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Filling the void: spiritual development among adolescents of the affluent
Samuel H Barkin1, Lisa Miller, Suniya S Luthar
1Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY, 10027, USA, sam.barkin@gmail.com.
Abstract:
Building on both the spiritual development and affluent youth literature, the current study explores spiritual development and health outcomes in a sample of upper-middle-class youth. Exploratory analyses indicate long-term stability in religiosity and spirituality from late adolescence (mean age 18) well into emerging adulthood (mean age 24); specifically, a strong personal relationship with a Higher Power, that carries into the broader arena of life, appears to be the primary source of spiritual life in adolescence that transitions into young adulthood. Moreover, cross-sectional associations at age 24 suggest spiritual development may have important implications for increased mental health and life satisfaction, as well as decreased antisocial behaviors.
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