Adolescence is a critical time for the development of spiritual identity. Aiming to contribute to the science of an essential component of holistic nursing and health, we explored perceptions of spirituality among sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents.
Study Design:
A qualitative descriptive design was used to explore spirituality perceptions among youth.
Methods:
We recruited a national purposive sample of 12 sexual and/or gender minority youth using online eligibility screening. Enrolled participants engaged in semi-structured interviews followed by conventional thematic content analysis of transcribed qualitative data.
Findings:
Four overarching themes of spirituality perception and meaning were interpreted in our study. Findings included eleven corresponding categories within our main themes. The four overarching themes were: (1) Why am I here? It's not just about me, (2) This is how I connect to the spirit, traditions, and beyond, (3) I care, I’m just not sure, and I’m still thinking about it, and (4) I’m not worried or preoccupied with the sacred.
Conclusion:
SGM adolescence is a unique and essential time of spiritual identity, spiritual and religious transition or rejection, life purpose or connection, and/or a lack of preoccupation. Our findings have important implications for advancing holistic nursing practice, education, and research.
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