Spirituality’s effect on academic resilience among race and ethnicity groups

Our intent was understanding the impact of spirituality on student resilience among race/ethnicity groups within the context of a parochial education. Students with high levels of resilience in high school and college settings experience academic persistence and school completion (Eisenberg, Lipson & Posselt, in New Directions for Student Services, 156: 87-95, 2016; Hartley, in Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 4: 240-250, 2013). Our observational study surveyed students in a Catholic high school and university. Resilience was significantly correlated with spirituality and higher than the norm among all race/ethnicities. However, both spirituality and resilience were higher for students of color (Blacks, Biracial and Latino/as). We found that spirituality mediated the relationship between race/ethnicity and resilience scores. Higher spirituality in students of color contributed to higher resilience.