The spiritual underpinnings of emerging adult resilience amidst COVID-19 stressors and community disadvantage

Abstract

My study is a sub-study of the project titled: “The multisystemic sources of human resilience to COVID-19-related stress: Learning from emerging adults in India and South Africa project”. This study aimed to investigate the personal, social, structural, and ecological resources associated with emerging adult resilience to COVID-19-related stress, as reported by a sample of Indian and South African emerging adults from disadvantaged communities. The purpose of my study of limited scope was to explore how spirituality as part of African ways of being and doing supported the resilience of emerging adults challenged by structural disadvantage and COVID-19 stress in South Africa. Following the Social-Ecological Theory of Resilience (which frames my study), I define resilience as the capacity to function well despite being exposed to challenges that are significant enough to impair functioning and disturb development. I used a qualitative approach and followed a phenomenological research design to achieve this purpose. The study involved 293 emerging adults (aged 18 to 29) from disadvantaged communities in Gauteng who had experienced COVID-19-related stress. Out of the 293 participants, 98 reported having spiritual resources. The data was generated by the participants using the Draw-and-Write methodology. I used reflexive thematic analysis to analyse the data. I found that spirituality provided comfort, encouraged grit and inspired hope for a better future. My study addresses the lack of attention given to spiritual resources of resilience, particularly among African emerging adults in disadvantaged communities.