Religiosity and Subjective Well-Being among Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Purpose: Religiosity acts as a protective agent against the trajectories of ill-being in the later stage of life. The current systematic review aimed to identify and critically evaluate available literature regarding the association between religiosity and subjective well-being. Methodology: Studies were sourced from Google Scholar, Science Direct and Pubmed, published between 2011 and 2017. The eligibility criteria for the selected articles was: subjective well-being as an outcome variable, participants aged 60 and above, studies having cross-sectional/comparative, cohort/longitudinal, qualitative, or quantitative research designs, and published in the English language. Findings: After the screening and quality assessment through STROBE and SIGN checklists, a synthesis of 7 out of 77 articles were accumulated. Equivocal patterns of association were observed between religiosity and subjective well-being. It was also found that different dimensions of religiosity exerted positive and negative influences on the subjective well-being of the older adults. Implications: Therefore, focus on the empirical connections between religiosity and subjective well-being will enhance professionals’ knowledge regarding the literature gaps and underlying pathways. It also provides the direction for future studies.