Mediating effects of religious practices and peace of mind on the relationship between gratitude and depression among Pakistani older adults

The present study aimed to explore the mediating role of religious practices and peace of mind on the relationship between gratitude and depression among Pakistani older adults. For this purpose, the Peace of Mind Scale for Older Adults, Religious Practices subscale from the Short Muslim Practices and Beliefs Scale, General Gratitude Scale, and Depression subscale from Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 were used to measure respective constructs. The scales were administered on a sample of Muslim older adults, recruited through purposive sampling, from multiple cities of Punjab, Pakistan (N = 120). Results indicated that gratitude had a significant negative effect on depression and a significant positive impact on religious practices and peace of mind. Furthermore, both religious practices and peace of mind have significant negative effects on depression. Mediation analysis revealed that both religious practices and peace of mind significantly mediated the relationship between gratitude and depression. The study offers important insights into geriatric psychology by explaining the underlying process of positive psychological constructs (in this case, gratitude) and their impact on depression among older adults.