The Relationship Between Islamic Religious Commitment and Mental Health Among Students of the Faculty of Sharia at Bani Walid University

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationship between Islamic religious commitment and mental health among students at the Faculty of Sharia, Bani Waleed University, Libya. Specifically, it sought to identify statistically significant differences in mean levels of religious commitment and mental health attributed to gender and academic year variables. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, the study population consisted of 92 students, with a final sample of 61 participants (14 males and 47 females) selected through stratified random sampling. Two standardized instruments were utilized: the Religious Commitment Scale developed by Bakhita Mohammed (2015), comprising 23 validated items, and the Mental Health Scale developed by Abrina Al-Lafi (2013), comprising 89 items. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS, incorporating means, standard deviations, t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation. The findings revealed no statistically significant differences at the 0.05 level in Islamic religious commitment or mental health based on gender or academic year. Furthermore, the results indicated no statistically significant correlation between Islamic religious commitment and mental health among the study participants. These findings contribute to the ongoing scholarly discourse regarding the multifaceted interplay between religious practices and psychological well-being in the Libyan academic context. The study concludes with recommendations for future research to explore broader sociocultural variables that may influence these psychological constructs, suggesting that institutional programs for psychological support should be designed with a deeper understanding of these localized dynamics.