Examinación de los Tipos de Espiritualidad y sus Asociaciones con la Cohesión Familiar en Estudiantes Universitarios en los Estados Unidos

The aim of this study was to understand subtypes of spiritual beliefs and their associations with family cohesion. Using a sample of 150 undergraduates, we examined written narratives in which participants described what spirituality means to them and what role it plays in their lives. Responses were classified into one of the following categories: neither experiential/personalized (e/p) nor dogmatic/ritualistic (d/r) (14%); primarily d/r (17.3%); primarily e/p (57.3%); e/p + d/r (11.3%). While representing the smallest group, participants whose beliefs were classified into the integrated e/p + d/r category reported the highest level of family cohesion. This supports study hypotheses and is important because greater family cohesion has been found to be associated with mental health benefits. Findings suggest that spiritual interventions aimed at bolstering both d/r (e.g., church attendance) along with more e/p elements of spirituality (e.g., turning to spirituality for guiding principles) may have the greatest benefit for family functioning, and perhaps indirectly, for mental health.