Beliefs about the probability of educational success tend to be very optimistic in the United States. However, scholars are beginning to uncover mental health consequences associated with quixotic hope—the unrealistic outstripping of expectation by aspiration. Using longitudinal data from Waves 1 and 3 of the National Study of Youth and Religion, this study asks, (1) does religiosity promote or diminish the likelihood of quixotic hope? and (2) does religious attendance and closeness to God mitigate long-term mental health consequences of quixotic hope? Results show that weekly religious attendance had a modest negative relationship with the likelihood of experiencing quixotic hope, while increasing religious attendance over time attenuated the negative mental health consequences of quixotic hope on increases in depression. Closeness to God neither predicted quixotic hope nor played a moderating role for depression. As educational expectations rise, regular religious practice may help protect the emotional well-being of youth.

在美国，关于教育成功的可能性的信念往往非常乐观。但是，学者们开始发现与吉卜赛人的希望有关的心理健康后果-渴望的不切实际超越预期。这项研究使用《国家青年与宗教研究》第一波和第三波的纵向数据，提出以下问题：（1）宗教信仰是否促进或减少了不希望的希望？（2）参加宗教活动和与上帝亲近会减轻吉卜赛式希望的长期心理健康影响吗？结果表明，每周的宗教出席与经历吉卜赛式希望的可能性之间存在中等程度的负相关关系，而随着时间的增加，宗教出席率减弱了吉卜赛式希望对抑郁症增加的负面心理健康影响。与上帝的亲密关系既没有预言吉普赛人的希望，也没有为抑郁症起到调节作用。随着教育期望的提高，定期的宗教活动可能有助于保护青年人的情感健康。