{"id":3954,"date":"2024-09-27T09:26:20","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T13:26:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/?p=3954"},"modified":"2024-09-26T14:26:53","modified_gmt":"2024-09-26T18:26:53","slug":"bible-greatly-reduces-anxiety-new-sotb-study-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/2024\/09\/27\/bible-greatly-reduces-anxiety-new-sotb-study-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Bible Greatly Reduces Anxiety \u2013 New SOTB Research Says"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_4008\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4008\" style=\"width: 780px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4008\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/452\/2024\/09\/people-2594785_1280.jpg\" alt=\"A young person holding a bible.\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4008\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">New findings show that engagement with the Bible greatly reduces anxiety in Gen Zers and others. Image by <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/users\/stocksnap-894430\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=2594785\">StockSnap<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=2594785\">Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>America\u2019s youngest adults \u2013 known as Gen Z \u2013 are struggling with fear, anxiety, poor self-esteem and lack of peer support. People ages 18-27 years old grapple with these issues more than older generations, according to new\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/sotb.research.bible\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">State of the Bible<\/a><\/em> research. However the new findings also show that engagement with the Bible greatly reduces anxiety in Gen Zers and others.<\/p>\n<p>The American Bible Society introduced annual <em>State of the Bible<\/em> reports in 2011. The research looks at Americans\u2019 relationships with God, faith and Scripture. The latest findings appear in chapter six, <em>Gen Z \u2013 Hope and Challenge, <\/em>of the 2004 <em><a href=\"https:\/\/sotb.research.bible\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">State of the Bible study<\/a><\/em> report.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Struggling with Anxiety<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Nineteen percent of Gen Z adults reported having mental health problems, as did 7 percent of older Americans, noted John Farquhar Plake, the American Bible Society\u2019s chief innovation officer and editor-in-chief of the annual <em>State of the Bible <\/em>reports.<\/p>\n<p>America\u2019s youngest adults are \u201creally struggling with their emotional and mental health,\u201d he added. Gen Z adults \u201chave about twice the level of clinical anxiety symptoms\u201d as older adults and may experience:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Difficulty sleeping<\/li>\n<li>Trouble concentrating<\/li>\n<li>Restlessness<\/li>\n<li>Uneasiness<\/li>\n<li>Apprehensiveness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Sources of Anxiety<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Gen Z adults scored the highest anxiety levels among Americans. However, anxiety decreased in each succeeding generation, and baby boomers scored only half the anxiety of Generation Z.<\/p>\n<p>One major reason for Gen Z\u2019s anxiety is the fact that this generation spends a great deal of time on computers, Plake said. Another is the dramatic social changes that occurred during the Covid pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Plake explained that most scholars blame \u201cthe fact that (Gen Z adults) grew up with screens in their face rather than interacting one on one with others and working out their challenges and their difficulties in face-to-face relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gen Z also uses smartphones and other digital technology much more than older Americans. Their childhoods were \u201crewired,\u201d leading to greater anxiety, depression and fragility, according to social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt\u2026 \u201cchildren are, in a sense, deprived of childhood.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Major Fears<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Major fears of the Gen Z group include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Grief and loss<\/li>\n<li>Family stress or trauma<\/li>\n<li>Financial stress or hardship<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cThese are not hypothetical fears,\u201d the report noted. \u201c\u2026more than half of respondents across the generations have been exposed to trauma. Just under half of every generation has experienced grief or loss in the past year\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe level of fear reported by the youngest generation is substantial, and higher than that of any other generation. About three in 10 are extremely fearful regarding each of these matters, and 45 percent of study participants are moderately fearful,\u201d chapter six of the report said<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s worth noting that financial stress or hardship is the most common fear of the highest-earning generation in our survey.\u201d To learn more, download the <em>State of the Bible <\/em>2024 report<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sotb.research.bible\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Other Significant Fears<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>But Generation Z&#8217;s fears don\u2019t end there. This generation also fears\u2026.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Physical assault (15 percent)<\/li>\n<li>Sexual assault (17 percent)<\/li>\n<li>Verbal attacks or bullying (12 percent)<\/li>\n<li>Racism, bigotry and discrimination (tied with millennials at 12 percent)<\/li>\n<li>Hostility from people they have offended (10 percent)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Women were more fearful than men on these issues. Some 50 percent said they were moderately or extremely fearful of physical assault as compared to 19 percent of men, the report noted. The greatest difference between the sexes was sexual assault.<\/p>\n<p>Gen Z adults also were more likely to have extreme fears of war, civil unrest and mass shootings than other generations, while more millennials fear the effects of global warming. Three out of four people ages 60 or older said they are moderately or extremely afraid of war or civil unrest, <a href=\"https:\/\/sotb.research.bible\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the report said.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Bible Greatly Reduces Anxiety\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The study noted a major difference between Gen Z adults who read and applied the Bible to their lives and those who didn\u2019t. \u201cWe see the Bible promoting trust and prayer as powerful responses to anxiety,&#8221; the report said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, do people who engage with Scripture report less anxiety? Yes, and the difference is stunning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Engaging with the Bible greatly reduces anxiety.