relationship between psychology and religious attitude: the moderating role of life goal in adolescence with self-harm

Background: self-harm is a common problem among teenagers worldwide and can be affected by different factors. this research aimed to investigate the connection between the psychological well-being and religious convictions of individuals who self-injure, while also examining how life goals may serve as a moderating factor. methods: this descriptive-correlational research employed a cross-sectional design and utilized structural equation modeling (sem). the study targeted all teenage boys and girls in tehran who had participated in self-harm behaviors between july and october 2023. a purposive sample of 196 adolescents with a history of self-harm was selected for the study. the ryff’s psychological well-being scales (pwb), the religious attitude questionnaire (raq) and the purpose-in-life questionnaire (pil) were used as research tools. data analysis was conducted using spss software, version 27 and smartpls software, version 4. results: self-acceptance had a significant and positive impact on religious attitudes (β=0.397, p=0.021). however, the positive relationship with other components had no significant influence on religious attitudes (p=0.954). self-acceptance and personal growth, as well as a purposeful life, had a positive and notable impact on religious attitudes (p<0.05). conversely, positive relationships with others, autonomy, objective life, and mastery of the environment did not significantly influence religious attitudes (p>0.05). furthermore, purposeful life, acting as a moderating variable, positively and significantly affected the association between positive relationships with others and autonomy with religious attitudes, thereby enhancing this relationship. conclusion: psychological well-being and purposeful life are related to religious attitudes in self-harming adolescents. specifically, self-acceptance and personal growth are the only well-being components that increase religious attitudes. other components, like positive relationships, autonomy, mastery of the environment, and a purposeful life do not affect religious attitudes.