Exploring Relationship Between Spiritual Intelligence, Religiosity and Life Satisfaction Among Elderly Pakistani Muslims

Personality, Religiosity and Satisfaction with Life in Young Muslim and Christian Women in Pakistan

This study investigated the relationship between personality traits, religiosity and satisfaction with life in young Muslim and Christian women. The current research involved a convenience sample (N = 200; Mage = 21.26) that was drawn from Kinnaird College for Women University Lahore, and Youhanabad Town Lahore, Pakistan. The Big Five Inventory, Centrality of Religiosity Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were administered. Results of correlation analysis demonstrated a significant positive relationship between 'conscientiousness' and 'religious ideology' among Muslim women, whereas 'openness' and 'agreeableness' were strongly associated with all the dimensions of religiosity in Christian women. Findings of hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated that extraversion and agreeableness significantly predicted life satisfaction among Muslim and Christian participants respectively. Religiosity did not contribute to life satisfaction among both groups. Results of independent sample t-test showed that Christian women reported significantly higher degrees of extraversion and life satisfaction as compared to Muslim women who in contrast reported significantly higher level of agreeableness, neuroticism, and public religious practice. The findings are discussed in the context of gender, religion, culture and mental health.

Resilience and spirituality mediate anxiety and life satisfaction in chronically Ill older adults

BACKGROUND

Spirituality and psychological resilience can be considered as a protective factor for coping with anxiety in geriatric populations. The aim of the study was to investigate the structural model related to the mediating role of spirituality and psychological resilience in predicting the relationship between anxiety and life satisfaction in older adults with chronic illness.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, one hundred patients over sixty years of age from one university hospital were selected by convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Spiritual Health Scale, the Anxiety Module of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Life Satisfaction Scale, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) structure modeling.

RESULTS

There was a positive and significant relationship between resilience, spirituality and life satisfaction of the samples. The structural model showed that spirituality, and psychological resilience mediated in the relationship between anxiety and life satisfaction directly and in indirectly in the older people with chronic disease, explaining approximately 34% of the variance in life satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that spirituality and psychological resilience can help older adults with chronic illness to negate the impact of anxiety on satisfaction, with the effect of spirituality being stronger than resilience in this relationship.

Relationship between spiritual intelligence and lifestyle with life satisfaction among students of medical sciences

BACKGROUND

Young people are the main resources of any country and entering university is considered a sensitive period in their lives. Satisfaction with life is one of the indicators of successful adaptation to life. Lifestyle and spiritual intelligence can complement and give meaning to this variable. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between spiritual intelligence and lifestyle with life satisfaction in students of Medical Sciences.

METHODS

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted among the students of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in 2017. One hundred thirty-nine students were included in this study. Data collection tools were the King's spiritual intelligence scale, Miller-Smith lifestyle assessment inventory, satisfaction with life scale (Diener), and demographic information checklist. To analyze the data, descriptive and analytical tests such as independent T-test and one-way analysis of variance and SPSS version 22 software were used. The significance level of all tests was considered less than or equal to 0.05.

FINDINGS

In the present study, 108 were women and the rest were men. 49.6% of students were under twenty years old. The results of this research showed that there is a significant negative relationship between lifestyle and life satisfaction (r = -.33) and a significant positive relationship between spiritual intelligence and life satisfaction (r = .27) (p < 0.05). The mean scores of students in life satisfaction were 22.49 ± 5.92, lifestyle was 49.15 ± 8.35, and spiritual intelligence was 51.59 ± 11.43.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the present study showed the important role of spiritual intelligence and lifestyle in students' life satisfaction. These findings can be used by administrators and policymakers in formulating interventions and providing a suitable context to improve students' life satisfaction.

Religiosity/Spirituality and Mental Health in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Objectives

The present study investigated the association between religious and spiritual (RS) practices with the prevalence, severity, and incidence of mental health problems in older adults.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that investigated older adults aged 60+ years and assessed RS using valid scales and questions from valid scales, and mental health according to validated multidimensional or specific instruments. Studies were retrieved from MEDLINE, LILACS, SCOPUS, CINAHL, and AgeLine databases until July 31, 2021. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS). A pooled effect size was calculated based on the log odds ratio (OR) and Z-scores. This study is registered on PROSPERO.

Results

One hundred and two studies that investigated 79.918 community-dwellers, hospitalized, and institutionalized older adults were included. Results indicated that high RS was negatively associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms, while a positive association was observed with life satisfaction, meaning in life, social relations, and psychological well-being. Specifically, people with high spirituality, intrinsic religiosity, and religious affiliation had a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms. In relation to longitudinal analysis, most studies supported that high RS levels were associated with a lower incidence of depressive symptoms and fear of death, as well as better mental health status.

Conclusion

Findings of the present study suggest that RS are significantly associated with mental health in older adults. People with high RS levels had a lower prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as reported greater life satisfaction and psychological well-being, better social relations, and more definite meaning in life. Data provided by an increasing number of longitudinal studies have supported most of these findings.

The Meaning and Role of Spirituality for Older Adults: A Qualitative Study

This study is designed to identify the meaning and effects perceived by a person concerning religion and spirituality as that person grows old. A total of nineteen adults aged 65-88, five of whom were male and fourteen of whom were female, participated in semistructured interviews. As per the results of the thematic analysis, four main themes emerged: the meaning of spirituality, spiritual practices, the effect of spirituality and the meaning of growing old for the person. The results indicate that the participants view the entrance into old-age adulthood as a process that enhances interactions with others and intensifies help and compassion. The results also indicate that spirituality may play a crucial role in guiding older adults' lives and can help them clarify the meaning of their lives and cope with negative circumstances. Supporting older adults spiritually could also assist them to have positive emotions and help them to cope with stress. The organization of regular education programs to raise health professionals' awareness of spiritual needs is recommended.

