Social Support, Spiritual Well-Being, and Quality of Life Among Muslim Converts in Indonesia

Background The process of religious conversion (before and after) is very interesting to study from a psychological perspective. In general, individuals experience various problems, including changes in perspective, difficulties with decision-making, and rejection from family and friends. Objective This study aims to investigate the mediating role of spiritual well-being in the relationship between social support and quality of life (QoL) among Muslim converts, known as “mualaf”, in Indonesia. Method Drawing upon a sample of 119 mualaf (comprising 41 males and 78 females) from diverse regions across Indonesia, the study utilised validated instruments to measure social support, spiritual well-being, and QoL. The Sobel test was employed to evaluate the mediating effect of spiritual well-being. Results The results unveiled three pivotal findings: (1) social support exerts both a direct and indirect influence on QoL, mediated by spiritual well-being; (2) a significant gender disparity is evident, with female mualaf manifesting higher levels of spiritual well-being than their male counterparts; and (3) mualaf who have recently embraced Islam (less than two years) exhibit higher spiritual well-being scores compared to those who embraced Islam for a longer duration (more than two years). Conclusion In summary, this study offers robust evidence that spiritual well-being serves as a pivotal factor in the intricate relationship between social support and QoL among Mualaf.