Psychological impact and the use of religious coping among Malaysian Catholic older adults

Abstract

Recent studies since 2020 on the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that the older adult population, perceived to be more vulnerable, have displayed greater resilience amidst the pandemic than the younger counterparts. This study investigates the impact of the pandemic on the psychological well-being of Catholic older adults in Malaysia and seeks to identify their religious coping strategies. Using a phenomenological multiple case study approach, data was collected between September 2020 and January 2021 through semi-structured interviews with nine Catholic older adults from urban and semi-urban areas in Malaysia. Findings reveal that respondents experienced stress, fear, anxiety, isolation and anger during this pandemic due to the deprivation of face-to-face familial, spiritual, pastoral and communal engagement. However, they were able to reframe their paradigms and relied heavily on positive religious coping strategies to help them develop more optimism, flexibility, empathy and life satisfaction. The study found that the Catholic older adults did not resort to any negative religious coping strategies in the midst of their challenges. This study highlights the role of religion in improving the psychological well-being of older adults in times of crisis.