A STUDY of Generation Z, or Gen Z, in the United States, has found a positive link between their practice of religion and their mental health.
Young people who practise a faith are more likely to say that they are “flourishing” than those who are not connected to a religious community, according to the study of young people aged between 13 and 25.
More than two-thirds, 70 per cent, of those who pray each day describe themselves as flourishing, compared with 57 per cent of those who say that they never pray.
Forty per cent of those who identify as “very religious” say that they are “flourishing a lot” in their mental and emotional health, compared with 17 per cent of those who are not religious.
The study, The State of Religion and Young People 2022: Mental health — what faith leaders need to know, was compiled by the Springtide Research Institute, which spoke to thousands of young people in the Gen Z age group, through interviews and a large survey which probed their beliefs, mental health, and relationships.
Of those young people who identify as “very religious”, 74 per cent say that they agree or strongly agree that they are “in good physical and emotional condition”, compared with 42 per cent of non-religious young people. Seven in ten young people currently connected to a spiritual or religious community say that they have “discovered a satisfying life purpose”, compared with 55 per cent of those who are not connected to a faith community.
Forty-two percent of those who feel “highly connected to a higher power” report that they are “flourishing a lot” in their emotional and mental health, compared with 16 per cent of those who say that they do not feel at all connected.
Although the findings show a broadly positive link between mental health and religion, some Gen Z members of faith communities are struggling. Nearly one third of those who have a faith say that they are “not flourishing”.
Religion can become “toxic” to young people when it is seen as setting difficult expectations which are hard to live up to, the study suggests.
It says that faith leaders need to build connections which lead to young people feeling that they belong, and encourage them to discover their purpose, in ways that “may not always look like traditional religious activities — but in many cases, there’s no reason those activities can’t be pursued on religious or spiritual terms”.
During the pandemic, more than half of those in the study, 53 per cent, said that they had found mental health their biggest challenge. Only one third said that they were comfortable talking about their struggles with adults.
More than half turned to prayer, and others turned to activities such as reading, yoga, and being in nature, to help themselves to recover.
The CEO of Springtide, Dr Josh Packard, said: “Solutions to mental-health struggles are more complicated than just ‘give young people more religion.’ The reality is that, without addressing mental-health issues, a young person who is mentally and emotionally unwell won’t be able to really engage with or understand the depth, beauty, power, awe, and love that can come with religion and spirituality.
“If the data in this report show anything, it’s that the pursuit of mental health is not separate from the development of a vibrant and flourishing faith and spiritual life. Faith leaders must be equipped to address both.”