Personality Maturity doesn’t promise mental health necessarily? - The dimensional difference between spiritual health and mental health
Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the spirituality between the college students who have a religious back ground (College S students) and the general students, and to explore the difference of their components of spirituality; acts of will, joy within, awareness to the transcendence dimension, and the level of morality. Method: I administered the SBAS-TEST that was developed to measure the spirituality which appeared as the individual’s psychological maturity level to the students; the general college students in the metropolitan area (N=287)and College S students (N=107). The comparison between general students and College S students on the average of the total score, the scores of each factor (Will, Joy, and Sense) and scores of sub categories of SBAS-TEST was performed. Result: College S students showed significantly high scores (p<0.01) than the general students on the total score, Will (behavior based on their belief), Sense (awareness to the transcendent dimension), and morality. However the average score of the joy within of College S students was significantly lower than the general students. Discussion: Spirituality of College S students revealed to come from morality not with joy within which means that their mental health may not be so good. To distinguish spiritual health from mental health, describing spirituality as high morality could be useful. Conclusion: The level of mental health and spirituality is not identical. The importance that spiritual health is explained separated from mental health as the level of morality was proposed. Keywords: spirituality, spiritual health, mental health, existential depression, religious education, moral
1. Introduction
The articles showing that spirituality contributes to mental health, physical health, QOL and slutogenesis, have been accumulated. The researchers’ definitions on spirituality vary based on their theory and1 the validity of the measurement scales has limitation.
The definition of spirituality in health science can be divided into two categories. One is an existential definition like finding the meaning and purpose of life. Another category is related to positive psychological resource such as belief, hope, optimism, forgiveness and love. Relevant to spirituality, religiosity (religious faith, attending religious events, communication, and support of religious group ) has also reported to contribute to mental health, psychical health, and QOL234. Spirituality and religiosity overlap in some part but religiosity emphasizes rather its social aspects with community, on the other hand, spirituality is more referred to of the individual inner dimension5. We have reported the relationships of spirituality with SOC (sense of coherence)6, authenticity, and flow experience7. Through the series of study, we have emphasized that recognition of reality, the attitude of congruence are directly related to health rather than awareness of the transcendental dimension of spirituality. Harks et.al. define spiritual health as the spiritual dimension of a vital component of human wellness. They also addressed the components of spiritual health includes ;.meaning and purpose in life. ;self-awareness; and connectedness with self, others, and a larger reality.8These components of spiritual health are also found in the definitions of spirituality among other papers and the difference between spirituality and spiritual health is not clear. In this article we define spiritual health operationally as ‘the attitude to pursue universal goodness, the highest morality, in other words love’. The highest morality means the transformed one which is to follow the universal rule rather than social expected one but including both personal and social rules.
2.Does spirituality not contribute to health?
There are several articles which show that spirituality does not necessarily contribute to health. An epidemiological data based on more than 70000 Canadians for 15 years has shown that spirituality doesn’t contribute to mental health11. A study on African American women suffering domestic violence, Sullivan and collogues have reported that spirituality related to the high frequency of the low level of PTSD symptom8. Coker et.al. have also reported that high religiosity does not relate to lowering the problems on mental health9. Although the issue of the reliability and validity of the scale can not be denied, a conjecture will be possible. That is; To find the meaning of life in trouble functions to reconcile the situation and to stop them call for adequate help. Another suspicion is that the positive psychological resource such as optimism may cloud the vision of reality as it is and lead the unrealistically positive coping of the stress . Finding the meaning of life and optimism is usually considered to be spiritual, however when they function as a defense mechanism they may cause physical symptoms. There is data that optimists recognize the world based on unrealistic hope though they are significantly healthy and the productivity is usually high compare to the pessimists10. In the field of transpersonal psychology, existential depression is known as the process for growth toward transformation of the morality level from personal to transpersonal. There seem to be several unknown variables between spirituality and mental health. The structural concept of spirituality and health should be clarified first to explore the mechanism.
