What is more important to adolescents’ emotions: Parental spirituality or parental adjustments? A case of Indonesia’s adolescents during pandemic COVID-19

Abstract

The role of spirituality and adjustment in the family is vital during any crisis, especially during a pandemic. As earlier literature did not explore parental spirituality and adjustment in relation to adolescent’s emotion during COVID-19, the current study was the first-ever effort in this regard. This study examined what adolescents felt during the recent COVID pandemic, how adolescents perceived parents’ spirituality and adjustment, and related factors affecting their emotional state. Analysis of survey responses from 1,004 Indonesian adolescents (12–18 years old) indicated that 72.3 percent of adolescents felt negative emotions during lockdown. The findings also revealed significant differences in parental adjustment between female and male adolescents and between junior and senior teenagers, indicating that male adolescents and older have better parental adjustment. Moreover, there are significant differences in adolescent’s emotion between parental spirituality and adjustment. Logistic regression analysis found a higher and more significant impact of parental spirituality on adolescents’ emotions than parental adjustment. This implies that parental spirituality is needed more during a stressful event like a pandemic.