Adaptation difficulty and religious coping styles for the elderly in Turkey

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Aging involves significant physical and psychosocial changes impacting elderly individuals' adaptation, coping mechanisms, and quality of life.
• Understanding these changes is crucial for developing effective support systems for the aging population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the adaptation difficulties faced by elderly people during the aging process.
• To examine the religious coping styles employed by elderly individuals.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study design was utilized.
• Data were collected from 505 elderly participants across seven family health centers in Turkey.
• Standardized instruments included a personal information form, the Assessment Scale of Adaptation Difficulty for the Elderly, and the Religious Coping Scale.

Main Results:

• The overall mean score for adaptation difficulty in the elderly was 0.52 (SD = 0.56).
• Participants reported a mean positive religious coping score of 23.49 (SD = 5.30) and a mean negative religious coping score of 7.88 (SD = 3.20).
• A weak negative correlation was found between adaptation difficulty and positive religious coping (r = -0.147, P = 0.001), with no significant relationship observed for negative religious coping (r = -0.028, P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Adaptation difficulty to aging among the elderly in this study was found to be low.
• The use of positive religious coping strategies was associated with better adaptation to old age.
• Interventions aimed at improving elderly health should consider factors influencing religious coping.