A religious childhood can offer teens protection against becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol, a new study shows. The paper was  presented at the Recovery Conference run by  Chester University’s Higher Power Project. The USbased researchers found that devotional practices within a community, regular church attendance and even partial belief in a set of religious doctrines or values helped guard teens against the temptations of drug and alcohol abuse.

“Religiosity may be particularly protective during the transition period from adolescence to emerging adulthood,” they write. If teens make a “personal choice” to engage in religious or spiritual activities, they are more likely to take healthy behaviour and decision-making into adulthood, the paper says. “Our study supports that higher religiosity in childhood and emerging
adulthood as defined as more church attendance in these periods of life may be protective against early onset alcohol use and later development of alcohol problems… The fact that it is associated with decreased risk in emerging adulthood is noteworthy for development of potential interventions.”

“Evidence of potential protective factors of religiosity can be used to consider how programming related to risk can be integrated into church youth programs and in pastoral care settings. Mental health care might also consider how to be more inclusive of religiosity and spirituality (in addition to/beyond 12 step) in treatment settings, if clients indicate a desire to integrate these beliefs and practices into their care.”

Source: Christian Today

Bible Study: Ephesians 5:18

PRAISE God that researchers uphold the importance of church for young people.

PRAY that there may be a great return to church among children and youth.