Exploring stress coping strategies of frontline emergency health workers dealing Covid-19 in Pakistan: A qualitative inquiry

Background

The COVID-19 outbreak has gravely impacted the physical and psychological health of people. As the outbreak is ongoing, it is crucial to equip the emergency healthcare workers (HCWs) to be medically and psychologically prepared.

Objective

To examine the psychological impact of COVID-19 on emergency HCWs and to understand how they are dealing with COVID-19 pandemic, their stress coping strategies or protective factors, and challenges while dealing with COVID-19 patients.

Methods

Using a framework thematic analysis approach, 15 frontline emergency HCWs directly dealing with COVID-19 patients from April 2, 2020 to April 25, 2020. The semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face or by telephone. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Findings highlighted first major theme of stress coping, including, limiting media exposure, limited sharing of Covid-19 duty details, religious coping, just another emergency approach, altruism, and second major theme of Challenges includes, psychological response and noncompliance of public/denial by religious scholar.

Conclusions

Participants practiced and recommended various coping strategies to deal with stress and anxiety emerging from COVID-19 pandemic. Media was reported to be a principal source of raising stress and anxiety among the public. Religious coping as well as their passion to serve humanity and country were the commonly employed coping strategies.

Does Spiritual Intelligence (SI) Exist? A Theoretical Investigation of a Tool Useful for Finding the Meaning of Life

For years, spirituality and finding the meaning of life have been considered essential phenomena in the context of human existence. Zohar introduced the term spiritual intelligence (SI) in 1997, and since that time researchers have been seeking to clarify the concept. Emmons (The psychology of ultimate concerns. Guilford Press, New York, 1999) suggested that SI serves as a potentially significant construct to expand our understanding of the psychological determinants of human functioning. In recent years, several efforts to conceptualize and measure this construct have joined the body of related literature, of which King (Brighter paths to wellbeing: an integrative model of human intelligence and health. Trent University Centre for Health Studies Showcase, pp 12-13, 2008) serves as one notable example. Following, evaluating, and summarizing the theoretical debate regarding the validity of a concept, as it is presented in the literature, has long been understood as a helpful way of extending scholarly dialogue. In this project, I review psychological literature relevant to the debate on the validity of SI as a psychological construct. The literature offers many examples that demonstrate a relation between SI and other phenomena that are important for human functioning-well-being in this. Results of the analysis support theoretical considerations for viewing SI as facilitating the ability to search for the meaning of life and provide directions for future study.

The satisfaction with life scale: Psychometric properties in Pakistani population

Background: The construct of satisfaction with life has been studied across various cultures through the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) has been validated across several populations and languages. There are no published psychometric properties of its Urdu version. Hence, the aim of this study was to ascertain the psychometric properties of the Urdu version of the SWLS among the Urdu speaking population of Pakistan.

Methods: The SWLS has already been translated into Urdu, and the Urdu version is available on the author’s website however there is no information about its psychometric properties. To establish the psychometric properties especially the factor structure of the already translated Urdu SWLS, the SWLS-Urdu was administered to Urdu speaking population residing in Pakistan. The statistical analyses (i.e., normality through skewness and kurtosis, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett’s test of sphericity, and test and re-test reliability) were conducted through SPSS version 25.0. Structure Equation Modelling via maximum likelihood method of estimation was used to perform confirmatory factor analysis on the data using AMOS 20.0. The significance level was set at p < 0.05.

Results: The study was completed by recruiting 120 participants from different universities in Lahore, Pakistan. The sample was equally divided between male and female participants. The mean age of participants was 22.7(3.6) years. Test of the adequacy of the sample through Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin showed KMO=0.88 and Bartlett’s test of sphericity (p<0.001). The Cronbach’s alpha reliability of the scale was 0.90 and Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed a one-factor model as a good fit with strong statistical evidence. No factorial group variances were noticed in male and female participants.

Conclusion: This study shows that Urdu SWLS has sound psychometric properties, is linguistically and culturally acceptable, and equally useful in assessing satisfaction with life in the Urdu speaking population.

The association between religious orientation and life satisfaction in older adults living with morbidity and multimorbidity: a gender perspective in Malaysia

BACKGROUND

Little is known about gender differences in the relationship between religious orientation and life satisfaction in older adults living with chronic disease(s). Therefore, the purpose of this article was to examine the moderating effect of gender on the association between religious orientation and life satisfaction in older adults living with morbidity and multimorbidity.

METHODS

The study involved 1790 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 and above living with at least one chronic medical condition. The Satisfaction with Life Scale and Revised Intrinsic/Extrinsic Religious Orientation Scale were used to measure life satisfaction and religious orientation. Moderated hierarchical multiple regression was used to test the moderation effect.

RESULTS

Results showed that while intrinsic religiosity was positively associated with life satisfaction, extrinsic religiosity was found to have a negative relationship with life satisfaction. Gender moderated the association between intrinsic religiosity and life satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggested that the positive impact of intrinsic religiosity on life satisfaction was stronger in older women living with morbidity and multimorbidity. Healthcare practitioners can help disadvantaged older women in identifying their religious values and practices to improve their subjective wellbeing.

A study on the relationship between perceptions of successful aging and life satisfaction of Turkish elderly people

PURPOSE

In the current study, the relationship between perceptions of successful aging and the life satisfaction of Turkish elderly people was investigated.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 561 elderly people at a public hospital.

FINDINGS

The mean scores of the participating elderly people obtained from the Successful Aging Scale (54.34 ± 11.55) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (3.46 ± 1.01) were high, and there was a significant positive correlation (r = 0.305) between them.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Activities to ensure successful aging in elderly people, such as training and awareness-raising, may increase their life satisfaction.