THE IMPACT OF RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY ON THE HEALTH OF THE ELDERLY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5216/revufg.v24.78373

Keywords:

COVID-19, Elderly, Pandemics, Religion, Spirituality

Abstract

This research investigates how religion and spirituality can be beneficial to the mental health of the elderly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. A qualitative field study was conducted to capture the perceptions of elderly individuals from different religions, whether or not they were infected with SARS-CoV-2, regarding various aspects of mental health. Participants who agreed to take part in the study signed the informed consent form, and qualitative data were analyzed using the IRAMUTEQ® software. A total of 171 elderly individuals participated, with only 14 reporting no religious affiliation. Three techniques of interpretation for qualitative data were produced: Word Cloud, Similarity Analysis, and Descending Hierarchical Classification. This research also led to the development of a mobile application: “Eu confio”. It was evident that religion/spirituality is beneficial in various aspects of mental health, such as perceptions of aging and death.

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Author Biographies

  • Gabriel Nunes Menezes Regis Serafim, Universidade Católica de Brasília (UCB), Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil, gnmrserafim@gmail.com

    Graduando em Medicina pela Universidade Católica de Brasília.

  • Vicente Paulo Alves, Catholic University of Brasília (UCB), Brasília, Brazil, vicente@p.ucb.br

    Doutor em Ciências da Religião pela Universidade Metodista de São Paulo professor do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Gerontologia (Mestrado e Doutorado) da Universidade Católica de Brasília. Concluiu o pós-doutorado no Departamento Cárdio-Vascular-Toráxico e Saúde Pública na Universidade de Pádua (Itália).

  • Anna Luiza Brito Franceschini , Catholic University of Brasília (UCB), Brasília, Brazil, annafranceschini@hotmail.com

     Graduanda em Medicina pela Universidade Católica de Brasília.

  • Fausto Lustosa Fonseca, Catholic University of Brasília (UCB), Brasília, Brazil, fausto.lustosa.fonseca@gmail.com

    Graduando em Medicina pela Universidade Católica de Brasília 

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Published

2024-05-28 — Updated on 2025-05-08

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Issue

Vol. 24 (2024): Revista UFG

Section

Artigos

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How to Cite

SERAFIM, G. N. M. R. et al. THE IMPACT OF RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY ON THE HEALTH OF THE ELDERLY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. Revista UFG, v. 24, n. 30, 8 May2025.