Effects of Social Activities and Religion/Spirituality on Well‐Being in Life among the Korean Elderly

초록

This study assessed the manner in which social activities, religious experiences, and spiritual practices related to well‐being in life among 247 Korean elderly individuals, aged 65 to 80. The Social Activities Scale and Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiosity/Spirituality were employed to assess social activities and six domains of religiosity/spirituality: daily spiritual experiences, values, forgiveness, private religious practice, religious/spiritual coping, and religious support. In addition, well‐being in life was assessed with three domains of life satisfaction, positive affection, and negative affection. After controlling for demographic variables, greater engagement with both social activities and religious and spirituality was related to greater well‐being in life. After controlling for demographic variables, higher well‐being scores were predicted by higher levels of religious and spiritual coping, social activities, higher income, and daily spiritual experiences. In addition, identifying as female, advanced old age, and lower social activities predicted lower well‐being in life in this study. Thus, the findings will contribute to expanding the scope of social work services by addressing the role of daily spiritual experiences and mindfulness as effective coping mechanisms and participation in social activities to improve well‐being in the elderly. The implications of this study’s findings on social work practice are also discussed, along with some future research directions.

키워드