Religiosity and Anxiety in College Students

Over the decades, a growing body of research has explored the relation between religiosity and mental health and psychopathology, including anxiety, and this association has attracted considerable attention. Undoubtedly, there have been a number of studies that consistently show there is a significant link between religiosity and anxiety, where more religiosity may lead to lower experiences of anxiety. These studies examined the link between anxiety and religiosity in relation to the elderly, other countries, cultures, gender, and other disorders that are comorbid with anxiety. There is a huge gap between when it comes to college students. The purpose of this study is to expand in recent studies regarding religiosity and anxiety within college students at ages 18 and up. We hypothesize that there will be a negative association with anxiety and religiosity. The minimal sample size for this study is 120 participants; data is currently being collected via SONA through college students and the use of flyers by the researchers. The survey consists of the State Trait Anxiety Inventory, The Intrinsic Spirituality Scale, and The Duke University Religion Index. Results will be presented during scholar’s weeks. Keywords: Anxiety, Religiosity, Spirituality