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The Role of Hope, Spirituality and Religious Practice in Adolescents’ Life Satisfaction: Longitudinal Findings

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Abstract

This longitudinal study presents the first examination of the relation between hope, spirituality, religious practice and life satisfaction of students in Portugal. A sample of 227 adolescents aged 15–19 completed the Portuguese versions of the Children Hope Scale, Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale and a single item for each spirituality and religious practice variable. The results from the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses suggest that hope and spirituality, but not religious practice, were strongly linked to adolescents’ life satisfaction. Hope significantly predicted life satisfaction at a single time point, 6-months and 1-year later, and spirituality scores added significant variance beyond hope scores. All the variables demonstrate moderate to high stability across 6-months and 1-year time frame; no significant changes were found between the variables across the administrations. These results parallel recent studies of adult and child life satisfaction and suggest strategies to promote life satisfaction in adolescents.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded via a Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) grant obtained by the first author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Susana C. Marques

  2. Clifton Strengths School and Gallup, Omaha, NE, USA

    Shane J. Lopez

  3. Faculty of Life and Social Sciences, Swinburne University, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia

    Joanna Mitchell

Authors
  1. Susana C. Marques
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  2. Shane J. Lopez
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  3. Joanna Mitchell
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Correspondence to Susana C. Marques.

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Marques, S.C., Lopez, S.J. & Mitchell, J. The Role of Hope, Spirituality and Religious Practice in Adolescents’ Life Satisfaction: Longitudinal Findings. J Happiness Stud 14, 251–261 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-012-9329-3

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