Spirituality and Its Relationship with Personality in Depressed People: Preliminary Findings

Abstract

The relationship between spirituality and personality in patients with depression is complex and not much explored. The aim of our study is to examine the interconnection between the spiritual quality of life (QoL) and Cloninger's psychobiological model of personality in patients with depression. The sample consisted of 85 consecutive outpatients treated for depression. The measurements used were: Beck Depression Inventory, WHO-Quality of Life-Spiritual, Religious, Personal Beliefs, and Temperament and Character Inventory. The results have shown that higher harm avoidance, lower self-directedness and lower cooperativeness are personality dimensions associated with depression. The spiritual QoL has showed to play a significant role in depression, just as it has proved to be a unique predictor of lower depressive symptoms, adjusted for personality dimensions. The spiritual QoL itself is predicted by personality dimensions, self-directedness and self-transcendence implying that spirituality is a broader construct than the character dimension. Our findings may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of depression, spirituality and personality.

The role of personality in posttraumatic stress disorder, trait resilience, and quality of life in people exposed to the Kiss nightclub fire

“…A longitudinal study showed that altruism, an aspect of self-transcendence, was associated with resilience in veterans [17] and positive emotions in community volunteers [42]. Self-transcendence and self-directedness were predictors of spiritual QoL in depressed outpatients [73]. Our study points out that some self-transcendent people may see their QoL as satisfactory and be simultaneously symptomatic and resilient [74].…”

Community Chaplaincy Listening in a Community Mental Health Group

“…The service assisted people in talking about their feelings and in playing a greater part in treatment planning with their health care practitioner. Findings from this study add to the growing understanding of the positive association of spiritual issues, where patients who have had their spiritual needs addressed report better mental wellbeing (Wong, Rew and Slaikeu 2006) and similarly report lower levels of depressive symptoms (Mihaljevic´, et al, 2015) therefore CCL can play a useful role in assisting clients who are experiencing depressive conditions.…”

Religiousity, Spirituality and Quality of Life of Elderly According to Structural Equation Modeling

“…25 In a study with adults on depressive symptoms and religiosity, spirituality and personal beliefs in an outpatient treatment in Croatia, the higher the depression score, the lower the facet scores according to WHOQOL-SRPB. 29 Regarding the findings of WHOQOL-SRPB, the highest score in the Connection with spiritual being or force facet diverged from the validation research of that instrument, in which the highest scores were in the Totality and integration and inner peace among the elders facets; among those without morbidities, the highest score was in the Meaning of Life facet and Faith facet among those with morbidities. 15 The lowest score was identified in the Totality and integration facet, differing from the validation study, in which the lowest scores among healthy and morbidly aged and elderly individuals were, respectively, in the connection with being or spiritual strength facet.…”