WELL-BEING AND DIGITAL MEDIA USAGE TO STRENGTHEN THE FAITH OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the emotional, spiritual, and social well-being of 1,036 German Seventh-day Adventists were analyzed;usage of the Church's digital media resources was also analyzed. This study found that older peoples' well-being was particularly high, and this group also benefited from digital media resources. The findings presented in this article may encourage Christian and non-Christian communities alike to further expand their digital media resources to provide helpful resources during the successive waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perceived Changes of Attitudes and Behaviors of Seventh-Day Adventists During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Survey in Germany.

To analyze which pandemic related changes of attitudes and behaviors were perceived by Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) and how these relate to wellbeing, a cross-sectional survey with standardized questionnaires was performed. Participants (n = 1,494) stated changes for Relationships, Digital media usage and Nature/Silence/Contemplation, but not for Spirituality or Reflection of life. Best predictors of psychological wellbeing (WHO-5) were Spiritual wellbeing, perceived Restrictions and Awe/Gratitude (R2 = .32). Mediation analyses (R2 = 0.51) revealed a mediation effect of Awe/Gratitude between spiritual to psychological wellbeing (ß = 0.11, p < 0.0001). Perceived changes were less relevant to buffer the negative effects of the pandemic; instead, they were related to fears of future. More relevant to stabilize SDAs´ wellbeing was their spirituality.