The Transformation of Religiosity in Individuals with Cognitive Impairment

Religion and spirituality are important components of life for many older adults; however, religious practices and involvement can be cognitively demanding. Those older adults who develop cognitive impairment may experience a shift in their religious practices. The present study sought to compare cognitively impaired older adults and those without impairment on measures of intrinsic religiosity, interpersonal religiosity, and religious practices. The cognitively impaired group was found to have higher levels of intrinsic and interpersonal religiosity, with lower scores on a measure of religious practices. These findings suggest that religiosity becomes less extrinsic and more intrinsic as individuals develop cognitive impairment.