The survey of 3,705 people aged 21-years-old in Brisbane indicated New Age religions focus on self fulfilment and improvement of oneself over others' wellbeing could undermine a person's mental health with many people feeling more isolated, less healthy and having poorer relationships, the report found.
Young men who held non-traditional religious views were at twice the risk of being more anxious and depressed than those with traditional beliefs. She said individualism was the common thread in the shift away from traditional religious thoughts to non-religious spirituality.
The PhD graduate from the University of Queensland, Dr Rosemary Aird, said a contradiction existed in New Age religions because they pushed the idea of changing the world but the fundamental tenant of it was transforming yourself.
"My generation was about social responsibility and collective interests compared to the Me Generation," Dr Aird said. "New Spirituality promotes the idea that self-transformation will lead to a positive and constructive change in self and society. "
"But there is a contradiction â€" how can one change society if one is focused on oneself?"
Talking to a Fairfax publication, she said the failure to grasp the tradition meant confusion would set in because there was no fundamental basic thing to hang on to. Instead of adhering to the basic thing, young people kept changing or mixed their religious preferences frequently thus ensuring they were cast adrift.
"It's a whole mish-mash and changes all the time, where they'll do something for a while before doing something else," she said. "This lack of routine and stability caused by constantly jumping from one fad to another could lead to a "real confusion."
"If there's no sense of any kind of tradition, it means you're kind of cast adrift and means there's no fundamental basic thing to hang on to."
Dr Rosemary Aird said her research was the first in Australia to examine young adults' religious and spiritual thoughts, behaviour and feelings.