Religion and Spirituality: Benefits for Latino Adolescents Exposed to Community Violence

Using data from 223 Latino adolescents residing in poor, urban neighborhoods, we investigate whether spirituality, religious importance at home, and religious involvement moderate the relation between community violence exposure and psychological well-being. Results showed significant interaction effects between community violence exposure and spirituality/religiosity. Specifically, personal victimization and witnessing violence were associated with higher depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms at low and average levels of spirituality, but not at high levels of spirituality. Witnessing violence was associated with higher PTSD symptoms at low and average levels of religious importance at home, but not at high levels of religious importance at home. Finally, witnessing violence was associated with higher depressive symptoms at low and average levels of religious involvement, but not at high levels of religious involvement. We discuss the potential benefits of supporting spiritual and religious development in Latino youth exposed to community violence.