Effect of Group Religious Intervention on Spiritual Health and Reduction of Symptoms in Patients with Anxiety

Abstract

Introduction: Anxiety is a disease which, in addition to the complications affecting the health of patients, imposes a high burden on health care systems. Aim: To determine the effectiveness of a group religious intervention on spiritual health and reduction of symptoms in patients with anxiety. Materials and Methods: In the present clinical trial, 72 patients with anxiety were included in the study with convenience sampling. Patients were randomly divided into two groups; Group I underwent drug therapy alone, and Group II underwent drug therapy+religious intervention. The religious intervention group attended 5 sessions of 90 minutes at 3-week intervals and was administered with routine drug therapy. Then, the participants filled out the demographic questionnaire, Spiritual Well-being Scale and the Spielberger State-State anxiety Inventory. After data collection, the data were analysed by SPSS 18. Results: There was no significant difference between the demographic characteristics of patients (p>0.05). The mean scores of religious and existential aspects of spiritual wellbeing and general spiritual health after intervention were significantly higher in Group II than in Group I (p<0.05). The mean scores of trait anxiety scores, state anxiety, and general anxiety after intervention were significantly lower in Group II than in Group I (p<0.05). Conclusion: Religious intervention, in addition to increasing the level of spiritual health of the patients, improves their anxiety symptoms.