The COVID-19 pandemic infection control measures severely impacted mental well-being, allowing insight into possible protective parameters. With religion playing a role during challenging times, this study investigated theism and religiosity on the mental well-being of university students during the COVID19 pandemic and how social support and resilience can mediate this effect. One hundred eighty-five university students between 17 and 42 years old responded to online surveys on their theism, religious affiliations, religiosity, well-being, perceived support, and resilience. Pearson’s correlations and single and sequential mediation analyses showed that theism did not significantly predict well-being (r = 0.049), but religiosity mediated the relationship (r = 0.432, effect size = 0.187). Sequential mediation analysis showed that resilience did not mediate the relationship between religiosity and well-being, but perceived social support significantly positively mediated religiosity and well-being with an effect size of 0.079. The findings reveal that factors, such as religiosity and social support could thus aid in the mental well-being of future challenging times such as the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic infection control measures had severely impacted mental well-being providing an insight into possible protective parameters. With religion always playing a role during challenging times, this study investigated the effects of beliefs on the supernatural and religiosity on the mental well-being of university students during the COVID19 pandemic and how social support and resilience can mitigate this effect. 185 university students aged between 17 to 42 years old responded to online surveys on their theistic beliefs, religiosity, well-being, perceived support, and resilience. Pearson’s correlations and single and sequential mediation analyses showed that theistic beliefs did not significantly predict well-being (r = .05) while religiosity mediated the relationship (r = .18, effect size = .035). Sequential mediation analysis showed that resilience and perceived social support did not mediate the relationship between religiosity and well-being. Perceived social support alone significantly mediated religiosity and well-being with an effect size of .039. Religiosity was found to be a mediator and both resilience, while perceived social support was non-significantly positively associated with well-being. Analysing the open-ended questions on the students’ beliefs in the supernatural and paranormal, as well as the impact of the pandemic restrictions on their interests, insights where the majority of them did not attribute supernatural causes to the pandemic were garnered. In line with previous studies during the pandemic, the students also reported having too little social interaction and too much time with family to affect them negatively. The findings reveal how several factors were associated with well-being as well as the relationship between religiosity and well-being that may aid in the mental well-being of future challenging times.