Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms and Its Association with Religiosity and Spiritual Intelligence Among Adults in Rural Puducherry, India: A Community-Based Study.

ABSTRACT

Depression is a serious mental health problem globally, and its multifactorial origin and interconnections with spiritual intelligence are yet to be explored. Spiritual intelligence and religiosity are distinct concepts but share a collective goal of connecting to the divine force. This cross-sectional study (March 2021-September 2022) in rural Puducherry, India, aimed to find out the prevalence of depression and its association with spiritual intelligence and religiosity. Out of the 381 participants, 14.4% reported signs of depression, and individuals without depressive symptoms showed high levels of religious engagement and subjective religiosity. Those with low spiritual intelligence reported more depressive symptoms (15.4%) compared to those with moderate levels (3.4%). The findings highlight a significant depression burden in rural areas, emphasising the potential roles of spiritual intelligence and religiosity in mental health among diverse populations, especially the elderly.