Devoutly anxious: The relationship between anxiety and religiosity in adolescence.

The present study examined specific religious variables (e.g., religious service attendance, importance of faith) as predictors of anxiety in adolescents. Participants included a subsample of the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care (n 952; 48.3% female; 76.6% Caucasian). Youth completed religiosity measures in early adolescence (6th grade; ages 11–12) and in mid-adolescence (age 15); parents reported on youth religiosity in 5th grade (ages 10–11). Anxiety measures of youth were completed by parents in early adolescence and by youth in mid-adolescence. Results demonstrated a modest positive association between religious service attendance/youth group participation and anxiety in mid-adolescence. Time spent in weekday evening religious activities in early adolescence modestly predicted greater anxiety in mid-adolescence. Finally, youth who increased in religious service attendance experienced greater anxiety in mid-adolescence. The relation was mediated by self-reported guilt. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.