Spiritual well-being and mental health illness among students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Evidence from Indonesia

Abstract

This research investigates whether and how religiosity (e.g., spiritual well-being) influences the mediator variables (student’ attitude, subjective norm, and behavioral control) in the education field based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). It also examines how the mediators should affect students’ mental health. Five hundred seventy-two students were recruited for a survey study, and Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the research hypotheses. The empirical results indicate that religiosity (e.g., spiritual well-being) has significant and positive effects on students’ attitudes, subjective norms, and behavior., subsequently influencing students’ mental health. Furthermore, mediator variables (e.g., students' attitude, subjective norm, and behavior) partially mediate religiosity and mental health. From this study, the regulators should collaborate with parents, schools, and teachers to develop a suitable curriculum that strongly correlates with the current situation (COVID-19 pandemic).