The effect of need-based spiritual/religious intervention on spiritual well-being and anxiety of elderly people.

Anxiety and spiritual distress are the most common problems among the patients admitted in intensive care units. The elderly are more vulnerable to this problem due to impairment of their adaptation mechanisms. Hence, helping to reduce anxiety is one of the most effective nursing interventions. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the effect of need-based spiritual/religious interventions on spiritual well-being (SWB) and anxiety of the elderly admitted to coronary care unit (CCU). This quasi-experimental study with pre- and posttest control group design was conducted on 66 patients admitted to CCU of Imam Reza hospital in Lar, southern Iran, in 2014. After obtaining informed consents, the data were collected using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the SWB Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. The questionnaires were completed through interviewing the patients before and after the intervention. The participants of the intervention group underwent 60- to 90-minute sessions of spiritual and religious need-based interventions for 3 consecutive days. The results showed a significant increase in the mean scores of SWB in the intervention group after the intervention (P = .001). Also, a significant decrease was found in mean scores of trait and state anxiety in the intervention group in comparing to control group (P < .001). Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between the mean scores of SWB and state and trait anxiety. Spiritual/religious interventions could enhance SWB and reduce anxiety in the elderly admitted to CCU.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes