Spiritual Assessment within Clinical Interventions Focused on Quality of Life Assessment in Palliative Care: A Secondary Analysis of a Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianluca Catania

2016-03-01

Full Text Available One of the most crucial palliative care challenges is in determining how patients’ needs are defined and assessed. Although physical and psychological needs are commonly documented in patient’s charts, spiritual needs are less frequently reported. The aim of this review was to determine which explicit, longitudinal documentation of spiritual concerns would sufficiently affect clinical care to alleviate spiritual distress or promote spiritual wellbeing. A secondary analysis of a systematic review originally aimed at appraising the effectiveness of complex interventions focused on quality of life in palliative care was conducted. Five databases were searched for articles reporting interventions focused on QoL including at least two or more QoL dimensions. A narrative synthesis was performed to synthesize findings. In total, 10 studies were included. Only three studies included spiritual wellbeing assessment. Spirituality tools used to assess spiritual wellbeing were different between studies: Hospital QoL Index 14; Spiritual Needs Inventory; Missoula-Vitas QoL Index; and the Needs Assessment Tool: Progressive Disease-Cancer. Only one study reported a healthcare professional’s session training in the use of the QoL tool. Two out of three studies showed in participants an improvement in spiritual wellbeing, but changes in spiritual wellbeing scores were not significant. Overall patients receiving interventions focused on QoL assessment experienced both improvements in their QoL and in their spiritual needs. Although spiritual changes were not significant, the results provide evidence that a spiritual need exists and that spiritual care should be appropriately planned and delivered. Spiritual needs assessment precedes spiritual caring. It is essential that interventions focused on QoL assessment in palliative care include training on how to conduct a spiritual assessment and appropriate interventions to be offered to patients to address their

Assess the Relationship between Workplace Spirituality and Organizational Commitment of Administrative Staff of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: One of the hidden factors, however, influences the behavior of employees, their commitment to the organization and their jobs. Thus, identifying factors affecting the organizational commitment is an important task of managers that in this study, the role of workplace spirituality in its occurrence are discussed. Methods: The present study was conducted to assess the relationship between workplace spirituality and organizational commitment. This is a descriptive - correlation study that 151 Administrative Staff of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences was selected by random sampling method in December. The study instruments included workplace spirituality Questionnaire (Milliman et al. 2003 and organizational commitment (Linz, 2003. The scores were analyzed using the Spearman correlation coefficient and multiple regression by Software SPSS17. Results: between workplace spirituality and its three components (meaningful work, a sense of solidarity and alignment values there was a significant positive correlation with the organizational commitment staff (p<0/01. Also, all three components of spirituality at work ability to predict organizational commitment staff (p<0/05. Conclusion: With the development of workplace spirituality, meaningful work, a sense of solidarity and alignment values in organizations, Can be accepted that organizational commitment of employees increases.

Religion, Spirituality and Speech-Language Pathology: A Viewpoint for Ensuring Patient-Centred Holistic Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathisen, Bernice; Carey, Lindsay B; Carey-Sargeant, Christa L; Webb, Gwendalyn; Millar, CaraJane; Krikheli, Lilli

2015-12-01

This paper presents a viewpoint concerning the largely neglected clinical relevance of spirituality and religious belief in speech-language pathology (SLP) assessments, interventions and outcomes across the lifespan. An overview of the refereed SLP literature is presented with regard to religion and spirituality. It was found that while there is increasing research with regard to spirituality, health and well-being, there is very little specific to SLP. What is available and clinically relevant, generally relates to holistic care and/or cultural and linguistic diversity. Amidst the health care literature, however, there is a growing number of recommended instruments (for religious/spiritual screening) sensitive to intercultural and interfaith issues that are currently available to medical, nursing, allied health and chaplaincy practitioners. These instruments can also be of value to SLPs to ensure holistic assessments and interventions. It would seem timely for SLPs (and other allied health practitioners) to consider including spiritual screenings/assessments as part of their clinical practice so as to ensure appropriate holistic care. This would also mean undertaking research and including relevant education within tertiary institutions and professional development programs.

