ABSTRACT
Background: Generation Z, or the age group born between 1997 and 2012, has grown up in an environment that has seen the rise of social unrest and the prevalence of academic and digital connectivity. This has led to concerns about stress, anxiety, loneliness, and emotional instability in students. The holistic tradition of Ayurveda has also discussed the role of spirituality in the context of mental health, and contemporary studies have looked at mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and prayer in the context of students. Objective: The objective is to discuss classical concepts related to spiritually informed mental care and to compile modern literature regarding the importance of spiritual and spiritually related interventions for the mental health and well-being of Generation Z youth. Methods: The PRISMA 2020 review framework is adopted for this study. Classical Ayurvedic concepts related to mental care, such as Sattvavajaya Chikitsa and Daivavyapasraya Chikitsa, were reviewed along with modern literature related to spiritual and related interventions for mental care and well-being from prominent online databases. Modern literature related to spiritual and related interventions for mental care and well-being among youth or students is reviewed for this study.
Results: Classical literature describes mental health as intimately intertwined with moral, cognitive, and spiritual control. Modern systematic reviews indicate that mindfulness- and meditation-based interventions might alleviate anxiety disorders, depression, stress, and sleep problems in university students. Overall religious and spiritual involvement might also be beneficial in terms of meaning-making, coping, and social connections. However, the body of evidence is diverse, spiritual interventions were less extensively examined than mindfulness- based interventions, and there is a lack of direct Generation Z-specific studies. Conclusion: Spiritual therapy, as a modality, seems to be conceptually consistent with classical health systems and clinically relevant as a supplementary intervention for the mental health of students. The most reasonable conclusion that can be made at the present time is that spiritually-based and contemplative practices might have some utility for the emotional management of students, but trials designed specifically for Generation Z, as a cultural cohort, are required to make strong clinical recommendations about its utility.
Keywords: Generation Z, spiritual therapy, mindfulness, meditation, prayer, Sattvavajaya Chikitsa.