Meditation, crystal therapy, self-help books - think they're making you happier? Think again. A Brisbane academic has found a strong link between new-age spirituality and poor mental health in young people.Rosemary Aird examined a possible correlation between new forms of spirituality and mental health as part of her University of Queensland PhD studies. After surveying more than 3700 Brisbane-based 21-year-olds, she found spirituality and self-focused religions may undermine a person's mental health.
"I had a look at two different beliefs - one was a belief in God, associated with traditional religions, and the other was the newer belief in a spiritual or higher power other than God," Dr Aird said.
The research found non-traditional belief was linked with higher rates of anxiety, depression, disturbed and suspicious ways of thinking and anti-social behaviour.
New-age beliefs promote the idea of self-transformation, self-fulfilment and self-enlightenment, which could see many people excluded from a community environment, she said. "Traditional religion tends to promote the idea of social responsibility and thinking of others' interests, whereas the new-age movement pushes the idea that we can transform the world by changing ourselves. The downside is that people are very much on their own and not part of a community, which may lead to a kind of isolation."
Young people with new-age beliefs were twice as likely to be more anxious and depressed than those with traditional beliefs, the research found...
