Religious affiliation protects against alcohol/substance use initiation: A prospective study among healthy adolescents

Abstract

Background A substantial volume of the literature suggests that religious factors buffer against alcohol/substance use among adults, but research among adolescents is sparse. Further, few studies in this area have been prospective, and therefore it is unclear how religion may impact less alcohol/substance use among adolescents. Method We prospectively evaluated effects of religious affiliation on initiation of alcohol/substance use in a sample of 81 psychiatrically healthy 13–14‐year‐olds from New England, over a 3‐year period (from November 2015 to January 2019). Known risk factors were also evaluated including anxiety, depression, and impulsivity; family history of mental illness and alcohol/substance misuse; and volume of brain regions implicated in adolescent alcohol/substance misuse (assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging). Results Religiously affiliated adolescents were significantly less likely to initiate use of alcohol/substances (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.38). The addition of family history of alcohol/substance misuse to the model increased the predictive value of religious affiliation (HR = 0.34). Other risk factors did not diminish nor increase observed effects. Conclusions These findings support and extend the current research by suggesting that religious affiliation protects against initiation of alcohol/substance use during early adolescence, particularly in individuals with elevated risk.