Spirituality and Aging

Spirituality and Aging.

Interest in spirituality and aging has increased recently, owing to overwhelming evidence of positive health outcomes linked to spirituality and religious participation.

Increasing longevity in modern society puts spiritual needs of older adults at the forefront of societal priorities.

Understanding individual spiritual perspectives becomes increasingly important, given the issues of loss, physical illness and mortality that are confronted in old age.

There are multiple barriers to the proper assessment of spirituality in clinical practice and research (e.g., the lack of professional training for healthcare professionals, shortage of time and comfort for healthcare providers when discussing spiritual issues and needs).

Integrating an individual's spiritual practice into their healthcare can help shape personalized medical care for older adults and improve health outcomes.

This article reviews literature and research on spirituality, as well as spiritual interventions and their putative neurobiological mechanisms in relation to aging, mental and physical health, and coping with death and dying.

Interest in spirituality and aging has increased recently, primarily owing to empirical research overwhelmingly demonstrating the various health benefits of spirituality and religious participation. Studies have also shown that spirituality tends to increase during later adulthood. Interestingly, this trend of increased spiritual growth and religious activities in older age people continues in modern society, despite significant secularization of the society compared with 50 years ago.