Religiosity/Spirituality and Mental Health in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Frontiers in Medicine

article

Hélio José Coelho-Júnior¹  Riccardo Calvani³  Francesco Panza⁴  Riccardo F. Allegri⁵  Anna Picca³  Emanuele Marzetti¹  Vicente Paulo Alves² 

[1] Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Institute of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics;Department of Gerontology, Catholic University of Brasília;Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS;National Institute of Gastroenterology “Saverio de Bellis”, Research Hospital;Department of Cognitive Neurology, Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas Fleni;Department of Neurosciences, Universidad de la Costa

关键词: religion;    mental disorder (disease);    depression;    anxiety;    elderly;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fmed.2022.877213

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Objectives The present study investigated the association between religious and spiritual (RS) practices with the prevalence, severity, and incidence of mental health problems in older adults. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that investigated older adults aged 60+ years and assessed RS using valid scales and questions from valid scales, and mental health according to validated multidimensional or specific instruments. Studies were retrieved from MEDLINE, LILACS, SCOPUS, CINAHL, and AgeLine databases until July 31, 2021. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS). A pooled effect size was calculated based on the log odds ratio (OR) and Z-scores. This study is registered on PROSPERO. Results One hundred and two studies that investigated 79.918 community-dwellers, hospitalized, and institutionalized older adults were included. Results indicated that high RS was negatively associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms, while a positive association was observed with life satisfaction, meaning in life, social relations, and psychological well-being. Specifically, people with high spirituality, intrinsic religiosity, and religious affiliation had a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms. In relation to longitudinal analysis, most studies supported that high RS levels were associated with a lower incidence of depressive symptoms and fear of death, as well as better mental health status. Conclusion Findings of the present study suggest that RS are significantly associated with mental health in older adults. People with high RS levels had a lower prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as reported greater life satisfaction and psychological well-being, better social relations, and more definite meaning in life. Data provided by an increasing number of longitudinal studies have supported most of these findings.

【 授权许可】

CC BY