Spirituality, Mental Health, and the Digital Age in Nigeria

The link between digital technology, spirituality, and mental health needs deeper scholarly exploration, especially in Nigeria. Spirituality, mental health, and digital technology are increasingly interconnected, shaping how people find meaning and cope with life. While most studies focus on the technical benefits of digital tools, little attention is given to how spirituality and mental health influence the digital age, a gap this desk-based study seeks to address. The paper aims to examine how spirituality and mental well-being shape the digital age in Nigeria’s Christian, Islamic, and indigenous communities, guided by Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy, which emphasises the human search for meaning during psychological or existential struggles, especially in spirituality and mental health. However, the findings show that spirituality and mental health strengthen digital tools for coping and building emotional resilience, which also risk commodifying sacred practices, leading to five key recommendations: i) religious leaders should promote digital literacy for ethical use of faith-based technology; ii) app, developers should design inclusive spiritual apps for broader access, especially, on mental health; iii) faith groups and mental health experts should link wellness tools with spiritual care; and iv) policymakers and designers should set ethical AI standards to protect beliefs; and v) Scholars should encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration for better digital mental health. Conclusively, this paper argues that spirituality and mental well-being can shape and enhance the use of digital technologies in Nigeria’s religious communities, provided they are guided ethically and culturally to prevent commodifying sacred practices and support holistic digital health.