Investigating the relationship between spirituality and feelings of anxiety and loneliness of university students living in state dormitories: Istanbul as a case study

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between spirituality and loneliness and anxiety among students living in state dormitories in Istanbul. The method of the research is a correlational research model among quantitative research methods. The sample of the research consists of 464 university students (373 women - 91 men) living in state dormitories in Istanbul. In the research, Personal Information Form, Three-Factor Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale, and UCLA Loneliness Scale were used as data collection tools. The data was analyzed with independent groups t-test and ANOVA to determine the differences between groups. Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used for the relationship between variables, and regression-based mediation macro (Process Model 4) was applied for the analysis of the direct and indirect roles of variables in mediation analysis. According to the findings obtained, there was no significant difference in the spiritual well-being, anxiety, and loneliness scores of university students according to their genders and class levels. According to the results of the correlation analysis, a low-level significant negative relationship was found between spiritual well-being and anxiety and loneliness. A moderate-level significant positive relationship was found between anxiety and loneliness scores. According to the mediation analysis result, it has revealed the significant indirect effect of the level of spiritual well-being of university students living in dormitories on their anxiety levels. It was observed that there is a direct significant effect of spiritual well-being on anxiety in the presence of loneliness as a mediating variable. Loneliness has partially mediated the relationship between spiritual well-being and anxiety. The results of the research have been discussed within the framework of the relevant literature. Keywords: University students, loneliness, anxiety, spirituality, spiritual well-being.