THE EFFECTS OF IHSAN MODEL-BASED SPIRITUAL CARE ON ADULTS’ LEVELS OF DEATH ANXIETY, LONELINESS, AND DEPRESSION

Although various studies on death anxiety and psychological well-being have been identified in the literature, it has been observed that there is no academic study concerning death anxiety in which the Ihsan Model has been implemented. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of the Ihsan Model, applied within the framework of the discipline of spiritual counseling and guidance, on individuals’ death anxiety. In the study, in which the mixed research method was adopted, a true experimental design and descriptive analysis method were employed. The sample of the study consists of 9 voluntary participants over the age of 18 residing in Türkiye. In the true experimental design, participants were randomly assigned to the experimental (n=5) and control (n=4) groups. During the data collection process, the Demographic Information Form, Death Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and UCLA Loneliness Scale were administered. An intervention program based on the Ihsan Model was applied to the experimental group for 8 weeks in one-hour weekly sessions. As a result of the quantitative data analysis, statistically significant and strong decreases were observed in death anxiety, depression, and loneliness levels among individuals in the experimental group, whereas no significant change was observed in the control group. The intervention demonstrated a high effect size on death anxiety and depression, and a moderate-to-high effect size on loneliness. The descriptive analysis conducted on the qualitative data revealed that participants tended to accept and make meaning of the phenomenon of death after the intervention, expressed their loneliness experiences in a constructive manner, and demonstrated increased emotional awareness. Consequently, it was determined that the Ihsan Model is an effective spiritual care intervention that provides positive transformations in individuals’ cognitive and emotional processes.