How Consistency in Closeness to God Predicts Psychological Resources and Life Satisfaction: Findings from the National Study of Youth and Religion

Abstract

With survey data from the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR), this study investigates the association between across-time consistency in closeness to God and well-being. I focus on God-believing individuals who are Protestant, Catholic, or Latter-day Saint, and present across Waves 1–3 (n = 1,333). Outcomes include Wave 3 psychological resources (i.e., life purpose and personal mastery) and life satisfaction. Key predictors include two novel indicators of across-time consistency in closeness to God: (1) a four-category pattern variable and (2) a discrete numeric summary score. The pattern variable indicates respondents who become less close to God across time fare worse than those who remain consistently close to God. In addition, respondents consistently distant from God did not differ from their consistently close counterparts in terms of life purpose and personal mastery. The summary score indicates high levels of consistency in closeness to God predict high levels of life purpose and satisfaction.

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