Religious Affiliation as a Predictor of Mental Health Outcomes Among Asian Americans

• In Event: 341 - Section on Sociology of Religion Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 03. Religion and Health

Abstract

Few studies have explored the relationship between religion and mental health in minority populations. The present study investigates the effect of religiosity on mental health outcomes among immigrants of different religious faiths. The study uses data from the Asian subsample (N=2095) of the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS). The following hypotheses are examined using weighted logistic regression: (1) non-Christian immigrants will have higher rates of negative mental health outcomes than Christian immigrants, (2) as immigrant religious participation increases, odds of negative mental health outcomes will decrease, and (3) religious participation mediates the negative association between non-Christian religious affiliation and mental health outcomes. Results suggest that religious affiliation does not significantly influence mental health outcomes. However, increased religious participation does decrease the odds of having substance use disorders for Asian Americans. Research implications, limitations of the study, and future directions are discussed in light of the theoretical and contextual background.

Author

• Haley Medved Kendrick, University of Alabama at Birmingham