Relation of Attachment to God and Psychological Hardiness with death anxiety of Retired Elderly Men

Aging period is a critical stage of life, and attention to the problems and needs of this life stage is a social concern. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between attachment to God and psychological hardiness and dead anxiety in retired elderly men.

This research was a descriptive-correlation study carried out in Roudsar in 2017. The research population consisted of 165 old men, out of whom  88 cases were selected based on Morganchr('39')s table. Data were collected by Templerchr('39')s Death Anxiety Questionnaire, Beck and McDonald’s Attachment to God questionnaire, and Ahvaz psychological hardiness questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using multivariable regression statistical methods and Pearson correlation.

As evidenced by the obtained results, there was a negative significant correlation between death anxiety and attachment to God (r=-0.883, P<0.01), including the relationship with God (r=-0.852, P<0.01), belief in God (r=-0.816, P<0.01), trust in God (r=-0.834, P<0.01), and attention to God (r=-0.836, P<0.01). In addition, a negative significant correlation was detected between psychological hardiness and death anxiety (r=-0.851, P<0.01).

Based on the results of the study, dead anxiety of retired elderly men showed a significant negative relationship with attachment to God and hardiness. Considering the significant relationship between attachment to God and psychological hardiness with dead anxiety, we recommend taking the necessary measures to promote the spirituality and resilience of elderly men to improve their mental health.