SPIRITUALITY, RELIGIOUS ORIENTATION AND LIFE SATISFACTION IN STUDENTS; THE STUDY OF A CAUSAL MODEL

Abstract

The study of religiosity and spirituality role in mental health and research about them has recently found a particular place in the research scopes about mental health. So, the present research has investigated the relationship of spirituality and life satisfaction by the mediation of religious orientation in the causal relationship frame. The participants of this research all were chosen in the random cluster method; included 308, male students 136, female students 172; students of Shiraz University and Shiraz Medical University. We used Reed's inventory about spirituality (1986) and Allport and Rosses' inventory about internal and external orientations (1967) and the scale of life satisfaction.(Diener et al,1985). Research analysis was simultaneously multiple regressions and was based on Baroon and Keni's stages (1986). The results showed that: (a) Expected positive spirituality was in both external and internal religious orientation, however the expected ability internal orientation was high. (b)Due to religious orientation, spirituality directly indicated the expected life satisfaction.(c) Both kind of religions orientations showed the same positive life satisfaction.(d) The internal orientation was more powerful mediation associated with spirituality and students life satisfaction. It totally concluded that spirituality and religiosity were the cause of mental health significant expectation, and they had more shares in life satisfaction they made religious beliefs profound and internalized them.