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Spirituality, social support, and flexibility among older adults: a five-year longitudinal study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 January 2018

Nathalie Bailly ,
Guillaume Martinent ,
Claude Ferrand ,
Océane Agli ,
Caroline Giraudeau ,
Kamel Gana  and
Nicolas Roussiau
Nathalie Bailly*
Affiliation:
EA 2114, Psychologie des Ages de la Vie et Adaptation, University of Tours, Tours, France
Guillaume Martinent
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Vulnerability and Innovations in Sport, EA 7428, University of Claude Bernard Lyon I – Univ Lyon, Lyon, France
Claude Ferrand
Affiliation:
EA 2114, Psychologie des Ages de la Vie et Adaptation, University of Tours, Tours, France
Océane Agli
Affiliation:
EA 2114, Psychologie des Ages de la Vie et Adaptation, University of Tours, Tours, France
Caroline Giraudeau
Affiliation:
EA 2114, Psychologie des Ages de la Vie et Adaptation, University of Tours, Tours, France
Kamel Gana
Affiliation:
EA 4139, Santé et Qualité de Vie, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
Nicolas Roussiau
Affiliation:
Laboratory LPPL, University of Nantes, Nantes, France
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Nathalie Bailly, Department of Psychology, EA 2114, Psychologie des Ages de la Vie, 3 Rue des Tanneurs, 30041 Tours Cedex 01, France. Phone: +33 2 47 36 65 56. Email: [email protected].
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Abstract

Objectives:

The objectives of the study were to examine the trajectory of spirituality among older adults, to investigate the roles of gender and religion on the developmental trajectory of spirituality, and to explore whether the linear growth of spirituality accelerated or decelerated at time points at which the participants reported high scores of social support and flexibility.

Design:

A five-year longitudinal study.

Setting:

The research used data from a longitudinal study, which follows a non-institutionalized older adults cohort of residents from France. The data used in this paper were collected at three time points (T1: 2007; T2: 2009; T3: 2012).

Participants:

A total of 567 participants were included in the analysis (59.44% female; Mage = 75.90, SD = 5.12).

Measurements:

Multilevel growth curve analysis was used measuring spirituality, satisfaction with social support, and flexibility.

Results:

The results indicated the following: (1) stability of spirituality over time, (2) older women reported higher levels of spirituality than older men, and those who had a religion reported higher scores of spirituality than their counterparts who had no religion (these effects were strong and clinically meaningful), (3) older adults who reported higher levels of social support and flexibility also reported higher levels of spirituality, and (4) the slope of spirituality seemed to accelerate at time points at which participants also had higher levels of social support and flexibility (these effects were rather small but of theoretical interest).

Conclusion:

The results of the present study help to improve the understanding of the potential benefit of encouraging the spiritual aspects of life.

Keywords

aginglongitudinal studiesspiritualityreligion
Type
Original Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 30 , Issue 12: Issue Theme: Positive Psychiatry , December 2018 , pp. 1745 - 1752
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2018 

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