Mackenzie E R, Rajagopal D E, Meibohm M, Lavizzo-Mourey R
Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, USA.
Altern Ther Health Med. 2000 Nov;6(6):37-45.
A growing body of literature suggests that religion and spirituality can help older adults to maintain and recover both physical and mental health.
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.
Qualitative research (i.e., focus groups and interviews).
Two continuing care retirement communities.
A total of 41 male and female residents aged 66 to 92 years.
Concepts were identified and tracked, leading to hypothesis generation and theory refinement.
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.
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.
越来越多的文献表明，宗教和精神信仰有助于老年人保持和恢复身心健康。
更好地理解老年人如何看待宗教信仰和活动在保持和恢复健康中所起的作用，并探讨精神支持有助于增强连贯感和提高心理健康水平这一假设。
定性研究（即焦点小组和访谈）。
两个持续照料退休社区。
共41名年龄在66至92岁之间的男性和女性居民。
识别并追踪概念，从而生成假设并完善理论。
本研究中的大多数老年人认为，一种更高的力量（即上帝）一直在支持他们，保护、引导、教导、帮助和治愈他们。他们相信，如果这是上帝的旨意，祈祷可以治愈身体和精神疾病。人们认为上帝通过世俗世界发挥作用（例如通过医生、药物、慈爱的朋友和乐于助人的陌生人）。许多人表示，与上帝建立关系构成了他们心理健康的基础。
这些初步研究结果表明，宗教信仰可能对老年人的心理健康有重大影响，并且精神支持的主观体验可能构成精神与健康联系的核心。
