A research on elderly individuals' life, religion and value perceptions and coping processes: The example of program 'ömür dediğin'

Senescence is defined as a period after adulthood and before death, in which physiological, cognitive and psychosocial changes become more evident compared to other periods of life. Due to the change in the population structure, the rate of elderly population in the world and in our country is increasing day by day. Accordingly, it is important to carry out studies covering different topics for elderly individuals. Within the scope of the research, it is aimed to identify the problems faced by elderly individuals with their perceptions of life, religion and values, specifically in the "Ömür Dediğin" program, and to reveal how they benefit from religious or secular coping strategies in the process of coping with these problems. In this research, the "Ömür Dediğin" program, in which elderly individuals appeared as guests, was handled and examined as a document. Program sections related to the purposeful sampling technique used in the qualitative research design were identified. In this context, the group of the study consists of all 315 episodes of the "Ömür Dediğin" program broadcast as of 20.10.2023, and the sample consists of a total of 45 participants in 43 episodes of the "Ömür Dediğin" program. Thematic and descriptive content analysis was preferred in the analysis of the opinions obtained in the study. According to the results of the research, it has been seen that religion has a central position in terms of providing a source of life and value perceptions of elderly individuals. Depending on the unique developmental characteristics of senescence, approaching death brings the idea of the afterlife to a dominant position in the individual's mind, while prayer also has an important place in meeting the individual's needs due to the decrease in physical strength. Gratitude, love and helpfulness are prominent values for elderly individuals. Although it has been observed that elderly individuals primarily benefit from religious coping strategies in the face of troublesome and challenging processes they encounter, it has also been determined that they also resort to secular coping strategies. Key Words: Psychology of Religion, Coping, Perception of Value, Perception of Religion, Perception of Life, Senescence.