THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF RELIGIOSITY, PERCEIVED BURDENSOMENESS AND POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM NIGERIAN UNDERGRADUATES

Abstract

Objective: Guided by Self-Determination Theory, the study investigated how religiosity predicts positive mental health and perceived burdensomeness, as well as the mediating role of burdensomeness in the religiosity–mental health pathway.

Method: A cross-sectional survey design was employed, involving 475 valid responses undergraduates online. Validated instruments including the Duke University Religion Index, Perceived Burdensomeness Scale, and the Positive Mental Health Scale were utilised. Data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate the measurement and structural models.

Results: Findings revealed that religiosity significantly predicted lower perceived burdensomeness (β = −0.135, p = 0.022) and higher positive mental health (β = 0.242, p < 0.001). Perceived burdensomeness showed a strong negative association with positive mental health (β = −0.393, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis confirmed that perceived burdensomeness partially mediates the relationship between religiosity and positive mental health (β = 0.053, p = 0.027), indicating that religious engagement enhances well-being directly and indirectly by reducing feelings of burden.

Discussion: These findings support SDT’s proposition that environments which enhance autonomy, competence, and relatedness promote well-being, while those that foster burden and isolation impede it. The study underscores the psychological protective value of healthy religious engagement and the central role of burdensomeness in the mental health experiences of Nigerian undergraduates. It recommends intentional campus-based strategies that leverage positive religious coping and address cognitive vulnerabilities linked to burdensomeness.

Keywords: Mental Health, Perceived Burdensomeness, University Students, Nigeria