"I Am Happy Because Of God": Religion and Spirituality for Well-Being in Ghanaian Orphanage-Placed Children

Abstract

Although religion and spirituality were not the main focus of the broader study, 4 pathways through which religion and spirituality fostered well-being in a sample of Ghanaian orphaned children placed in orphanages emerged strongly. In follow-up interviews, we sampled 20 orphaned children aged between 7 and 17 years who were placed in 4 orphanages in Accra, Ghana. All participants had previously participated in a survey. Through thematic analyses, we found that religion promoted well-being by encouraging positive emotions and aided in the coping process as well as fostered resilience and a hopeful and optimistic outlook in orphans. The implications of the findings are discussed in light of the need for psychoeducation of the orphaned children to continuously identify and strengthen social ties that enable them to make positive meaning out of orphanage placement, promote well-being, and facilitate adjustment to orphanhood.