Religiosity, Spirituality, Forgiveness, Religious Coping as Predictors of Life Satisfaction and Generalized Anxiety: A Quantitative Study on Turkish Muslim University Students

Year 2021, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 47 - 58, 15.02.2021

Ali Ayten , Sema Karagöz

https://doi.org/10.37898/spc.2021.6.1.130

Cited By: 5

Abstract

During the last two decades, several studies have been carried out to examine the main predictors of life satisfaction and anxiety. This paper investigates the connection between spirituality, religiosity, religious coping, forgiveness, anxiety, and satisfaction with life in the case of a Turkish Muslim sample. In total 560 respondents were selected from different faculties of Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University. 53.4% (N= 299) of the sample were females and 46.6% (N= 261) of them were males. Participants’ age changed to between 18 and 38 years. 28.4% (N=159) of students were from faculty of education, 25.9% (N=145) of students were from faculty of architecture and engineering, 23.8% (N=133) of students were from faculty of theology, and 22% (N=123) of students were from faculty of administrative sciences and economics. In the present researchers utilised the “Forgiveness Scale”, “Positive Religious Coping Scale”, “Religious Struggles”, “Scale for Satisfaction with Life” and “Generalised Anxiety Scale” to collect data. According to multiple regression findings, religiosity and forgiveness were significant predictors for life satisfaction. Moreover, forgiveness and religious coping (religious struggles and positive religious coping) were significant predictors of generalized anxiety.

Keywords

Religiosity, Spirituality, Religious Coping, Religious Struggle, Forgiveness, Satisfaction with Life, Generalized Anxiety

