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ّFereshteh Naeimi; mahdie salehi; fateme golshani
Abstract
Objective: Spiritual health, as an individual and social dimension, plays an important role in both individual life and society and has received increasing attention in psychological research. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to model spiritual health based on hope and religious orientation, ...
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Objective: Spiritual health, as an individual and social dimension, plays an important role in both individual life and society and has received increasing attention in psychological research. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to model spiritual health based on hope and religious orientation, with the mediating roles of emotion regulation and distress tolerance, and the moderating role of gender among university students. Method: The present study was descriptive–correlational and applied in nature. The statistical population consisted of 4,000 male and female students of Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, from whom 352 students were selected using stratified random sampling. The research instruments included Allport’s (1950) Religious Orientation Questionnaire, Snyder’s (1991) Hope Scale, Ellison’s (1982) Spiritual Health Questionnaire, Gross and John’s (2001) Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and Simmons and Gaher’s (2005) Distress Tolerance Questionnaire. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, and structural equation modeling was used in the inferential section using SmartPLS 4 software. Results: Based on the statistical results, the total effect of hope on spiritual health mediated by emotion regulation was positive in male students (β = 0.389) and negative in female students (β = −0.181). In addition, the total effect of religious orientation on spiritual health mediated by emotion regulation was positive in male students (β = 0.369) and negative in female students (β = −0.085). Moreover, the total effect of hope on spiritual health mediated by distress tolerance was positive in male students (β = 0.415) and negative in female students (β = −0.189). Furthermore, the total effect of religious orientation on spiritual health mediated by distress tolerance was positive in male students (β = 0.324) and negative in female students (β = −0.105). In the present model, the SRMR value in the male student group was 0.071 and in the female student group was 0.060, both of which are smaller than the recommended cutoff value of 0.08. In addition, the NFI value in the male student group was 0.715 and in the female student group was 0.657, which are considered acceptable and indicate adequate measurement model fit in both groups. Moreover, the t-values for the direct and indirect effects of all research variables were smaller than 1.96. Therefore, it can be concluded that, at the 95% confidence level, gender did not moderate the indirect effects among the research variables. In other words, there was no significant difference in the effectiveness of the examined psychological constructs between male and female students. Conclusion: Based on the results obtained from the present study, the total effect of hope on spiritual health mediated by emotion regulation was statistically significant and positive in male students and negative in female students. Studies by Ruggins et al. (2022) indicate that hope, as a cognitive factor, can help individuals achieve success. This construct reflects individuals’ capacity to generate multiple pathways and strategies to attain goals, needs, and desires (McNamara et al., 2023), and it can function as a coping strategy against stressful life events while enhancing resilience and flexibility. Furthermore, Taghavi and Amiri (2023) showed that individuals with a spiritual orientation accept life realities more effectively and experience higher levels of hope, which is consistent with the findings of the present study. Based on the results of the study, the total effect of religious orientation on spiritual health mediated by emotion regulation was statistically significant and positive in male students and negative in female students. In this regard, Allport (1968) conceptualized religion as a unifying philosophy of life and considered it an important factor in mental health. He emphasized the relationship between intrinsic religious orientation and mental health, suggesting that intrinsic religiosity, in contrast to extrinsic religiosity, promotes psychological well-being. Similarly, Abbasi (2023) found a relationship between emotional stability and religious orientation, indicating that as extrinsic religious orientation increases, emotional instability also increases, whereas greater intrinsic religious orientation is associated with enhanced emotional stability, which is consistent with the results of the present study. Moreover, based on the results of the study, the total effects of hope and religious orientation on spiritual health mediated by distress tolerance were statistically significant and positive in male students and negative in female students. Simmons and Gaher (2005) conceptualized distress tolerance as an individual capacity that is challenged in difficult and stressful life situations and defined it as the ability to experience and tolerate negative emotional states. Distress tolerance is an individual-differences variable that reflects the capacity to experience and withstand emotional distress and provides a basis for individuals’ adaptation across various environments, which is consistent with the findings of the present study.The results also showed that hope and religious orientation play important roles in individuals’ spiritual health, and that gender does not have a moderating role in this process. No significant differences were found between male and female students in the impact of the examined psychological variables on spiritual health. Therefore, based on the results obtained, it is suggested that more extensive research on this topic be conducted in other social groups, including employees of organizations and companies. In addition, training programs may be implemented through universities, municipalities, and counseling centers to enhance individuals’ knowledge and skills related to emotion regulation, distress tolerance, hope, religious orientation, and spiritual health. A limitation of the present study is the limited generalizability of the findings to populations beyond university students.
