38.3 Religious and Spiritual Self-Identification Among Psychiatrically Hospitalized LGBTQ Adolescents

Abstract

Studies of religious and/or spiritual (R/S) self-identification between lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or questioning (LGBTQ) and non-LGBTQ adolescents have yielded mixed findings. Despite potential impacts of R/S on suicide risk, prior studies have not examined these differences in adolescent psychiatric hospital settings. This study compared the degree to which LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents self-identify as R/S. Analyzing adolescent patients’ (12-17 years old; n = 334) psychiatric hospital admission forms, this study compared R/S self-identification among sexual orientation and gender identity groups using independent samples t tests and χ2 analyses. Spiritual and religious identity were assessed by 2 items: “To what extent do you consider yourself a spiritual person?” and “To what extent do you consider yourself a religious person?”. LGBTQ adolescents self-identified as significantly less religious than non-LGBTQ adolescents (t312 = 3.70; p < 0.001; d = 0.46). The prevalence of religious self-identification as “not at all religious” and “moderately religious” differed among gender identity and sexual orientation groups (χ2 [6, N = 313] = 18.67; p = 0.005). Proportionally more non-LGBTQ adolescents identified as “moderately” religious (26.5%) than transgender/questioning adolescents (3.7%; p = 0.009). The prevalence of “not at all religious” identification was lower for non-LGBTQ adolescents (27.0%) than either nontransgender LGBTQ adolescents (43.7%; p = 0.0008) or transgender/questioning adolescents (59.3%; p = 0.0006). Groups did not significantly differ in spiritual self-identification (p > 0.563). In a psychiatrically hospitalized sample, LGBTQ adolescents reported similar spiritual self-identification as non-LGBTQ adolescents but lower religious self-identification. Transgender/questioning adolescents were less likely to identify as “moderately” religious than non-LGBTQ adolescents, and both transgender/questioning and nontransgender LGBQ adolescents were more likely to identify as “not at all religious” than non-LGBTQ adolescents. Our findings suggest a need to assess both spirituality and religiosity when exploring mental health impacts of the intersection of R/S, gender identity, and sexual orientation.