The Association of Religious Affiliation With The MMPI-A Alcohol/Drug Problem Acknowledgment Scale In Post-Soviet Russian Adolescents

Angela Buffington, School of Psychology

In the US, studies have found an association between religiosity and substance use. Studies of adolescents in the US have demonstrated an inverse relationship between religiosity and substance use, but no studies to date have examined this relationship in Russian adolescents. The current study used archival data to examine the association between age, gender, religious affiliation, and the MMPI-A Alcohol/Drug Problem Acknowledgement (ACK) scale in a post-Soviet Russian adolescent sample. The sample consisted of 201 participants, with valid data available for 115 participants (65 males and 50 females). Multiple regression analysis was used to test associations between the ACK scale of the MMPI-A with age, gender, and religious affiliation. Contrary to hypotheses, age and gender were not significantly related to acknowledgement of substance abuse in the sample. As hypothesized, religious affiliation inversely related to acknowledgement of substance abuse. Results suggest that being a member of a religious group may deter substance use in Russian youth. Current findings highlight religiosity as a potential protective factor in substance use prevention efforts.

Keywords: Adolescents, Substance Abuse, Religious Affiliation, MMPI-A, Russia