Student Wellness Tip: Supporting Spiritual Wellness

College students today feel a sense of hopelessness and anxiety relating to the world around them at higher rates than generations before them. A 2023 Harvard Graduate School of Education study found that 45 percent of students have a general sense that things are falling apart.

One way colleges and universities can address this mental and emotional crisis is by helping young people cultivate meaning and purpose in their lives, which could include religious or spiritual engagement. The Harvard study found students who belonged to any religious group were more likely to report feeling as though their lives have purpose or meaning (47 percent) compared to their atheist (34 percent) or agnostic (32 percent) peers.

The research: Gallup World Poll data over the past decade has found, on a number of wellness measures, people who are religious are more likely to have better well-being than those who are not. That included in their social lives, levels of optimism and community engagement.

Nationally, 41 percent of adults said they’ve become more spiritual over the course of their lifetime, while one-third have become less religious, according to January data from the Pew Research Center. This was more pronounced among young people, with 42 percent of young people (ages 18 to 29) saying they’ve become less religious over the course of their lifetime.

Of the eight dimensions of wellness, spiritual wellness can be neglected in programming, according to research from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. However, “students and academics alike are seeking spiritual enrichment and searching for meaning both on and off campus,” researchers wrote.

Some colleges are seeing a rebound in religious engagement on campus after the COVID-19 pandemic, in part because students are searching for an in-person community to connect with. One example is Asbury University in Kentucky, which saw a large religious revival this past spring that spread to neighboring institutions.

A 2023 Niche survey of 24,000 high school seniors found 41 percent of learners considered religious life on campus appealing or a must-have for their college experience.

Campus solutions: To encourage spiritual wellness, design firm DLR Group found campuses have implemented mental health professionals in buildings dedicated to spirituality and increased mindfulness practice offerings. Other institutional offerings include:

• Teaching spiritual wellness practices, including meditation and yoga, to provide relaxation and reflection. Cornell University students and staff lead 30-minute guided meditation sessions throughout the week to encourage contemplation among campus community members. Penn State’s Center for Spiritual and Ethical Development also offers a labyrinth walk, a nondenominational meditative practice that encourages reflection by walking through a maze.

• Supporting student organizations focused on spiritual education and practice can build community and students’ feelings of belonging. Interfaith groups, particularly, can help students learn more about different faith traditions and find their own beliefs. 
• Facilitating discussion spaces on campus related to faith and spiritual practices. Harvard University’s Kirkland House has a spiritual wellness tutor who, during the 2022–23 academic year, hosted weekly discussions over tea, which prompted students to share their values and discuss how religion forms identity and what it means to be religious or spiritual.
• Offering residential programming around spirituality. The College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts offers wellness-focused living-learning communities on campus, which teach students social, emotional and spiritual well-being practices.  

• Providing spiritual counseling or pastoral care. Sometimes, students are seeking answers to questions that can’t be addressed by academic or career counseling. Spiritual life advisers, whether formal chaplains or mentors, can support this dimension of wellness. Davidson College offers pastoral counseling to any member of the college, regardless of their religious tradition or background.
• Distributing wellness guides that focus on the dimensions of well-being. The University of Michigan’s Student Life office created a digital guide for student organization leaders relating to spiritual wellness, including activities and resources to foster a healthy spiritual lifestyle.  

Do you have a wellness tip that might help others encourage student success? Tell us about it.