The Effectiveness of Religious Therapy on the Psychological Condition of COVID-19 Patients in Isolation Treatment at a Regional Public Hospital in Indonesia

Abstract

Religious therapy is a coping strategy that can be used to deal with stress. When patients are first diagnosed with COVID-19 they may feel anxious, shocked and sad, especially when it is stated that they need to undergo isolation treatment; it can feel as if all hope and happiness has been lost. Religious coping can be used to create spiritual happiness and psychological happiness, and may help minimize or even eliminate anxiety and depression that occurs in patients undergoing isolation treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of religious therapy on the psychological condition of COVID-19 patients undergoing isolation in hospital. This research used a quasi-experimental design involving a control group. The sample included 34 respondents (17 in each group). In the intervention group, religious therapy was given by reciting dhikr sentences and prayers for the sick. The dependent t test was used to analyze the data. The findings showed a significant difference in the anxiety and depression scores before vs. after the patients were given the religious therapy intervention (p-value < 0.05 for both). Therefore, this study found that religious therapy can be effective in reducing anxiety and depression. The findings of this study could be used to provide an alternative recommendation in managing coping strategies to deal with stress among hospitalized patients. Keywords: anxiety, depression, religious therapy