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Association between religiosity/spirituality and quality of life or depression among living‐alone elderly in a S outh K orean city
Author(s) -
Moon Yoo Sun,
Kim Do Hoon
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
asia‐pacific psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.654
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 1758-5872
pISSN - 1758-5864
DOI - 10.1111/appy.12025
Subject(s) - religiosity , spirituality , psychology , depression (economics) , quality of life (healthcare) , geriatric depression scale , clinical psychology , gerontology , psychiatry , medicine , social psychology , depressive symptoms , cognition , psychotherapist , alternative medicine , pathology , economics , macroeconomics
This study investigated the effects of religiosity and spirituality on quality of life and depression among older people. Methods Two hundred and seventy‐four solitary elderly people aged over 65 years living in Chuncheon city, S outh K orea were selected. Symptoms of depression were evaluated using the S hort G eriatric D epression S cale‐ K orean version ( SGDS ‐ K ) and quality of life was measured using G eriatric Q uality of L ife‐ D ementia ( GQOL ‐ D ). We used the D uke R eligion I ndex ( DUREL ) to assess religiosity and spirituality. Results There was a significant correlation between scales of depression ( SGDS ‐ K ), quality of life ( GQOL ‐ D ), and scale of religiosity/spirituality ( DUREL ) in older people. Depressed people had a lower score GQOL ‐ D than non‐depressed people. Among the depressed, those believing in a religion had a higher GQOL ‐ D score than the non‐religious. Multiple regression analysis revealed that religiosity and spirituality had significant effects on depression and quality of life among the elderly. Interestingly, religiosity and spirituality were not related to depression and quality of life amongst Buddhists, but were related amongst Protestants and Catholics. Discussion Religiosity and spirituality had significant effects on depression and on quality of life among the Korean elderly. However, there are different relationships between depression and religiosity, quality of life, and religiosity based on different religions. More research is needed to elucidate these findings.