ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING AMONG THE INSTITUTIONALISED OLDER ADULTS
Main Article Content
Keywords
Spiritual well-being, Old age home, Socio-demographic Factors, Elderly care, Depression, anxiety
Abstract
This research intended to describe the degrees of depression, anxiety, stress, and spiritual health among elderly residents at Kangaroo Old Age Home in Tiruchirappalli. A descriptive research design was employed; utilizing a sample of 55 institutionalized older adults chosen through simple random sampling. Data was gathered through organized interviews and standardized instruments: the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS). Descriptive and inferential statistics, such as t-tests, ANOVA, and regression analysis, were used to examine the data. The findings revealed significant psychological distress among the participants, with 65 per cent displaying moderate to severe depressive symptoms, 59 percent suffering from anxiety, and 70 per cent indicating stress. Spiritual well-being was discovered to be negatively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress, showing that greater spiritual well-being corresponds to reduced psychological distress. Socio-demographic elements like age, marital status, and length of stay in the institution greatly affected mental health results. The research emphasizes the significance of meeting both psychological and spiritual requirements in elderly care within institutions and it implies that boosting spiritual well-being might alleviate psychological distress and enhance the general quality of life for older individuals in institutions.
References
2 United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). (2023). India ageing report 2023. https://india.unfpa.org
3 Rao, A. V., & Srinivas, K. M. (2020). Mental health issues and quality of life among the elderly in institutional care. Indian Journal of Gerontology, 34(1), 59–72.
4 Blazer, D. G. (2003). Depression in late life: Review and commentary. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 58(3), 249–265.
5 Chou, K. L., & Chi, I. (2018). Stressful life events and depressive symptoms: Social support and sense of control as mediators or moderators? International Journal of Aging & Human Development, 48(2), 157–174.
6 Lenze, E. J., Mulsant, B. H., Shear, M. K., Dew, M. A., Pollock, B. G., & Reynolds, C. F. (2001). Comorbid anxiety disorders in depressed elderly patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 158(3), 353–357.
7 Koenig, H. G. (2012). Religion, spirituality, and health: The research and clinical implications. ISRN Psychiatry, 2012.
8 Paloutzian, R. F., & Ellison, C. W. (1982). Loneliness, spiritual well-being and quality of life. In L. A. Peplau & D. Perlman (Eds.), Loneliness: A sourcebook of current theory, research and therapy (pp. 224–237). Wiley.
9 Ellison, C. G., & Fan, D. (2008). Daily spiritual experiences and psychological well-being among US adults. Social Indicators Research, 88(2), 247–271.
10 Lovibond, S. H., & Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (2nd ed.). Psychology Foundation of Australia.
11 Gupta, R., & Ghosh, A. (2018). Educational attainment and its impact on mental health among elderly populations: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 61(4), 389–402.
12 World Health Organization. (2017). Mental health and well-being in older adults. https://www.who.int/ageing/mental-health.
13 Patel, V., & Saxena, S. (2019). Mental health in elderly: The role of marital status and family support. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 34(1), 18-25.
14 HelpAge India. (2020). Ageing in India: A report on the challenges faced by the elderly. https://www.helpageindia.org
15 Kumar, S., & Singh, M. (2021). Gender differences in coping mechanisms among institutionalized elderly individuals. International Journal of Aging & Human Development, 92(2), 128-142.
16 Rai, D. (2019). Spiritual well-being in older adults and its correlation with psychological distress: A gendered perspective. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 21(3), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2019.1625975
17 Chopra, A., & Sharma, A. (2020). Impact of social isolation on mental health among elderly individuals: A review. Journal of Geriatric Mental Health, 7(1), 14-22. https://doi.org/10.4103/jgmh.jgmh_32_19
18 Verma, S. (2021). Economic factors influencing mental well-being of the elderly in institutionalized care. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 33(2), 1-19.
19 Seth, S., & Sachdeva, S. (2023). The strength of spirit: A regression analysis of spirituality on resilience in Indian adults. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 11(4), 2700–2709.
20 Hsu, H. C., & Li, C. I. (2013). Explaining the links between income and depression in later life: The role of health status and social support. Aging & Mental Health, 17(1), 94–103. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2012.702726.
21 Gupta, R., & Ghosh, A. (2018). Educational attainment and its impact on mental health among elderly populations: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 61(4), 389-402.
22 Kuehner, C. (2017). Why is depression more common among women than among men? The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(2), 146–158.
23 Thompson, R. J., Mata, J., Jaeggi, S. M., Buschkuehl, M., Jonides, J., & Gotlib, I. H. (2019). The everyday emotional experience of adults with major depressive disorder: Examining emotional instability, inertia, and reactivity. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 121(4), 819–829.
24 Bhatia, M. S., & Gupta, R. (2018). Anxiety and stress among elderly: An Indian perspective. Delhi Psychiatry Journal, 21(2), 190–194.
25 Park, C. L. (2017). Spirituality and meaning-making in coping with stress. In C. L. Park, A. I. Wortmann, & L. Edmondson (Eds.), the psychology of religion and spirituality for clinicians: Using research in your practice (pp. 75–95). Routledge
26 Pargament, K. I., Mahoney, A., Exline, J. J., Jones, J. W., & Shafranske, E. P. (2013). APA handbook of psychology, religion, and spirituality (Vol. 1): Context, theory, and research. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/14045-000.
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
K. Maheswari
Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Bharathidasan University, Khajamalai Campus, Tiruchirappalli-23