The distinctive role of spirituality and social support in mental health and death anxiety in the elderly

  The relationship between spirituality and social support with mental health and death anxiety in the elderly needs further study. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between spirituality and social support with mental health and death anxiety in the elderly. In this study which was carried out with a correlation method, 350 elders living in Tehran completed questionnaires. Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Templar Death Anxiety Scale, Parsian and Doning Spirituality Questionnaire, and Philip Social Support Questionnaire were used as measuring tools. Data was analyzed using Pearson correlational analysis and multiple regression analysis.
Finding: The relationship between mental health and death anxiety with spirituality and social support was significant. Spirituality was able to significantly predict mental health (β = -0/406, >P 0/0001) and death anxiety (β = -0/233, >P 0/0001). Also, social support could predict mental health (β = -0/349, >P 0/0001) and death anxiety (β = -0/286, >P 0/0001) These findings reveal the importance of spirituality and social support as preventative factors related to mental health problems and the anxiety of elderly death