Religiousness on mental health in older adults: the mediating role of social support and healthy behaviours
The positive association between religiousness and mental health among the faithful is well-established; here, social support (SS) and healthy behaviours (HB) are investigated as mechanisms underlying the benefits of faith on depression and anxiety in a survey sample of 97 religious older adults age...
| Published in: | Mental health, religion & culture |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
2018
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| In: |
Mental health, religion & culture
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| Further subjects: | B
health behaviours
B Social Support B Aging B Depressive symptoms B Anxiety B Religiousness |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The positive association between religiousness and mental health among the faithful is well-established; here, social support (SS) and healthy behaviours (HB) are investigated as mechanisms underlying the benefits of faith on depression and anxiety in a survey sample of 97 religious older adults aged 62-96 (Mage = 79). Initial regression models revealed a significant direct effect (higher religiousness = less depression and less anxiety). For depressive symptoms, both individual mediators rendered the effect of religiousness non-significant, with HB explaining more variance (36% vs. 27%); in the combined model, both demonstrated independent, additive effects (SS = −.18, p = .006; HB = −.34, p < .0001). For anxiety, only SS emerged as a significant mediator and predicted anxiety in the combined model (SS = −.25, p = .005). The results help inform those working with religious older adults facing depression and anxiety by highlighting key aspect(s) of the person’s faith experience that will be most effective in helping to improve his or her mental health. |
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| ISSN: | 1469-9737 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Mental health, religion & culture
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/13674676.2018.1504906 |