Structural Equation Modeling: A Study on the Effect of Religious Orientation on the Psychological Wellbeing Concerning the Mediating Role of Death Anxiety and Self-compassion in the Male Elderly Living in Kermanshah City in 2017

Objectives: Psychological wellbeing can affect the various aspects of the life of older people. Most studies confirm that religiosity is associated with psychological wellbeing. However, the causes of this relation are unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating role of death anxiety and self-compassion in the relationship between religiosity and psychological wellbeing. Methods & Materials: To investigate the purpose of the study, a total of 300 older people of Kermanshah were selected by simple random sampling method. The questionnaires of mini-mental state examination, religious orientation, self-compassion, death anxiety, and psychological well-being were used as research tools. To analyze the data, SPSS V. 23 was used to estimate descriptive and correlational indices, and AMOS V. 23 was used for structural equation modeling. Results: Based on the study results, the causal relationship model between religious orientation, self-compassion, death anxiety, and psychological wellbeing are confirmed based on various fitting indices. Therefore, religiosity has a direct relationship with psychological well-being. Besides, self-compassion and death anxiety can mediate this relationship. Conclusion: Religiosity can greatly affect the psychological wellbeing of the elderly by decreasing the anxiety of death and increasing self-compassion. Therefore, in explaining the relationship between religiosity and psychological wellbeing, attention to the critical role of self-compassion and reduction of death anxiety are among the desirable methods for preventing mental health problems in the elderly.