The Association Between Religion and Depression

Name: Charlie Knapp

Live Poster Session: Zoom Link

Charlie Knapp

I am a sophomore at Wesleyan University majoring in both Computer Science and Economics. I am also a member of the Men’s Lacrosse team. In my free time, I enjoy watching sports, playing music, and hanging out with friends.

Abstract: This study examines the association between religion and depression. Data were drawn from the fifth wave of the U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health study (ADDHEALTH). ADDHEALTH is a nationally representative sample of over 20,000 adolescents who were in grades 7-12 during the 1994-1995 school year in the United States that were followed over time. The goals of the present analysis include 1) establishing the relationship between religion and depression; and 2) determining whether or not this relationship is strengthened by those with a stronger sense of religion. That is, this study will investigate whether individuals who are religious have a lesser chance of being depressed than those who are not, and whether or not a stronger religion makes a greater impact on the avoidance of depression. The results from this study were inconclusive, so this study needs to be redone with a small group of people or a case by case basis.

Knapp-Poster