The relation between spirituality and health has been argued for decades. The study aimed to ascertain the extent and nature of the relationship between spirituality quantified in terms of Spiritual Intelligence (SI) and distress in ascetics. Sixty-three Hindu ascetics aged 31.3 ± 6.6 years were sampled from Patanjali Yogpeeth, India. Participants' distress and spiritual levels were measured by using the Cornell Medical Index Health Questionnaires (CMHIQs) and Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory-24 (SISRI-24), respectively. Multiple regression analyses showed an insignificant negative relationship between SI and distress implying SI as a predictor of psychosomatic health.
Keywords: Mental health; anxiety; awareness; emotional intelligence; intelligence; self-regulation.