Spiritual support and psychological well-being: older adults' perceptions of the religion and health connection.

CONTEXT

A growing body of literature suggests that religion and spirituality can help older adults to maintain and recover both physical and mental health.

OBJECTIVE

To better understand how older adults perceive the role played by religious belief and activity in maintaining and recovering health and to explore the hypothesis that spiritual support contributes to increased sense of coherence and enhanced psychological well-being.

DESIGN

Qualitative research (i.e., focus groups and interviews).

SETTING

Two continuing care retirement communities.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 41 male and female residents aged 66 to 92 years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Concepts were identified and tracked, leading to hypothesis generation and theory refinement.

RESULTS

Most of the older adults in this study believed that a higher power (i.e., God) supports them constantly, protecting, guiding, teaching, helping, and healing. They believe that prayer can heal both physical and mental illness, if it is God's will to do so. God is perceived to work through the mundane world (e.g., through physicians, medicine, loving friends, and helpful strangers). Many expressed the belief that having a relationship with God forms the foundation of their psychological well-being.

CONCLUSION

These preliminary findings suggest that religious belief may have a significant influence on the psychological well-being of older adults, and that the subjective experience of spiritual support may form the core of the spirituality-health connection.