References

• Abdel-Khalek, A. M. (2010). Quality of Life, Subjective Well-Being and Religiosity in Muslim College Students. Qual Life Res, 19, 1133-1143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-010-9676-7.
• Abu-Raiya, H., Pargament, K. I., Mahoney, A., & Stein, C. (2008). A Psychological Measure of Islamic Religiousness: Development and Evidence of Reliability and Validity. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 18(4), 291-315. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508610802229270.
• Abu-Raiya, H., Pargament, K. I., Weissberger, A. & Exline, J. (2016). An empirical examination of religious/spiritual struggle among Israeli Jews. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. 26, pp. 61-79. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2014.1003519.
• Abu-Raiya, H. & Pargament, K. I. (2015). Religious Coping among Diverse Religions: Commonalities and Divergences. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 7(1), 24-33. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/a0037652.
• Abu-Raiya, H., Ayten, A., Agbaria, Q., & Tekke, M. (2018). Relationships between Religious Struggles and Wellbeing among a Multinational Muslim Sample: A Comparative Analysis. Social Work, 63(4), 347-356. http://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swy031.
• Abu-Raiya, H. & Ayten, A. (2020). Religious Involvement, Interpersonal Forgiveness and Mental Health and Well‑Being Among a Multinational Sample of Muslims. Journal of Happiness Studies. 21, 3051–3067.
• Aslan, I. & Kaysadu, E. A. (2018). Gençliğin Gelecek Kaygısı ve Gençlerin Toplumsal Beklentisi Üzerine Bir Uygulama: Bingöl İli Örneği. III. International Dimitri Yavoronitski European Congress on Social Sciences. 21-30.
• Ayten, A. (2009). Affedicilik ve Din: Affetme Eğilimi ve Dindarlıkla İlişkisi Üzerine Ampirik Bir Araştırma. M. Ü. İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 37(2), 111-128. https://doi.org/10.15370/MUIFD.36508.
• Ayten, A. (2012). Tanrı’ya Sığınmak: Dini Başa Çıkma Üzerine Psiko-Sosyal Bir Araştırma. İstanbul: İz Yayıncılık.
• Ayten, A. (2013). Din ve Sağlık: Bireysel Dindarlık, Sağlık Davranışları ve Hayat Memnuniyeti İlişkisi Üzerine Bir Araştırma [Religion and Health: A Study on the relationship between individual religiosity, health behavior and life satisfaction]. Din Bilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi. 13 (3), pp. 7-31.
• Ayten, A. (2017). The Relationship between helping behaviours, religiosity, and life satisfaction: A Case Study on Turkish Muslims. YDÜ İslam Tetkikleri Merkezi Dergisi. 3 (2), pp. 7-25.
• Ayten A., Göcen G., Sevinç K. & Öztürk E. E. (2012). Dini başa çıkma, şükür ve hayat memnuniyeti ilişkisi: hastalar, hasta yakınları ve hastane çalışanları üzerine bir araştırma. Din Bilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi. 12 (2), pp. 45-79.
• Ayten, A. & Ferhan, H. (2016). Forgiveness, Religiousness, and Life Satisfaction: An Empirical Study on Turkish and Jordanian University Students. Spiritual Psychology and Counselling. 1 (1), 79-84. https://doi.org/10.12738/spc.2016.1.0006.
• Ayten, A. & Korkmaz, S. (2019). The relationships between religiosity, prosociality, satisfaction with life and generalised anxiety: a study on Turkish Muslims. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 22(10), 980-993. DOI: 10.1080/13674676.2019.1695246.
• Coubrie, R. C. & Davies, A. N. (2006). Is there a correlation between spirituality and anxiety and depression in patients with advanced cancer? Support Care Cancer. 14, 379-385. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-005-0892-6.
• Çardak, M. (2012). Affedicilik Yönelimli Psiko-Eğitim Programının Affetme Eğilimi, Belirsizliğe Tahammülsüzlük, Psikolojik İyi Oluş, Sürekli Kaygı ve Öfke Üzerindeki Etkisinin İncelenmesi. Master’s thesis, Sakarya University, Sakarya.
• Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction with Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71-75. https://doi/10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13.
• Fiori, K. L., Browni, E E., Cortina, K. S. & Antonucci, T. C. (2006). Locus of control as a mediator of the relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction: Age, race, and gender differences. Mental Health, Religion & Culture. 9(3), 239–263. https://doi/10.1080/13694670600615482.
• Freitas, T. H., Hyphantis, T. N., Andreoulakis, E., Quevedo, J., Mirand, H. L., Alves, G. S., Souza, M. H., Braga, L. L., Pargament, K. I., Soczynska, J. K., McIntyre, R. S. & Carvalho, A. F. (2015). Religious coping and its influence on psychological distress, medication adherence, and quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease. Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 37(3), 219–227. doi: 10.1590/1516-4446-2014-1507.
• Gaudette, H. & Jankowski, K. R. B. (2013). Spiritual Coping and Anxiety in Palliative Care Patients: A Pilot Study. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, 19, 131-139. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854726.2013.823785.
• Gençoğlu, C., Şahin, E., & Topkaya, N. (2018). General Self-Efficacy and Forgiveness of Self, Others, and Situations as Predictors of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in University Students. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 13(3), 605-626. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.12738/estp.2018.3.0128.
• Koenig, H. (2004). Religion, Spirituality, and Health: Research, Clinical Applications, and Resources. A. Ayten, M. Koç, N. Tınaz & M. A. Doğan (Ed.), in Religious-Spiritual Counselling Care (pp. 15-30). İstanbul: DEM Yayınları, 2004.
• Kwok, S., Gu, M., & Cheung, A. (2017). A Longitudinal Study of the Role of Children’s Altruism and Forgiveness in the Relation between Parental Aggressive Discipline and Anxiety of Preschoolers in China. Child Abuse & Neglect, 65, 236-247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.02.004.
• Lucero, S. M., Pargament, K. I., Mahoney, A., & De Maris, A. (2013). Links between Religious and Spiritual Coping and Adjustment among Fathers and Mothers During First Pregnancy. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 31(1), 309-322. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2013.798864.
• Okulicz-Kozaryn, A. (2012). Religiosity and Life Satisfaction across Nations. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 13(2), 155-169. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674670903273801.
• Ozcan, H., Subaşı, B., Budak, B., Çelik, M., Güzel, Ş. C. & Yıldız, M. (2013). Ergenlik ve Genç Yetişkinlik Dönemindeki Kadınlarla Benlik Saygısı, Sosyal Görünüş Kaygısı, Depresyon ve Anksiyete İlişkisi. Journal of Mood Disorders, 3(3), 107-113.
• Pargament, K. I., Mahoney, A., Shafranske, E. P., Exline, J. J., & Jones, J. J. (2013). From Research to Practice: Toward an Applied Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. K. I. Pargament, A. Mahoney & E. P. Shafranske (Ed.), in APA Handbook of Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality (pp. 3-22). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Reed, G. L. & Enright, R. D. (2006). The Effects of Forgiveness Therapy on Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress for Women After Spousal Emotional Abuse. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 74(5), 920-929. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006x.74.5.920.
• Rosmarin, D., Pargament, K. I., & Mahoney, A. (2009). The Role of Religiousness in Anxiety, Depression and Happiness in a Jewish Community Sample: A Preliminary Investigation. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 12(2), 97-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674670802321933.
• Ross, K., Handal P. J., Clark, E. M. & Vander Wal, J. S. (2009). The Relationship Between Religion and Religious Coping: Religious Coping as a Moderator Between Religion and Adjustment. Journal of Religion and Health. 48, 454-467. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-008-9199-5.
• Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B., & Lowe, B. (2006). A Brief Measure for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166, 1092-1097. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.
• Stauner, N., Exline, J. J., & Pargament, K. I. (2016). Religious and Spiritual Struggles as Concerns for Health and Well-Being. Horizonte, 14(41), 48-75. https://doi.org/2F10.5752/P.2175-5841.2016v14n41p48.
• Tiliouine, H. & Belgoumidi, A. (2009). An Exploratory of Religiosity, Meaning in Life and Subjective Well-Being in Muslim Students from Algeria. Applied Research Quality of Life, 4, 109-127. https://doi/10.1007/s11482-009-9076-8.
• Turan, Y. (2018). Coping with Loneliness: Loneliness, Religious Coping, Religiosity, Life Satisfaction and Social Media Usage. Trans. A. Çekiç. Cumhuriyet İlahiyat Dergisi-Cumhuriyet Theology Journal, 22(3), 1711-1745. doi:10.18505/cuid.
• Twenge, J. M. (2009). Ben Nesli [Me Generation]. İstanbul: Kaknüs Yayınları.
• Twenge, J. M. (2018). İ-Nesli[I-Generation]. İstanbul: Kaknüs Yayınları.
• Zamanian, H., Eftekhar, H., Eftekhar, M, Shojaeizadeh, Nedjat, S., Taheri-Kharameh, Z., & Daryaafzoon, M. (2015). Religious Coping and Quality of Life in Women with Breast Cancer. Asian Journal of Cancer Prevention: APJCP, 16(17), 7721-7725. https://doi.org/10.7314/apjcp.2015.16.17.7721.
• Zarzycka, B. & Zietek, P. (2019). Spiritual Growth or Decline and Meaning-Making as Mediators of Anxiety and Satisfaction with Life During Religious Struggle. Journal of Religion and Health. 58, 1072-1086.