Catholic Sacraments of Initiation along with Religious and Spiritual Pathways to Well-Being in Emerging Adulthood: Longitudinal Evidence from the United States

Recent evidence suggests that participation in Catholic sacramental life has declined over the last few decades, which indicates diminished fidelity to significant elements of the faith. Against this backdrop, this study draws on nationally representative longitudinal data from the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) to test for an association between receipt of two Sacraments of Initiation in the Catholic faith (First Eucharist, Confirmation) in adolescence and well-being several years later in emerging adulthood. Results from structural equation models (SEM) of 308 Catholics suggests that receiving First Eucharist was associated with lower depression and better self-rated health in emerging adulthood. No such association was observed for receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. The association between First Eucharist and well-being was mediated by more frequent attendance, higher religious salience, and greater perceived closeness to God. This is the first study to examine the link between receiving two Catholic Sacraments of Initiation and well-being using national longitudinal data, representing an important extension of traditional religion and health research which has, until now, excluded the role of the sacraments. I discuss the sociological and pastoral implications of these findings for the Catholic faith in the context of a changing society.