SEARCHCROSS-SECTIONALpsychiatry, public health

cross-sectional·psychiatry, public health, epidemiology, observational study·PMC10568400

A Spiritual Self-Care Mobile App (Skylight) for Mental Health, Sleep, and Spiritual Well-Being Among Generation Z and Young Millennials: Cross-Sectional Survey

JMIR Formative Research · 5 authors, 2 centres

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TL;DR

This cross-sectional web survey assessed 475 adult Gen Z and young millennial users of the Skylight spiritual self-care app.

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This cross-sectional web survey assessed 475 adult Gen Z and young millennial users of the Skylight spiritual self-care app. Participants completed an anonymous survey covering demographics, spiritual self-care practices, app engagement and perceptions, and validated instruments for depression, anxiety, stress, sleep disturbance, and spiritual well-being. Mean scores indicated normal depression (6.9/21), borderline abnormal anxiety (7.7/21), slightly elevated stress (6.7/16), and nonclinically significant sleep disturbance (5.3/28). Linear regressions showed that moderate app use was associated with lower anxiety (β=−2.01, P=.02) and high app use with further reduced anxiety (β=−2.58, P<.001), but no significant associations were found for depression, stress, or sleep. A significant relationship was found between app use frequency and the personal domain of spiritual well-being. Limitations include the cross-sectional design, self-reported and categorical use data, and a predominantly White, female, educated sample, which limits generalizability.

STUDY TYPE

cross-sectional

SPECIALTY

psychiatry

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10568400

A Spiritual Self-Care Mobile App (Skylight) for Mental Health, Sleep, and Spiritual Well-Being Among Generation Z and Young Millennials: Cross-Sectional Survey

JMIR Formative Research

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ABSTRACT

Background Generation Z (Gen Z) and young millennials (GenZennials) (ages 18-35 years) are unique in that they either have no memory of or were born shortly after the internet “explosion.” They are constantly on the internet, face significant challenges with their mental health and sleep, and are frequent users of digital wellness apps. GenZennials also uniquely identify with and practice spirituality, which has been linked to better mental health and sleep in adult populations. Research has not examined digital approaches to spiritual self-care and its relationship to mental health and sleep in GenZennials. Objective The purpose of this study was to describe a sample of adult GenZennials who use a spiritual self-care app (ie, Skylight), describe how users engage with and perceive the app, and assess the relationship between frequency of using the app with mental health, sleep, and spiritual well-being. Methods Participants were 475 adult Gen Z (ages 18-28 years) and young millennial (ages 29-35 years) Skylight app users who responded to an anonymous survey on the web. The survey asked about demographics, spiritual self-care and practice, and user engagement and perceptions of the app. Outcome measures included 4 validated surveys for mental health (ie, depression, anxiety, and stress) and sleep disturbance, and one validated survey on spiritual well-being. Mean scores were calculated for all measures, and linear regressions were conducted to examine the relationship between the frequency of app use and mental health, sleep, and spiritual well-being outcomes. Results Participants were predominantly White (324/475, 68.2%) and female (255/475, 53.7%), and approximately half Gen Z (260/475, 54.5%) and half young millennials (215/475, 45.3%). Most users engaged in spiritual self-care (399/475, 84%) and said it was important or very important to them (437/475, 92%). Users downloaded the app for spiritual well-being (130/475, 30%) and overall health (125/475, 26.3%). Users had normal, average depressive symptoms (6.9/21), borderline abnormal anxiety levels (7.7/21), slightly elevated stress (6.7/16), and nonclinically significant sleep disturbance (5.3/28). Frequency of app use was significantly associated with lower anxiety (Moderate use: β=–2.01; P =.02; high use: β=–2.58; P <.001). There were no significant relationships between the frequency of app use and mental health, sleep, and spiritual well-being outcomes except for the personal domain of spiritual well-being. Conclusions This is the first study to describe a sample of adult GenZennials who use a spiritual self-care app and examine how the frequency of app use is related to their mental health, sleep, and spiritual well-being. Spiritual self-care apps like Skylight may be useful in addressing anxiety among GenZennials and be a resource to spiritually connect to their personal spiritual well-being. Future research is needed to determine how a spiritual self-care app may benefit mental health, sleep, and spiritual well-being in adult GenZennials.

CITATION EXPORT

Susanna Y Park, Jennifer Huberty, Jacqlyn Yourell et al.. A Spiritual Self-Care Mobile App (Skylight) for Mental Health, Sleep, and Spiritual Well-Being Among Generation Z and Young Millennials: Cross-Sectional Survey. JMIR Formative Research. (2023). https://doi.org/10.2196/50239

AUTHORS

5 · 2 CENTRES

Susanna Y Park, Jennifer Huberty, Jacqlyn Yourell, Kelsey L McAlister, Clare C Beatty

1 Skylight, Radiant Foundation Salt Lake City, UT United States
2 Fit Minded, Inc Phoenix, AZ United States

EDITOR / REVIEWER

Amaryllis Mavragani, Doreen Reifegerste