A Cross-sectional Analysis of Spirituality and Mental Health among Elderly in Lucknow City

Abstract

Background: Spirituality is the recognition of sense or belief or a feeling which grants an individual the meaning of life. It is a state of mind, heart, and soul that is unified and about personal, subjective experiences that are sometimes shared with others. The presence and practice of spirituality has had salient effects on individuals’ physical and mental health.

Objective: This study was conducted with the objective to assess the spirituality of the elderly and its relation with mental health status of elderly people.

Method: This research investigated 200 elderlies aged 60 years and above distributed equally over gender living in urban and rural areas. A self-structured socio-demographic profile sheet, Spiritual Experience Index- Revised (SEI-R) scale used to assess spirituality in elderly and Positive Mental Health (PMH) scale for the assessment of mental health was used. The analysis was done using mean, SD, t-test, ANOVA and correlation.

Results: Results demonstrated that spirituality affected the mental health of elderly; it was found that the major proportion (39%) of the elderly were dogmatic which is characterized by a person's establishment of a faith and identification with its principles and teachings. Findings also suggests that spirituality and mental health varied significantly across older persons in different age ranges and had no effect on gender, highlighting the importance of considering age-related factors when examining the mental health and spirituality of the elderly population. The SEI-R total score exhibits a weak positive correlation with mental health scores (r=.217, p<.01), underscoring the tight connection between an individual's overall spirituality and their mental health status.

Discussion: The study highlights the potential role of spirituality as a coping mechanism and source of strength for older adults, particularly in the face of challenges associated with aging. Higher spirituality correlated with better mental health scores. Spirituality and mental health varied significantly across different age groups of the elderly. No substantial gender differences were found in spirituality or mental health.