3. Purpose
The purpose of this study is to compare the spirituality between the college students who have a religious background and the general students, and to explore their difference of subcategories of spirituality; acts of will, joy within, awareness to the transcendence, and the level of morality. Then it is to propose the concept of spiritual health separated from mental health.
4.Method
The sample for this study was convenience of the general college students in the metropolitan area (N=287、M=147,F=140)average age 20.10 (SD=1.15) and College S students (N=107,M=50,F=57)average age 19.86 (SD=0.87). They responded anonymously to SBAS-TEST (Ozaki,2005) during regular classes for about 15 minutes from April to October 2005. The confidential nature of the study and no regard on the class grades of the participation of the study was informed by aural.
Instruments: SBAS-TEST is an assessment tool to measure the spirituality which appeared as the individual’s psychological maturity level, which has 30-item which are consisted of the three domains of spirituality; Will ( Spiritual Behavior), Joy ( Spiritual Attitude), and Sense (awareness for transcendental dimension) ,using five point likert scales .The instrument reliability of SBAS-TEST is determined. (internal consistency: Cronbach’s alpha = 0.82, two-week test-retest correlation :r= 0.86 in samples of 108).12) The comparison between the general students and the S-students on the average of the total score, the scores of each factor (Will, Joy, and Sense) and scores of other sub categories of SBAS-TEST(morality) was performed and t-tested on all the comparisons between the average scores to see the statistical significance.
5. Result
College S students showed significantly high scores (p<0.01) than the general students on the total score, Will (behavior based on their belief), Sense (awareness to the transcendent dimension), and morality. However the average score of the spiritual joy of College S students was significantly lower than the general students.(Table 1, Figure 1)
Table.1 Spirituality characteristics Comparison between general students and religious students
Characteristics of will joy sense morality delicacy Spirituality
Fig.1Spiritual characteristics comparison between general students and religious students(S-students)
6.Discussion
Spirituality of the S-students resulted in the awareness of the transcendental dimension (sense), act of will and morality. However, S- students showed lower scores on joy which means that their mental health may not be so good. Although to determine this hypothesis we need an objective data about their mental health assessment by measuring depression, a college counselor expresses his clinical impression in accordance with the result of this study. The reasons why S-students show their low score in Joy are thought to be the following two.
1. If the morality of S-students is under the 5th level of morality (follow the social rule and expectations) by Kohlberg, then they possibly have inner dilemma and tension between ego and super ego.
2. Even if their spirituality and morality are reached transpersonal/post conventional level, their originality and independence may cause the friction with the society and experience frustration between the social expectation and the universal rule..
The morality accompanied by spirituality is the 6th level of universal one by Kohlberg. This transformed level of morality has genuineness, openness to the world, and is free from self consciousness. At this level transpersonal psychosynthesis is achieved, and the primitive desire has accordance with the higher desire for self realization, then the frustration within is supposed to be disappeared. As a result joyful mental health will be gained. This hypothesis is congruent with Maslow’s self-realization theory. Although this inner harmony sometimes causes the friction with the world outside. We have to remember that the trial to reach self realization to pursue the highest moral may give one dilemma and tension , and might lead to serious mental issues such as existential depression. Therefore the transformed high morality may not attain mental health simply. This problem partly depends on how we define mental health and spiritual health. When we define mental health as healthy brain function, stable mood and adjustment, we possibly throw away mental suffering which is necessary to the process of psychological growth.1111 The validity of the definition of mental health needs a discussion. I have proposed to treat mental health as adjustment and well being separately from spiritual health which in this case means morality1. (figure 2)
Fig.2 The dimensional difference between Spiritual Health and Mental Health
Healthy personality, which pursues the growth and Transformation of morality, could be an indicator of healthy spirituality. By dividing spiritual health from mental health, describing spirituality as high morality could be useful. More research and consideration are needed for the structural concept of spirituality and health after the limitation of participants and the measurement scale and for the relationship between spirituality and other aspects of health (physical, mental, social).
