The relationship between resilience and spiritual intelligence with the mental health of students of Khorramabad Islamic Azad University

Dissertation for MA degree

Tension: General Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between resilience and spiritual intelligence with the mental health of students of Khorramabad Islamic Azad University. The research sample consisted of 225 students who were selected in a multi-stage cluster and responded to the research tools, which were Connor and Davidson's resilience questionnaire (2003), Amram and Dreyer's (2007) spiritual intelligence questionnaire, and SCL-25 mental health questionnaire. The design of the research was descriptive and correlational. To analyze the data, simple Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression statistical methods were used. The results showed that there is a significant positive relationship between resilience and mental health of students, and there is a significant positive relationship between spiritual intelligence and mental health. Also, the regression results showed that there is a multiple relationship between resilience and spiritual intelligence with students' mental health, and spiritual intelligence is the best predictor of students' mental health.

Key words: resilience, spiritual intelligence, mental health

Introduction

Undoubtedly, the acquisition of knowledge is the most important and fundamental human activity, which plays a very fundamental role in a person's life, as well as creating He has culture, civilization and progress. The ability to acquire knowledge is one of the most advanced and necessary capabilities or complex and excellent activities of the human mind, which provides the basis for his scientific progress and makes him achieve an advanced civilization. Environmental and individual conditions play a significant role in facilitating this category (Shauran et al., 2017).

Students are among the talented and selected sections of the society and the future builders of their country, and their health and quality of life will have a great impact on learning and increasing their scientific awareness and academic success. Due to their socio-psychological situation, students experience a challenging life (Halajani, 2009).

For students, who are a dynamic group and the scientific infrastructure of society, the issue of mental health [1] is an important and serious issue, and mental health is an aspect of the general concept of physical, mental and social health, which despite the efforts made by the pioneers of mental health in the world in order to provide as much human health as possible, it is still a decisive criterion in the field of definition and complete example. Mental health does not exist in people. In addition to a healthy body, mental health requires a healthy environment and living conditions (Khoda Rahimi, 2014). Mental health plays a fundamental role in the evolution of a person's personality. It is impossible to imagine the harmonious development of a human being without mental health. Undoubtedly, many factors affect mental health, which is difficult to list all of them, because the existence of individual differences may lead to diversity in factors affecting mental health. However, the findings of research in the fields of biology and social sciences have expanded our knowledge about the factors that may affect mental health (Barna and Sawari, 2017). Mental health is a multidimensional concept and interacts with various cognitive, social, cultural and even economic dimensions. The two variables that are examined in this study for their relationship with mental health in students are resilience[2] from the psychological dimension and spiritual intelligence[3] from the spirituality dimension.

     In the late 20th century and early 21st century, resilience entered the field of transformational psychology literature and created a new revolution in the way of attitude and has found a special place in the fields of developmental psychology, family psychology and mental health. So that the number of researches related to this structure is increasing every day (Hosseini, 2013).

In recent years, resilience is considered one of the important new variables in educational and occupational environments, and the identification of this structure has created a promising and transformative vision and points to the ability of humans to adapt, overcome and even be strengthened by it in the face of disasters or life-threatening pressures. This characteristic is supported, developed and crystallized as a positive characteristic by the person's inner ability and social skills and interaction with the environment (Diener[4] et al., 2009, quoted by Faqihi, 2011).

On the other hand, spiritual intelligence is another variable that is examined in this research for its relationship with students' mental health. Spirituality is the need to transcend oneself in everyday life and integrate with someone other than oneself.This awareness may lead to experiences beyond oneself (Crichton [5], 2008).

    In some perspectives, the emotional and behavioral aspects of spiritual intelligence are emphasized. Spiritual intelligence is defined as the choice between the soul and the soul, and also as having a wise and compassionate function along with maintaining inner and outer peace in any situation. In such definitions, the aspects of seeking excellence, integrity and compassion of spiritual intelligence have been emphasized (Marashi, 1390).

Therefore, according to what has been said, considering that the student community is the scientific base and scientific development of the country, research in the direction of investigating the factors that are related to mental health and facilitate its context, can be an important step in providing a solid scientific society. Therefore, the research is in line with the relationship between cognitive and spiritual dimensions and students' mental health.      

Statement of the problem

The term mental health is a term that is used to express a specific goal for society. Every culture seeks mental health based on its own criteria, and mental health is a part of overall health (Attari and Shafa'i, 2012). Mental health refers to the health of certain aspects of a human being, such as his goal, mind, mood, and thoughts. On the other hand, mental health also affects physical health. Many recent researches have determined that a series of physical and physical disorders are related to certain psychological conditions. A person has mental health when he adapts himself to the environment by recognizing and maintaining his cognitive characteristics (Jokar and Samangan, 2013).

Mental health should not be considered as an ideal state of comfort that can be obtained through the complete elimination of disease, but health is a way of life through which an imperfect human can achieve success in facing this imperfect world without suffering pain and discomfort (Johrinia, 2015).

    In the student community, whose dynamism and cohesion can become the basis for the progress and excellence of the country, many factors are involved in mental health. Two important factors that play a significant role in the mental health of the student community are students' resilience in facing problems and their spiritual intelligence.

Resilience [6] is one of the main structures of personality and is conceptualized to understand motivation, emotion and behavior (Block [7], 2002).

Resilience is not an inherent capacity but an acquired resilient behavior. In fact, it is the process of life, a process in which everyone can overcome tensions and unfortunate events, and the result is a resilient process in real life. This structure is not only stability against damage or threatening conditions, but it is the active and constructive participation of the individual in the environment. The lack of expansion of resilience can cause negative experiences and cause incompatibility, low tolerance and non-compliance with environmental and stressful conditions and ultimately disrupt the range of mental health (Steve [8], 2011).

    Another dimension that affects mental health is spiritual intelligence [9]. Spiritual intelligence is a kind of intelligence with which we can solve problems of basis and value. The intelligence that enables people to see life in a wider and richer way and recognize the path of their activities and makes the path of life more meaningful (Marshall [10], 2000, quoted by Saidi, 2013).

Among other factors effective in reducing life problems, spirituality and spiritual tendencies. Spirituality, as an intelligence, expresses a set of abilities, capacities and spiritual resources, the use of which increases adaptability and, as a result, improves the mental health of people (King [11], 2008, quoted by Mousavi and Tamoli, 2013).

     Therefore, it can be said that, considering that the student community is dynamic, their psychological cohesion can become the basis for the progress of the country, therefore its mental health and identifying the factors that are related to it can help to reduce the psycho-social challenges of the student community. Therefore, the current research will be conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between resilience and spiritual intelligence with the mental health of students of Khorramabad Islamic Azad University. The importance and necessity of the research is clear when it is noted that according to the available statistics, Iran is a young country and the majority of its population consists of young people. Considering all these issues, the importance of students' mental health becomes more clear.