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThroughout all generations, but especially among Generation Z, scripture engagement is associated with lower anxiety levels. When Gen Zers engage with Scripture, their levels of anxiety are comparable to those of baby boomers and older,\u201d according to Plake.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s something that happens when we begin to hear God speaking to us through His word that takes all of the anxieties and quiets them,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Self-Acceptance<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Researchers asked all participants whether they were comfortable with \u201cwho I have become.\u201d Fifty-five percent said the statement was \u201cvery true,\u201d 37 percent said it was \u201cmoderately true\u201d and 8 percent said it was \u201cminimally true.\u201d Older people had the highest scores, and Gen Z adults had the lowest.<\/p>\n<p>Participants also were asked whether they agreed with the statement, \u201cI feel affirmed by my peers.\u201d Forty-three percent said it was \u201cvery true,\u201d 47 percent said it was \u201cmoderately true\u201d and 9 percent said it was \u201cminimally true.\u201d Again, Gen Zers had the lowest ranking.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe lower score from the youngest generation may reflect high expectations, bullying, cliques, and the often-difficult dynamics of social media,\u201d the study surmised.<\/p>\n<p>Not surprisingly, people with the highest levels of self-acceptance and peer affirmation had the lowest levels of anxiety.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Trauma<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Researchers asked participants whether they had ever experienced or witnessed \u201cphysical, psychological or emotional trauma\u201d that caused \u201cdeep suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thirty-seven percent said they had personally experienced trauma, 21 percent said they had witnessed a family member\u2019s trauma, and 16 percent said they had witnessed someone else\u2019s trauma.<\/p>\n<p>The Gen X group encountered the most trauma and baby boomers, the least. About half of all participants said they sometimes feel the effects of trauma, while 16 percent said they never suffered side effects and 9 percent said they always did. Side effects included:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nightmares<\/li>\n<li>Sleeplessness<\/li>\n<li>Flashbacks<\/li>\n<li>Panic attacks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Hypothetical Help<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Fifty-seven percent of participants said they would seek professional counseling after trauma. Thirty-four percent indicated they would talk to a trusted family member, 24 percent said they would turn to a church or faith community, and 35 percent pointed to the internet for help.<\/p>\n<p>And although engaging with the Bible greatly reduces anxiety, Gen Z adults were the least likely group to seek help from a church or faith community or talk to a professional counselor. They were most likely to talk to a trusted family member or turn to social media for help.<\/p>\n<p>Hypothetical help aside, about a quarter of Gen X, Gen Z and millennials said they have seen a mental health professional within the last year. Only 12 percent of baby boomers said they had done so.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Spiritual Well-being\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Research consistently shows that Scripture Engagement makes a \u201chuge\u201d difference in mental health. People who engage with the Bible score significantly higher\u00a0on self-acceptance and significantly lower on anxiety.<\/p>\n<p>And although engaging with the Bible improves mental health, the report emphasized that it isn\u2019t a quick fix.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe still feel the pain of loss, the after-effects of trauma, and uncertainty about the future,\u201d it noted. But through Scripture engagement, \u201cwe find hope in our connection with a God who loves to help and heal.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What\u2019s Next?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The American Bible Society will release the last three chapters of this year\u2019s <strong><em>State of the Bible <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sotb.research.bible\/\">https:\/\/sotb.research.bible\/<\/a> report in October, November and December. The topics will be:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The \u201cNones\u201d and the \u201cNominals\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Loneliness and the Bible<\/li>\n<li>Philanthropy and more\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>State of the Bible <\/em>findings are based on a nationally representative survey performed by NORC at the University of Chicago for the American Bible Society. \u201cThe data came from 2,506 online interviews with American adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia,\u201d the society said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>America\u2019s youngest adults \u2013 known as Gen Z \u2013 are struggling with fear, anxiety, poor self-esteem and lack of peer support. People ages 18-27 years old grapple with these issues more than older generations, according to new\u00a0State of the Bible research. However the new findings also show that engagement with the Bible greatly reduces anxiety&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":689,"featured_media":4008,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1248,1095,1245,1242],"class_list":["post-3954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bible-and-anxiety","tag-gen-z-and-bible","tag-gen-z-anxiety","tag-gen-z-struggles"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Bible Greatly Reduces Anxiety \u2013 New SOTB Research Says<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"According to new\u00a0State of the Bible\u00a0research.... engagement with the Bible greatly reduces anxiety in Gen Zers and others.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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New stories updated daily from a Christian perspective.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/#\/schema\/person\/577a2d1deda468588785cdff5af64cd7","name":"Ginny Baxter","description":"Ginny Baxter is a former journalist and public relations professional whose passion is writing. A graduate of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, Ginny majored in English with a focus on journalism. She later studied public relations at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She comes from a Christian family and has been an active church member since childhood. You can read her Patheos column Woman to Woman here.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/author\/ginnybaxter\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/689"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3954"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3954\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4134,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3954\/revisions\/4134"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/latestnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}