen
• 署名单位: University of North Carolina; University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; University of Cambridge; University of London; London School Economics & Political Science
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-3808
• DOI: 10.1086/701425
• 发表日期: 2019
• 页码: 1178-1209
• 关键词: mental-health; PEER CONTAGION; self-esteem; stress; metaanalysis; TECHNOLOGY; friendship; ECONOMICS

摘要

Depression is the leading cause of illness and disability in adolescence. Many studies show a correlation between religiosity and mental health, yet the question remains whether the relationship is causal. We exploit within-school variation in adolescents' peers to deal with selection into religiosity. We find robust effects of religiosity on depression that are stronger for the most depressed. These effects are not driven by the school social context; depression spreads among close friends rather than through broader peer groups that affect religiosity. Exploration of mechanisms suggests that religiosity buffers against stressors in ways in which school activities and friendships do not.