Exploring Religion as a Path to Meaning: The Role of "Pastrotherapy" in Supporting Young People's Quest for a Good Life in Nigeria

This paper examines suicide prevalence among Nigerian youth struggling to find meaning in life. Frustrated by unattainable ideals, they experience despair. The study explores religion's role in providing support for meaning-seeking individuals. Utilizing an explorative approach, the paper highl...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Nwafor, Collins Ikeokwu (Author) ; Vandenhoeck, Anne (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Springer Science + Business Media B. V. 2024
In: Journal of religion and health
Year: 2024, Volume: 63, Issue: 3, Pages: 1967-1984
Further subjects:B Nigerian youth
B Pastoral Care
B Pastor
B Chaplain
B Pastoral caregiver
B Religion
B suicide prevention
B Pastrotherapy
B Suicide
B meaning in life
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:This paper examines suicide prevalence among Nigerian youth struggling to find meaning in life. Frustrated by unattainable ideals, they experience despair. The study explores religion's role in providing support for meaning-seeking individuals. Utilizing an explorative approach, the paper highlights how religion can play a role in offering solidarity, morality, and hope as vital resources for creating a meaningful life. It introduces "Pastrotherapy" as a pastoral care approach to addressing existential questions. Findings emphasize the importance of religious communities and leaders in promoting resilience and addressing underlying causes of despair. This study reveals how religious beliefs and practices support Nigerian youth facing existential challenges, shedding light on the intersection of religion, meaning-making, and mental health.
ISSN:1573-6571
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religion and health
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/s10943-023-01979-1