Volume 14, Issue 2 (Summer 2019)                   Salmand: Iranian Journal of Ageing 2019, 14(2): 144-161 | Back to browse issues page


XML Persian Abstract Print


Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:

Hosseini R S, Ebrahimi M E, Khalkhali V, Zamani N. The Relationship Between the Fear of Death and Religious Beliefs and Mental Disorders in the Elderly Living in Karaj Nursing Homes (2014). Salmand: Iranian Journal of Ageing 2019; 14 (2) :144-161
URL: http://salmandj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-1340-en.html
1- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Hamadan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamadan, Iran.
2- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Hamadan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamadan, Iran. , drms.ebrahimi@iauh.ac.ir
3- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Malayer Branch, Islamic Azad University, Malayer, Iran.
4- Young Researchers Club, Hamadan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamadan, Iran.
Abstract:   (7226 Views)

Objectives Death Anxiety is prevalent among people, and it is more prominent in the middle and late stages of life. Furthermore, the increasing number of elderly and consequently, their growing residence in nursing homes have impacted their mental health. The prevalence rate of death anxiety in up to (16%)in people; while (3.3%) of them are suffering from severe types of it. The present study determined the relationship between the fear of death, and religious beliefs, as well as mental disorders in the elderly living in nursing homes. 
Methods & Materials One-hundred elderly (61% females and 39% males), with the Mean±SD age of 70.88±8.93 years living in nursing homes in Karaj City, Iran were studied. They were non-randomly and voluntarily selected to participate in this correlational study. The research tools included Templer Death Anxiety Scale (DAS, 1970), SCL90 neurological, intellectual and emotional dysfunction inventory, and Golriz-Barahani religious attitude questionnaire. Furthermore, Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression techniques were adopted for data analysis. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS.
Results The Mean±SD scores of death anxiety, religious beliefs, and mental disorders in the elderly population at nursing homes in Karaj were respectively 6.30±3.12, 16.04±3.88 and 99.51±57.96. No relationship was observed between death anxiety and religious beliefs. Additionally, Pearson’s correlation coefficient suggested a significant inverse relationship between religious beliefs, psychosis, and obsession. Furthermore, the findings suggested a significant correlation between the fear of death and religious beliefs in older adults with mental disorders. Moreover, the correlation coefficient between the fear of death and mental disorders was 0.499 (r=0.499, P<0.01); suggesting a significant correlation between these variables. Thus, the higher the death-anxiety level in the elderly, the more their mental disorders will be. 
Conclusion  It is possible to reduce the occurrence or intensification of mental disorders. This could be done by arranging and implementing psychological programs to diminish death anxiety in the elderly.

Full-Text [PDF 6552 kb]   (3336 Downloads) |   |   Full-Text (HTML)  (7372 Views)  
Type of Study: Research | Subject: Geriatric
Received: 2017/05/12 | Accepted: 2017/12/24 | Published: 2019/07/31

Add your comments about this article : Your username or Email:
CAPTCHA

Send email to the article author


Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

© 2024 CC BY-NC 4.0 | Iranian Journal of Ageing

Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb