P-297 - The association of elementary school adolescents’ religious moral beliefs and religious moral beliefs of their parents on adolescents’ mental stability

Abstract

Aim To determine the association of elementary school adolescents' religious moral beliefs and religious moral beliefs of their parents with the stability of adolescents' mental health. Methods The sample consists of 62 healthy adolescents (males, n=30) aged 13.7±0.3 years who attending elementary school and 124 their parents. The adolescents were equalized in: age, school achievement, behavior, family structure, and level of exposure to psycho-social stress. Subjects were assessed with regard to the level of belief in some basic ethical principles that arouse from religious moral values. The adolescents' and their parents' scores of religious moral belief index correlated with adolescents' school achievements, behavior and mental health profile. For the assessment of religious moral beliefs and mental health structure we used Religious Moral Beliefs' Questionnaire, Hanes Questionnaire, Test of Superego and Test of Self Perceiving. Results The score of fathers' and mothers' moral belief index was positively correlated to the adolescents' moral belief index (Pearson's r =0.523, P r =0.516, P 0.05). Conclusions Religious moral beliefs of elementary school adolescents positively associated with religious moral beliefs of their parents. Religious moral beliefs of elementary school adolescents and religious moral beliefs of their parents were not associated with adolescents' school achievements and school behavior as well with adolescents' neuroticism, sociability, activity, and scores of superego and self perceiving.