<![CDATA[Older adults in urban religious congregations (pengajian) frequently experience psychological challenges such as stress, loneliness, and mild depression, in addition to physical decline, which can restrict independence and social participation. Bibliotherapy, the guided use of reading materials to support psychological well-being, is a low-cost, literacy-based approach that can be integrated with Islamic values. Objective: This community service (PkM) program aimed to improve knowledge of stress self-management among older members of the Pimpinan Ranting Muhammadiyah (PRM) congregation in Sukapura, Kiaracondong District, Bandung City, through a structured bibliotherapy intervention. Methods: A one-group pre-test post-test design was applied to 42 participants. The intervention comprised four sessions (orientation and ablution, dzikr (remembrance) management, emotional support and tadabbur (reflective contemplation), and evaluation) integrated into the regular monthly congregational meeting, followed by mentoring in the second and fourth weeks. Knowledge of stress self-management was measured with a [n]-item questionnaire immediately before and after the intervention. Results: Most participants were aged 51–60 years (47.6%) and held an undergraduate degree (40.5%). The mean knowledge score increased from [mean ± SD pre-test] to [mean ± SD post-test], an increase of 23.97%. The proportion of participants with high knowledge increased from 0% to 31.0%, while those with low knowledge decreased from 76.2% to 23.8%. Conclusion: A structured, Islamic values-based bibliotherapy program is feasible and can improve older adults’ knowledge of stress self-management. Because stress itself was not measured, further studies using validated measures of stress and self-care and controlled designs are needed to determine effects beyond knowledge.]]>
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