1. Chong Ho Yu & Beverly Rasimas Azusa Pacific University
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES, SPIRITUALITY, AND MENTAL HEALTH AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Chong Ho Yu & Beverly Rasimas
Azusa Pacific University

2. Objective
Examine the relationship between spirituality/religiosity and mental health.
Spirituality is individualistic whereas religiosity entails involvement with a particular religious institution.
If there is a relationship, it is unclear to tell which one is the cause and which one is the effect.
Are Christians tend to be more mentally healthy?
Are mentally healthy people tend to be Christians?
It could be bi-directional.

3. Literature review
Several studies found that those who attended church services regularly experienced feelings of overall well-being (George, et al 2004, Fredrickson, 2013).
Less religious people are likely to experience depression or psychiatric disorders (Bonneli, Dew, Koenig, Rosmarin, Vasegh, 2012).
In a study 82% of religious participants reported having a stronger sense of a support system.

4. Data source
A survey administered by the health center of a Southwestern Christian university
N = 438
Mean age = 20.23
Gender:
316 females (72.31%)
120 males (27.45%)
1 transgender (0.02%)

5. Faith status of students
Four levels:
I continue to attend church and have faith in Christ (religious?)
I have not attended church for over one year but I maintain my faith in Christ (spiritual?)
I still attend church but have serious doubts of my faith in Christ
I am not attending church and have abandoned my faith in Christ.

6. Mental well-being measures
Measures of mental health in multiple dimensions

7. Mental well-being measures

8. Mental well-being measures

9. Mental well-being measures
Due to data sparsity, the responses are converted to 1 (yes) or 0 (no)
It is inappropriate to sum or average them into a composite score by treating all “1”s are equal, because some issues are more severe than others e.g. bipolar and suicide attempt are worse than loneliness and insomnia.

10. Item response theory
Calibrate the student level of psychological problems by taking both item and student attributes into account simultaneously.
Output the theta score for each student
Center at 0
Above 0: more issues in mental health
Below 0: fewer or no issues in mental health

11. Correlation between theta and composite score
Pearson’s r = .9862
95% CI: .9833, .9866
P < .0001
However, the scatterplot shows that some students are “off.”

12. Item-person map
Higher items: more severe conditions, difficult to have it e.g. panic attacks, depression
Lower items: less severe conditions, easy to have it e.g. felt very lonely, felt very sad.
Higher persons: have more severe mental issues.
Lower persons: have less severe mental issues.

13. Item characteristic curve
Y-axis: Probability, X-axis: Theta When theta is 0, the student is average on mental-wellbeing. The probability of ever-felt things were hopeless is 0.5.
When the theta is 0 (average), the probability of ever intentionally cut, burned, bruised, or otherwise injure yourself is almost 0.

14. results
Those students who attend church AND have Christian faith have substantively fewer mental health issues.
Theta = Below 0 (average)

15. results
Those students who attend church but doubt their faith, and those who do not attend church and gave up their faith have equal amount of problems in mental wellbeing.
Theta = 1.1

16. results
Those students who do not attend church but keep their Christian faith are doing a bit better than the two previous groups in mental wellbeing, but not as good as the first group.
Theta = 0.4

17. Results
ANOVA and multiple comparison
F (3, 413)= 9.67
P < .0001

18. Results
Logistic regression
Chi-square =
P < .0001

19. Conclusion
There is a strong association between Christian faith and mental wellbeing.
Attending church and keeping faith  least mental health issues
Not attending church and keeping faith  less mental health issues
Attending church and doubting faith  more mental health issues
Not attending church and giving up faith  more mental health issues