The relationship between religious/spiritual perfectionism and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The present study aimed to assess the association of religious/spiritual perfectionism and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 852 individuals in Iran from June 2021 to July 2021. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Spiritual/Religious Perfectionism Scale were used for data gathering. Results: Overall, 852 participants were included. The mean age of participants was 36.92±12.07 years, and 70.5% of participants were female. The levels of anxiety (mean ±SD, 8.10±4.91) and depression (mean ±SD, 8.34±6.56) were mild. The mean Spiritual/Religious perfectionism score was 52.20±14.89. The Depression coefficient was the strongest significant predictor for Spiritual/Religious perfectionism (P<0.001, β=-0.19). Moreover, this negative coefficient shows the negative relationship between depression and Spiritual/Religious perfectionism. Conclusion: The results showed that the levels of anxiety, depression, and Spiritual/Religious perfectionism were mild, and depression negatively correlated to Spiritual/Religious perfectionism during the COVID-19 pandemic.