Spiritual intelligence, resilience, and well-being among Aotearoa New Zealand university students : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
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Date
2021
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Massey University
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Abstract
Spiritual intelligence involves utilising the spiritual, nonmaterial, and transcendent aspects of existence to possess purpose in life and develop a higher degree of consciousness, compassion, and transcendental awareness. Existing research has highlighted the adaptive applications of spiritual intelligence, specifically its relationships with aspects of well-being. However, there is a general paucity of research in the area. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationships between spiritual intelligence and aspects of well-being–resilience, depression, anxiety, and stress–among Aotearoa New Zealand university students. Two hundred and fourteen university students enrolled in an Aotearoa New Zealand university completed an online questionnaire that measured their spiritual intelligence, resilience, depression, anxiety, and stress. The current study's findings suggest that spiritual intelligence facilitates reduced experiences of depression and stress and increased resilience. However, spiritual intelligence and anxiety were not statistically significantly associated in this study. Additionally, the relationship between spiritual intelligence scores and combined depression, anxiety, and stress scores were fully mediated by resilience scores. These findings have implications for both university students and the wider society of Aotearoa New Zealand. Given that the poor mental health of university students is detailed both on a global and national scale, an alternative approach to understanding and enhancing well-being is needed. Positing a more holistic approach to well-being allows for an alternative view of intelligence in a world that places much importance on an individual's IQ.