Results
In this study, researchers examined the levels of depression that participants
experienced over the past week. The research variables consisted of nominal measures
with a total of 29 participants who participated in this study: 69% identifying as biological
females and 31% identifying as biological males. Figure 1 shows the relations between
gender and spirituality, and Figure 2 shows the relation between gender and feeling sad.
The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between
intrinsic spirituality and levels of depression. To determine this relationship between
intrinsic spirituality and depression, researchers used paired samples t-tests in spss, Figure
1. A paired samples t-test was conducted to determine the correlation between “my
spirituality” and “felt sad”, df= 28, SD= 3.61, with a 95% confidence interval (1.00, 3.75),
(mean= 2.38), one sided p< .001 and two-sided p= .001. This was found to be statistically
significant and reject the null hypothesis. Looking at Table 1, you will see the information
provided about the relationship between, “My Spirituality” and “How Sad I Felt.”
Table 1 The Relationship Between My Spirituality and How Sad I Felt
Paired Samples Test
Pair 1
Mean SD SD error m m m m m 95% CI m m df m m m m significance
My spirituality
Felt Sad m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m 2.38 m m m m 3.61 m m m m m m m .670 m m m m 1.00-3.75 m m m 28 m m
<.001 - m .001
Note. This table demonstrates the relationship between intrinsic spirituality and one of the
lowest levels for the depression scale questions.
Figure 1 Relation between Gender and spirituality
Note. The above figure shows the relationship between females (1) and males (2) based
on intrinsic spirituality.
Figure 2.
Relation between gender and feeling sad.
Note. The above figure shows the relationship between females (1) and males (2) based
on how sad they felt on a scale of 0-6.
Discussion
The goal of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between intrinsic
spirituality and levels of depression. A paired samples t-test was conducted to determine the
correlation between “my spirituality” and “felt sad”, df= 28, SD= 3.61, with a 95%
confidence interval (1.00, 3.75), (mean= 2.38), one sided p< .001 and two-sided p= .001.
Some of the limitations of this study included there being a short amount of time to collect
data and only having self-reported data. Going forward, this study could allow for there to be
more research into how religion and spirituality may help to improve a person’s depression
and may help to improve their lifestyle. This could also help the general public to lean more
towards spirituality as a way of dealing and coping with depression, since therapy and taking
prescribed medications are typically the most common. This would be another way for people
to be able to find themselves again and could improve their happiness over time. For future
studies being conducted similar to this one, I would suggest that there would be more
questions related to actions taken during the week (such as activities they were involved in
and how they felt while doing these activities). This could also help to determine if the
person was more depressed if they laid in bed more often since they reported being sad or if
they were more active after they went to church or prayed that morning. This is important to
the field of psychology since depression is such a highly known mental health issues that
such a large number of people struggle with. Allowing more research between these two
variables could possibly change psychology in general for those helping others deal with
depression. This study was similar to other research studies that have been previously
conducted.
Religion has been such a powerful contributor to mental and physical well-being over
time. The results of this study shown between mental health and religion found that there is
a unique role between the two variables which play a huge part in personality (Haney &
Rollock, 2020). The researchers found that there was a strong statistical significance between
intrinsic and extrinsic religion when it came to depression. However, there was found to be
no significance when it came to intrinsic and extrinsic religion for the satisfaction with life
(Haney & Rollock, 2020). This research showed there was a huge significance between
intrinsic spirituality and levels of depression however this did not determine how satisfied the
person was with their life. The study had a target population of large public university
students with about 580 total participants, who ranged in ages from 18 to 29 years of age.
What does no specific data about gender in this research. Meaning that it contradicted the
study that was conducted above.
Looking at may cause levels of depression can be a huge factor when it comes to the
outcome of the study. The awareness of a diagnosis for a terminally ill patient with cancer
may have a different outlook on life and there are levels of depression that come with this.
There was a total of 299 patients who are terminally ill with cancer that participated in the
study (Lai et al., 2016). This study did not include anything specific about. Researchers used
the hospital anxiety and depression scale to collect the necessary data. Based on the
information collected the researchers were able to determine if there was a statistical
significance inpatient who were aware of their diagnosis versus those who are not. The
participants who were aware of their diagnosis were also found to have statistical significance
with Intrinsic spirituality. However, when it came to the statistical significance found between
spirituality and psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression, they were found to
be no significance (Lai et al., 2016). In this case, they were still found to be lower levels of
depression and anxiety in terminally ill patient with cancer who were aware of their diagnosis
than those who were not.
Lastly, the correlation of spirituality and other women was conducted to look at mental
health and successful aging. The total of 3653 surveys sent out to participants, however, only
1942 that were received were able to be used for the study (Vahia et al., 2010). Humane
measures of the study looked at spirituality and successful aging, meaning depression was not
as much of a concern as the other studies were. The study found that there was I statistical
significance in spirituality when it was associated with more demographic variables. The
participants used were from all around but recruited through San Diego clinical Center for
women’s Health initiative (Vahia et al., 2010). Since this study looked at older women and
women only there was not much for demographics and participant options related in the data.
References
Vahia, I. V., Depp, C. A., Palmer, B. W., Fellows, I., Golshan, S., Thompson, W.,
Allison, M., & Jeste, D. V. (2010). Correlates of spirituality in older women. Aging
& Mental Health, 15(1), 97–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2010.501069
Lai, C., Luciani, M., Galli, F., Morelli, E., Del Prete, F., Ginobbi, P., Penco, I., Aceto, P.,
& Lombardo, L. (2016). Spirituality and awareness of diagnoses in terminally ill
patients with cancer. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, 34(6),
505–509. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049909116630985
Haney, A. M., & Rollock, D. (2020). A matter of faith: The role of religion, doubt, and
personality in emerging adult mental health. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality,
12(2), 247–253. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000231
