Predicting Dimensions of Psychological Well Being Based on Religious Orientations and Spirituality: An Investigation into a Causal Model

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of predicting psychological well-being based on spirituality and religiousness. METHODS A sample of 300 participants was selected from the whole entrants to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and Shiraz University using a random cluster sampling. The tools of this study were the Spiritual Scale of Ironson, the Internal and External Orientations of Allport and Ross, Spiritual Religious Orientation of Betson and Showinerdand and the Psychological Well-Being Scale. To analyze the results of this study, we used the statistical method of Pearson correlation and we also performed the path analysis. Multiple regressions were used in a hierarchical simultaneous way in accordance with the stages of Barron and Kenny. RESULTS The following results were obtained in this study: 1)Spirituality positively predicted two religious orientations (question and internal) among which the internal spirituality possessed a higher degree of predictability; 2)Through intra-religious orientation, and in a direct way, spirituality predicted psychological well-being; 3)The internal orientation was the only strong mediator in the relationship between spirituality and psychological well-being. CONCLUSION Spirituality and religiosity were significant determinants of mental health, and they had more shares in psychological well-being, and made religious beliefs profound and internalized them.