Prediction of Psychological Wellbeing of Elderly People based on Spirituality, Social Support, and Optimism

Nowadays, thanks to the advancement and expansion of health science, the number of elderly people is growing worldwide. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the psychological wellbeing of this population by increasing the levels of spirituality, social support, and optimism. In this regard, the present study aimed to predict the psychological wellbeing of elderly people based on spirituality, social support, and optimism.

This study was conducted based on a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population of this study included all elderly residents living in District-1 in Rasht, Iran, during 2018. In total, 300 individuals were selected by the convenience sampling method. The data were collected using the 18-item Ryff's psychological well-being scale (Ryff, 1989), Persian and Dunning’s spirituality questionnaire (Persian and Dunning, 2009), Social Support Survey (Sherburne and Stewart, 1991), and revised version of the Life Orientation Test (Scheier and Carver, 1985). Moreover, the data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 24) through the Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis.

According to the results, the psychological wellbeing of the elderly people correlated significantly with spirituality, social support, and optimism (P<0.001). Moreover, the results of multiple regression analysis revealed that spirituality, social support, and optimism predicted 54% of the psychological wellbeing of the elderly people.

In this regard, it is probable to improve the psychological wellbeing of the elderly people through achieving spirituality, providing social support, and increasing the level of optimism in life.