RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, SELF-ESTEEM, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION AMONG GREEK ORTHODOX ELDERS
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, SELF-ESTEEM, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION AMONG GREEK ORTHODOX ELDERS

Summary/Abstract: Objectives. The purpose of this preliminary study is to determine the relationship between religious beliefs, self-esteem, anxiety, and depression in Greek elders. Material and methods. Thirty healthy older adults, all members of the Greek Orthodox Church, participated voluntarily in this research. Participants completed four relevant self-report questionnaires: 1) Beck Depression Inventory, 2) State -Trait Anxiety Inventory, 3) The Royal Free Questionnaire for Religious and Spiritual Beliefs, and 4) Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. Results. Results indicated no significant differences on the basis of gender (p > 0.05). The vast majority of the participants (n = 25) stated a strong religious and/or a spiritual belief, as measured by the Royal Free Questionnaire for Religious and Spiritual Beliefs. High scores on the Royal Free Questionnaire for Religious and Spiritual Beliefs were moderately and positively correlated with increased self-esteem, as measured by the total scores in the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (p < 0.05). In addition to that, the Royal Free Questionnaire for Religious and Spiritual Beliefs scores were negatively correlated with depression, as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (p < 0.05). The Royal Free Questionnaire for Religious and Spiritual Beliefs was negatively correlated with state anxiety (p < 0.05), as well as anxiety, as personality trait (p < 0.05), both measured by the State and Trait subscales of the Anxiety Inventory. Conclusions. This study shows that there is a number of statistically moderate correlations between religious beliefs and other mental health variables in older adults living in Greece. The findings indicated a need for further research in this field.

• Details
• Contents