Problems and coping mechanisms of Chinese religious sisters at midlife transition in Taiwan

• Main Author: Lee, Hsing-Chu
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1988
• Subjects: Monastic and religious life of women > Taiwan
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/1211
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study is an attempt to identify the problems experienced by the Chinese religious in midlife, especially problems associated with the physiological, psychological, and spiritual aspects and the corresponding coping mechanisms they used. Research design was descriptive and narrative in nature. A survey questionnaire was used to gather data. The questionnaire was conducted among 100 Religious Sisters from various congregations in Taiwan. The results of the study indicated that the dominant physiological problems were the decline of physical strengths, biological dysfunctioning, and the fear of menopause. In psychological problems, the Sisters generally manifested low in self-esteem and self-concept, lack of life satisfaction in interpersonal relationship with religious authority and other members of the religious community, and discomfort in the ministry involved. They also experienced difficulties in personal and communal prayers, the observance of the vow of poverty, and dissatisfaction in depth of intimacy with God. In comparing the significant differences of the problems between the age groups of 35 to 45 and 46 to 55, the older group suffered more physical deterioration and biological dysfunctioning than the younger ones. There were no significant differences on psychological, and spiritual problems between the two age groups. However, the findings still showed the older group experienced more psychological turmoils in the areas of regret attitudes towards their parents, feeling bored and burnout in work, low in self-love, and encountering loneliness. The younger group showed more needs of intimacy with others. The older group showed more difficulties in concentrating on praying and feeling boredom in spiritual life. All the Sisters determine seeing a doctor, taking a rest, sharing with a good friend, consulting a spiritual director, and praying as the most effective coping mechanisms to deal with the midlife transition in this study.