Islamic Religious Coping and Mental Health Resilience Among Health Students in the Digital Era

Abstract

Health students, particularly final-semester students completing their thesis, often experience academic pressure, chronic stress, and emotional fatigue. In the digital era, academic demands combined with intensive social media exposure create additional psychological challenges that may affect students’ mental well-being. This study aims to explore the role of Islamic religious coping in strengthening mental health resilience among health students at STIKes Bina Putera Banjar. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach involving five eighth-semester students from nursing, public health, and midwifery programs as key informants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observation, documentation, and supported by relevant literature. The findings indicate that Islamic spiritual practices such as shalat (prayer), dzikir (remembrance of God), doa (supplication), and Quranic recitation were perceived to support emotional regulation and psychological resilience in dealing with academic stress. Islamic values including tawakal (trust in God), ikhtiar (persistent effort), sabar (patience), and the Quranic principle “inna ma’al ‘usri yusra” (with hardship comes ease) contributed to students’ coping processes and motivational resilience. Furthermore, digital technology demonstrated a dual impact: excessive social media exposure increased psychological pressure, while purposeful digital engagement supported academic productivity and spiritual reinforcement. These findings highlight the potential contribution of Islamic psycho-spiritual approaches in supporting student mental health and resilience within health higher education settings.