When "staying connected" means nothing more than being able to get on the Internet, personal relationships suffer. Depression, anxiety and other problems take hold, studies show, especially in kids and teens who don't have healthy, face-to-face relationships.

Mary K. RadpourOne solution to help people establish emotional and spiritual connections with others is to make them part of what the Institute for American Values calls an "authoritative community," says Mary K. Radpour, a Baha'i and licensed clinical social worker in Chattanooga, Tenn.

An authoritative community, according to the Institute, is a social institution that "includes children and youth . . . is warm and nurturing," has "a long-term focus . . . reflects and transmits a shared understanding of what it means to be a good person . . . is philosophically oriented to the equal dignity of all persons and to the principle of love of neighbor . . . and encourages spiritual and religious development."

"What the institute is describing is what we have in a Baha'i community," says Ms. Radpour, who attended the Baha'i Association of Mental Health Professionals' recent annual conference. Participants, naturally, focused on the spiritual side of mental health.

"The Baha'i attitude toward mental health is that illnesses of the mind and body don't have any effect on qualities of the soul," says Philippe Copeland, a conference participant and clinical social worker in Boston. "We try to honor the nobility of the soul, which infirmities of the mind don't affect."

Mr. Copeland agrees that a nurturing community where "broken people can heal, become happier and develop good relationships" is an antidote to disconnectedness. Baha'i communities - composed of individuals who strive to live according to the teachings of Baha'u'llah - offer the support and friendship to connect with both Baha'is and those who are not members of the Faith, often through activities such as devotional services, study circles and children's classes.

Baha'is also create communities to address specific groups and needs. For example, Mr. Copeland points to the Black Men's Gathering, which was founded more than 20 years ago by William Roberts, a Baha'i African-American psychotherapist and human resources consultant.

The Black Men's Gathering serves as a "safe space" for black males, who were, and continue to be, disenfranchised and considered an "endangered species," says Mr. Roberts, who also is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States. When members of the Black Men's Gathering get together, they share their experiences and strengthen their commitment to the Faith.

As Mr. Copeland affirms, "The nature of humans is spiritual. So for healing to happen, we have to tend to our spiritual nature. The soul is beloved by God, no matter its outer manifestations."