studying the role of spirituality and attitude toward death in the cognitive well - being of elderly

Abstract

The phenomenon of aging and its social and personal challenges are among the topics that have been paid more attention by researchers today due to the growing population of the elderly. One of these aspects is the psychological well-being of these people as an indicator of quality of life that is tied to various factors, including factors that are especially prominent in old age, spirituality and attitude towards death, whether the elderly person with a fear and avoidance attitude or Acceptance and compromise to face the phenomenon of death and also what effects a person's spirituality has on his psychological well-being, is the subject of the present study. 182 elderly people participated in this study by available sampling method. Three valid scales of Attitude Towards Death Profile, Reef Psychological Well-Being, Parsian Spirituality Questionnaire were used. The validity and reliability of the questionnaires in the present study were reviewed and confirmed. According to the analyzes, the results of multiple regression showed that the variables of spirituality and attitude toward death-avoidance are strong predictors of psychological well-being. The negative and significant relationship between attitudes toward death-avoidance and psychological well-being indicates that despite the fact that in the elderly, especially in support and coverage centers, the phenomenon of denial of death and escape from death-related issues is being institutionalized as accepted; But it reduces the psychological well-being of these people. On the other hand, spirituality is a positive factor in the sense of well-being of the elderly that should be considered.

Keywords

• psychological well-being
• the elderly
• spirituality
• attitude towards death