January 2024

Faith P. Hopp

African American older adults are living longer, and research suggests that a high number of African American older adults rely on their spiritual leaders for guidance on their mental health. However, there are gaps in past research on the connection between spirituality, prayer, and mental health for African American older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine how African American older adults use spirituality and prayer to cope with life difficulties. The theory of gerotranscendence was used to guide the study. The qualitative methodology of phenomenological analysis was used to collect and analyze the data. The study consists of 24 African American older adults from Flint, Michigan who described their experiences with spirituality and prayer when coping with life difficulties. Data was collected during the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic through phone interviews with analysis discovering 13 emergent themes, which included (a) relationship with spirituality; (b) power of prayer; (c) connection to God; (d) early childhood development; (e) power of believing; (f) personal experiences; (g) consistent prayer; (h) death of family/friends; (i) health issues/challenges; (j) relationship with God and church; (k) family/social network; (l) Flint water crisis survival; and (m) coronavirus pandemic resilience. The participants described the role of spirituality and prayer in their lives, how spirituality and prayer are connected to their coping skills, stressful life events that lead them to spirituality and prayer, and strategies they utilize to cope with stress or life difficulties. This research adds to the body of knowledge about African American older adults lived experiences with spirituality and prayer as they cope with difficulties in their lives. Social work practices will be informed by this research regarding increasing social work knowledge of African American older adults and enhancing services that promote a better quality of life for older adults.

Boone, Crecendra, "Aging Lives Matter: An Exploration Of Spirituality And Prayer In The Lives Of African American Older Adults" (2024). Wayne State University Dissertations. 4133.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/4133