Racial Identity and Religiousness: Role of Religion and Racial Identity on Substance Use In African American College Students Item Type Dissertation Authors Mailey, Chaz D Download date 30/09/2021 10:39:33 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10484/1880 CURRICULUM VITAE Chaz Mailey EDUCATION 2011 Indiana State University Terre Haute, Indiana Psy.D. Candidate Clinical Psychology 2007 Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana M.S., Sport and Exercise Psychology 2004 Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana B.A., Psychology SUPERVISED CLINICAL EXPERIENCE 2010–2011 Veterans Administration Illiana Health Care System Danville, Illinois Pre-Doctoral Psychology Intern 2009–2010 Veterans Administration Illiana Health Care Systems Danville, Illinois Graduate Therapist 2008–2010 The Center for Children’s Services Danville, Illinois Graduate Therapist 2007–2009 Indiana State University Psychology Clinic Terre Haute, Indiana Graduate Clinician AFFILIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS Member, Psychology Graduate Student Organization, Indiana State University Student Member of the American Psychology Association RACIAL IDENTITY AND RELIGIOUSNESS: ROLE OF RELIGION AND RACIAL IDENTITY ON SUBSTANCE USE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS _________________________ A Dissertation Presented to The College of Graduate and Professional Studies Department of Psychology Indiana State University Terre Haute, Indiana ________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Psychology ______________________ By Chaz D. Mailey August 2011 Chaz Mailey 2011 Keywords: College Students, Racial Identity, Religiosity, Substance Use COMMITTEE MEMBERS Committee Chair: Thomas Johnson, Ph.D. Professor Indiana State University Committee Member: Patrick Bennett, Ph.D. Associate Professor Indiana State University Committee Member: Liz O’Laughlin Ph.D. Associate Professor Indiana State University ii ABSTRACT The present study sought to explore the relationships between Black racial identity, religiosity, and substance use in African American college students. Religiosity has commonly been identified as a protective factor against substance use for many ethnic groups, and historically religion has played a significant role in the lives of African Americans. Surprisingly, some research suggests that while important, religiosity may not be as strong of a protective factor against abuse or excessive consumption of substances for African Americans as it is for other ethnicities (Amey, Albrect, & Miller, 1996). It has been suggested that for African Americans, a strong ethnic identity can help moderate drinking (Klonoff & Landrine, 1999; Pugh & Bry, 2007). One hundred and eighty-four African American students recruited from three Midwestern predominantly White universities, one Midwestern predominantly Black university and one Historically Black Southern university completed an online questionnaire consisting of the Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS); the Religious Involvement subscale from the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religion and Spirituality (BMMRS), measures of alcohol and marijuana use, and the Young Adult Alcohol Problems Screening Test (YAAPST). As hypothesized, racial identity and religiousness/spirituality were related with substance use in African American college students. The secondary hypothesis that black racial identity would be a better predictor of substance use than would religiousness/spirituality was not supported. For African American students in the current sample, religiosity was a better predictor of substance use than was Black racial identity. However, several differential relationships were observed iii between males and females. Overall, the study contributes support to the literature regarding how Black racial identity and religiosity influence substance use in African Americans. Limitations, significant findings, and possible directions for future research are presented. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all I would like to thank my family who always encouraged me to work as hard as I could to achieve whatever I had set out to do. They are so proud that I decided to go on to obtain my doctoral degree and I cannot thank them enough for all of the support, both emotional and financial that I received from them. A special thanks to my dissertation committee, Dr. Liz O’Laughlin, Dr. Patrick Bennett, and Dr. Thomas Johnson for their guidance and support as I have attempted to become a professional in the field of clinical psychology. I would especially like to express my thanks and gratitude to my dissertation chair, Dr. Thomas Johnson who initially piqued my interest in the field of substance use and racial identity. He understands that I am not a researcher at heart and has demonstrated incredible patience and has been so supportive throughout this entire dissertation process. Particularly when I was afraid I would not be able to get the number of participants I needed. I also want to thank the people at Illiana Healthcare Systems for giving me the opportunity to have time to work diligently only my dissertation and all their words of encouragement. Most of all I want to thank my beautiful wife and best friend on the entire planet Emily Mailey. She is the very foundation upon which I can stand and words cannot begin to express how truly grateful I am for her and all that she has done to help me get through these past five years of school, most specifically the last 3 months when she helped me with my statistical analysis. You are the reason I am doing what I am doing and I love you so much for all of your support and encouragement. On those days that looked bleakest, you were there to lift me up. v TABLE OF CONTENTS COMMITTEE MEMBERS ................................................................................................ ii ABSTRACT... .................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. v LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................4 Substance Use/Abuse in College Students ..................................................4 Religion in the Lives of African Americans ................................................8 Racial and Ethnic Identity ..........................................................................12 African American/Black Racial Identity ...................................................13 African Americans and Substance Use ......................................................22 Religiousness, Spirituality, and Substance Use .........................................25 Summary and Critique ...............................................................................29 Statement of the Problem and Hypotheses ................................................32 III. METHODS ............................................................................................................34 Participants/Recruitment ............................................................................34 Measures ....................................................................................................37 Procedures ..................................................................................................42 Confidentiality and Informed Consent of the Participants ........................43 vi Debriefing ..................................................................................................45 IV. RESULTS ..............................................................................................................46 Analysis Plan .............................................................................................46 Descriptive Statistics ..................................................................................47 Primary Analyses .......................................................................................49 V. DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................57 Religious/Spiritual Involvement and Substance Use .................................57 Cross Racial Identity Scale and Substance Use .........................................60 Hypothesis Two .........................................................................................65 Other Findings ...........................................................................................67 Implications................................................................................................70 Limitations .................................................................................................73 Suggestions for Future Research ...............................................................75 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................78 APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................84 A. Consent Form ....................................................................................................85 B. Consent Form: Incentive/Drawing ....................................................................87