8.Conclusion
The level of mental health and spirituality is not identical. The importance that spiritual health is explained separated from mental health as the level of morality was proposed.
References
1)Ozaki M and Oku T: The authentic meaning of Spiritual Healing; J. Intl. Soc. Life Information Sci., 25(1): in print 2007. 2)Dierendonck D.: The Construct Validity of Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Well-being and Its Extension with Spiritual Well-Being, Personality and Individual Differences, 36(3): 629-643, 2004. 3)Torosian MH ,Biddle VR: Spirituality and healing .Semin Onclo.32(2):232-236,2005 4)Doolittle Brand Farrell M:The association Between Spirituality and Depression in an Urban Clinic: J Clin Psychiatry 6(3)114-118,2004 5)Laub,eier KK,Zakowsky SG,Bair JP:The role of spirituality in the psychological adjustment to cancer:a test of transactional model of stress and coping:Int J Behav Med 11(1)48-55,2004 6) Ozaki M, Oku T and Sakano J: Authntic Spirituality Explained by Will,Joy, and Sense :The conceptual relationship with Sense of Coherence .Japaneses Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, 46 (12):1029-1034,2006 7)Ozaki M, Kobayashi K and T Oku: Healthy Spirituality and Genuineness- From the Research on Spirituality with Authenticity and Flow, J. Intl. Soc. Life Information Sci., 24(1): 165-175, 2006. 8)Hawks SR,Hull ML,Thalman RL et.al.:Review of spiritual health:definition,role and intervention strategies in health promotion, Am J Health Promot,9(5):371-378,1995 9) Baetz M,Griffin R, Bowen R et.al.:The Association Between Spiritual and Religious Involvement and Depressive Symptoms in a Canadian Population. J nerv Ment Dis.192(12)818-822,2004 10)Sullivan: 11)Coker: 12) Optimizm. In Snyder C. R. and Lopez S. J. (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology, Oxford University Press, London, 366-381, 2002. 13) Ozaki M.: Development of an Assessment Tool on Spirituality Explained by Three Domains, Will, Joy and Sense: From a Holistic Educational Approach, J. Intl. Soc. Life Information Sci., 23(2): 364-369, 2005. 14)Kohlberg 15)Assagioli 16)Maslow 17)Frankle 18)Peck
人格成熟は必ずしも精神的健康を約束しない? スピリチュアルヘルスとメンタルヘルスの相違
目的:本研究の目的は、宗教的伝統のあるS大学の学生と一般大学学生におけるスピリチュアリティーを比較し、意志の働き、内的な喜び、超越性、道徳性にどのような差があるか探索することである。その結果より、スピリチュアルヘルスとメンタルヘルスの構成概念を再考し、モデル構築をも目的とする。 方法:心理的成熟度として表れるスピリチュアリティーの測定尺度であるSBAS-TEST(尾崎、2005)を、首都圏の一般大学生(N=287)とS大学生(N=107)とに試行し、総得点、各カテゴリー、因子ごとの単純加算得点を比較した。 結果:S大学学生は、信念に基づいた行動、超越次元への気づき、倫理観、気遣い、スピリチュアリティーで、一般学生より有意に高得点を示した。しかしながら内面からあふれ出るスピリチュアルな喜びに関しては、一般学生と比較し低い傾向を示した。 考察:S大学の宗教教育を背景とするスピリチュアリティーの側面は、超越的次元への気づきと、それに伴う道徳性として表れた。しかし喜び得点が低いことから、それが必ずしも精神衛生の高さを意味しない可能性を示唆した。道徳性の高次への変容をスピリチュアル・ヘルスとして、適応中心のメンタルヘルスから区別することにより、スピリチュアリティーが、道徳性で記述できる可能性が示された。 結論:メンタルヘルスとスピリチュアリティーの高さは必ずしも一致しない。高次の道徳性は、スピリチュアル・ヘルスのひとつの指標となりうる。 Keywords: Spiritual health, mental health, existential depression, religious education, moral