Exploring religiosity, perceived mental health, and coping behaviors of undergraduate African American college students in the South.

Objective

The current study explored the relationships of religiosity and coping behaviors on the perceived mental health of undergraduate African American (AA) college students enrolled at a large public university in the Southern United States.

Methods

We used a cross-sectional survey design. AA and/or African descent adult college participants (n = 131) were recruited from an online chat group (ie, GroupMe) and completed the Brief-COPE, a demographic questionnaire, and a single-item mental health tool. Data analyses employing descriptive statistics and correlational analyses examined relationships between variables.

Results

There was a positive correlation between increased religious activity and overall mental health. Those who specified their religion as "other" had a lower total mental health score than those with an identified religion.

Conclusions

Findings underscore the importance of supportive interventions that account for religious beliefs and activities on overall mental health outcomes for undergraduate AA college students in the South.