Does Spirituality Influence Academic Achievement and Psychological Adjustment of African American Urban Adolescents? / Robbie J. Steward and Hanik Jo.

In a study of 121 African-American urban adolescents, the use of spiritual support as a means of coping was found to be significantly related to psychological well-being and adjustment. The participants were high school freshmen in a midwestern city in an area where the student attrition rate had ranged from 55 to 65% over a 5-year period. Participants completed the Affects Balance Scale (Derogatix, 1975), a self-report mood scale, and the Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences (Patterson and McCubbin, 1981). The practice of religious principles and spirituality appear to be an effective means of coping to maintain psychological well-being in this group. Those who reported themselves to be most spiritual were also the most well-adjusted, with the highest academic performance. They were also the most likely to use family and social support networks in coping. (Contains 2 tables and 10 references.) (SLD)

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