The Relationship Between Spiritual Connectedness, Organizational Religiousness, Self-Esteem, and Death Anxiety in Older Adults

As people age, the reality of death can become more salient and may create feelings of anxiety. Reliance on religious community or belief in a higher power can offer relief from the distress caused by death anxiety. However, various dimensions of religiousness may affect death anxiety differently. Organizational religiousness is behavioral engagement in a religious organization, while spiritual connectedness is a personal connection with a higher power. Research indicates that self-esteem―confidence in one’s worth and abilities―is associated with decreased death anxiety. Thus, this study’s purpose was to examine organizational religiousness and spiritual connectedness as predictors of change in death anxiety, using spiritual connectedness as a moderator and self-esteem as a mediator. We conducted a secondary data analysis using data from the Religion, Aging, and Health Survey (Krause, 2006). The data are from 2001 and 2004, consisting of 1,024 Christian, Black, and White older adults (65+ years old). Two hierarchical multiple regressions were used. In Model 1, we hypothesized that higher levels of organizational religiousness would predict a decrease in death anxiety, moderated by spiritual connectedness. In Model 2, we hypothesized that greater spiritual connectedness would predict a decrease in death anxiety, mediated by self-esteem. Covariates associated with death anxiety―age, education, overall health, and baseline death anxiety―were included in the analyses. In Model 1, step 1, organizational religiousness did not predict decreases in death anxiety; however, spiritual connectedness did (Beta = -.09, p \u3c .01). At step 2, the interaction between organizational religiousness and spiritual connectedness did not predict changes in death anxiety. In Model 2, step 1, greater spiritual connectedness predicted decreases in death anxiety (Beta = -.09, p \u3c .001). At step 2, greater self-esteem also predicted decreases in death anxiety beyond spiritual connectedness (Beta = -.29, p \u3c .001); however, self-esteem did not mediate the association between spiritual connectedness and death anxiety. Overall, Model 1 explained 6% and Model 2 explained 14% of the variance in death anxiety. Results suggest that, over time, older adults with a stronger sense of spiritual connectedness experience reduced death anxiety, and those with higher levels of self-esteem further experience decreased death anxiety