Religion as a Coping Mechanism for the Wellbeing of the Elderly in Accra.

Abstract

The study sought to examine how religion as a coping mechanism used by the elderly Christians and Muslims in Accra to manage stress. The objectives of the study were to investigate how religious practices and affiliations helped the old people in dealing particularly with the social issue of loneliness that results from the loss of a spouse, neglect and health issues such as diabetes, arthritis, hypertension and depression that are associated with old age. The study used qualitative research method to explore how the elderly use religion as a means of coping with daily life situations. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 7 elderly Christians and 6 elderly Muslims respondents in Taifa and Madina respectively. The study employed a semi-structured interview guide for the primary data collection. The data gathered from the interview was transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis procedure. The findings from the data revealed that the elderly used religious practices as well as secular approaches to manage stress. The use of religious practices as a means of coping with life stressors among the aged was found to enhance their wellbeing. The study concluded that religion is part of the life of the elderly persons which cannot be isolated from their way of coping with daily life stressors.