Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies

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Bahrami F, Dadfar M, Dadfar F. The Effectiveness of Religious Teachings on the Reduction of Depressed Elderly People. MEJDS 2015; 4 (4) :55-65
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-398-en.html

Abstract 

Objective: Elderly people places great value on religious beliefs and behaviors, religion is of significance in their lives and think on the deeper meaning of religious symbols and rituals. Among the elders with any background, religious activity is associated with several positive outcomes such as prevention and reduction of mental disorders, including anxiety and depression. This study investigated the effectiveness of religious teachings on the treatment of Iranian elder with depression.

Materials & Methods: Six patients (3 males, 3 females) participated in a single case experiment with AB design for 8 sessions over a period of two months. The subjects were selected using convenience sampling, following the establishment of baselines for the dependent variables, hey entered the educational program. Improvement index for each variable was considered to be a fall in the curve during treatment period. The instruments used included Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS–15) and Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS).

Results: The findings showed that religious teachings were effective in decreasing depression and dysfunctional attitudes in elderly people. Maintain spiritual and religious issues and strengthen of religious or spiritual beliefs help to alleviate depression in elderly people.

Conclusion: Religious teachings can be useful for reducing depression symptoms among elderly people. The generalizability of the results of the present article to other populations with different religions merits further investigation.