The Contribution of Religiosity and Optimism on Well-Being of Youth and Emerging Adults in Italy

Abstract

In line with the Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework positing that religion provides youth with resources to thrive, this chapter presents a contribution analyzing associations between religiosity and well-being among middle and late adolescents and emerging adults in Italy. Italy is a unique context to study this topic due to societal relevance and historical presence of Catholicism. We conceptualized religiosity as religious commitment and well-being as life satisfaction and focused on the mediating role of optimism between these two constructs. A multiplegroup path model revealed a direct invariant link between religious commitment and life satisfaction as well as a significant mediating role of optimism in middle adolescents and emerging adults, but not in late adolescents. Conclusions afford implications about why and how religiosity and optimism contribute to PYD in cultural contexts like Italy. Theoretical Framework and Main QuestionsReligiosity, in terms of adherence to religious rituals, values and practices of an institutionalized doctrine (Hill et al., 2000), has been linked to satisfaction with life as a relevant dimension of youth's subjective well-

How Do Religiosity and Spirituality Associate with Health-Related Outcomes of Adolescents with Chronic Illnesses? A Scoping Review

“…In particular, older adolescents are more able to think abstractly, to process information more accurately, and to reflect on different aspects of the self and of their culture [ 70 ]. These abilities might translate into a more active and individual exploration of religious beliefs and values [ 40 ], which might lead to questioning God’s love and struggling spiritually at times [ 55 ], especially in the context of chronic diseases, whose enduring and irreversible consequences are clearer to older adolescents [ 31 ].…”

“…To do so properly, healthcare professionals should be trained to become aware of the importance of religiosity and spirituality in adolescents’ lives and of the differences between theirs and young patients’ religious/spiritual traditions and cultures in order to avoid prejudice and lack of understanding [ 41 ]. Finally, it could be fruitful for clinicians to consider age-related differences in the way that adolescents live their religiosity and spirituality and talk to them about these issues accordingly [ 40 ]. To sum up, healthcare professionals have a relevant role in young patients’ existence as they might help them to carry the burden of their medical condition and manage their chronic illness during the pivotal time of adolescence.…”

“…To note, in the process of carrying out this scoping review, we decided to focus on the adolescent years ranging from 10 to 20 in order to tap into different phases of this developmental period, namely early (10–13), middle (14–17), and late (17–20) adolescence [ 31 ]. This choice was linked to the assumptions that chronic illness [ 31 ], religiosity, and spirituality [ 40 ] might be uniquely experienced according to differences in biological, cognitive, and social development related to the various phases of adolescence.…”