Spirituality as a Predictor of Positive Mental Health among Adolescents with Alcoholic Addicted Fathers

The role played by spirituality in promoting mental and physical health is widely established in the literature. Research on the relationship between spirituality and mental health among the adolescent population is an upcoming area of exploration and study. The present study aimed at assessing whether spirituality predicts positive mental health among adolescents with fathers who were addicted to alcohol. The participants of the study who were chosen using purposive sampling consisted of 60 adolescent children of alcoholics, aged between 16 and 19 years, pursuing pre-university and degree courses. Information on the spirituality of the adolescents was collected using the Spiritual Involvement and Belief Scale and mental health was assessed using the Mental Health Inventory. The study employed a predictive correlational research design under the quantitative paradigm. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test and multiple linear regression. The results of the study partially refuted the hypothesis which stated that spirituality was a predictor of positive mental health among adolescents with alcoholic fathers. The findings identified spirituality as a predictor of various dimensions of mental health such as depression, loss of emotional/behavioural control, emotional ties and general positive affect. The results also showed that spirituality was a predictor of psychological distress and psychological wellbeing experienced by the sample. However, spirituality alone was not found to be a predictor of positive mental health among the adolescents. The limitations, implications and directions for future research were also discussed.