Reconstructing University Student Mental Health Via Dakwah Psychology: A Phenomenological Analysis and Tazkiyat An-Nafs Intervention

Abstract

The escalating psychiatric morbidity among university students has necessitated a critical re-evaluation of existing therapeutic interventions. This study utilizes a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore the subjective stress experiences of 129 university students and proposes a holistic intervention framework based on Dakwah Psychology (Psikologi Dakwah). Through rigorous thematic analysis, the findings uncover nine critical stressors clustered into three crisis domains: Firstly: Risky Behavior & Physiological, specifically the functional abuse of synthetic drugs as a maladaptive survival mechanism for academic performance; Secondly: Psychosocial Dysfunction, characterized by family instability, toxic peer dynamics, and social isolation; and thierdly: Cognitive Pressure, stemming from academic overload, financial anxiety, and a lack of prioritization skills. The study diagnoses these external symptoms as manifestations of a deeper "Crisis of Meaning" rooted in a "Spiritual Void" and the dominance of the lower self (Nafs al-Ammārah). To address this, a comprehensive intervention model rooted in Tazkiyat an-Nafs (Soul Purification) is proposed. This framework integrates clinical approaches with spiritual mechanisms—including Taubat Nasuha for cognitive reframing, Zikir therapy for neuro-spiritual regulation, Usrah support systems for social healing, and the application of Fiqh Awlawiyat and Tawakkul for anxiety management. The study concludes that integrating this psychospiritual module into higher education is an urgent imperative to produce graduates who are not only intellectually competent but spiritually resilient, thereby safeguarding the future generation from total psychological collapse.