Filipino Nurses' Spirituality and Provision of Spiritual Nursing Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Labrague, Leodoro J; McEnroe-Petitte, Denise M; Achaso, Romeo H; Cachero, Geifsonne S; Mohammad, Mary Rose A

2016-12-01

This study was to explore the perceptions of Filipino nurses' spirituality and the provision of spiritual nursing care. A descriptive, cross-sectional, and quantitative study was adopted for this study. The study was conducted in the Philippines utilizing a convenience sample of 245 nurses. Nurses' Spirituality and Delivery of Spiritual Care (NSDSC) was used as the main instrument. The items on NSDSC with higher mean scores related to nurses' perception of spirituality were Item 7, "I believe that God loves me and cares for me," and Item 8, "Prayer is an important part of my life," with mean scores of 4.87 (SD = 1.36) and 4.88 (SD = 1.34), respectively. Items on NSDSC with higher mean scores related to the practice of spiritual care were Item 26, "I usually comfort clients spiritually (e.g., reading books, prayers, music, etc.)," and Item 25, "I refer the client to his/her spiritual counselor (e.g., hospital chaplain) if needed," with mean scores of 3.16 (SD = 1.54) and 2.92 (SD = 1.59). Nurse's spirituality correlated significantly with their understanding of spiritual nursing care (r = .3376, p ≤ .05) and delivery of spiritual nursing care (r = .3980, p ≤ .05). Positive significant correlations were found between understanding of spiritual nursing care and delivery of spiritual nursing care (r = .3289, p ≤ .05). For nurses to better provide spiritual nursing care, they must care for themselves through self-awareness, self-reflection, and developing a sense of satisfaction and contentment. © The Author(s) 2015.

Cultural adaptation and analysis of the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Spiritual Distress Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Simão, Talita Prado; Lopes Chaves, Erika de Cássia; Campos de Carvalho, Emília; Nogueira, Denismar Alves; Carvalho, Camila Csizmar; Ku, Ya-Li; Iunes, Denise Hollanda

2016-01-01

To culturally adapt and test the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Spiritual Distress Scale. In Brazil, there is currently a lack of validated instruments that assess the spiritual dimension, which includes the spiritual distress phenomenon that can be experienced at different moments in a person's life. This can include times when a person is affected by a disease such as cancer, which occurs suddenly and causes significant life changes. Methodological and cross-sectional study. Cultural adaptation of the Spiritual Distress Scale was performed using translation and back-translation stages, evaluation of cultural equivalence, committee review and pretesting. An interview using the Brazilian version of the scale was conducted with 170 patients in a cancer treatment unit of a charitable general hospital (not state funded). The following psychometric properties were evaluated: construct validity (divergence and factor analysis) and internal consistency/reliability (Cronbach's α and Kappa). Reliability analysis in the intra- and inter-rater phase showed that more than half of the items had Kappa values > 0·75. A correlation between the Spiritual Well-Being Scale and the Spiritual Distress Scale was found. Overall, the Spiritual Distress Scale showed a Cronbach's α of 0·87, with three of its four domains showing significant parameters. The Brazilian version of the Spiritual Distress Scale proved to be a reliable, valid and efficient instrument that is capable of assessing spiritual distress. The Brazilian Spiritual Distress Scale presented reliability and validity parameters that correspond to the original English version of the scale. The existence of an internationally validated instrument that assesses spiritual distress will assist healthcare professionals and researchers in recognising this phenomenon in clinical practice. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Spiritual Well-Being as a Component of Health-Related Quality of Life: The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason M. Bredle

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp-12 is a 12-item questionnaire that measures spiritual well-being in people with cancer and other chronic illnesses. Cancer patients, psychotherapists, and religious/spiritual experts provided input on the development of the items. It was validated with a large, ethnically diverse sample. It has been successfully used to assess spiritual well-being across a wide range of religious traditions, including those who identify themselves as “spiritual yet not religious.” Part of the larger FACIT measurement system that assesses multidimensional health related quality of life (HRQOL, the FACIT-Sp-12 has been translated and linguistically validated in 15 languages and has been used in dozens of studies examining the relationships among spiritual well-being, health, and adjustment to illness.

Spiritual Well-Being as a Component of Health-Related Quality of Life: The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp)

OpenAIRE

Bredle, Jason M.; Salsman, John M.; Debb, Scott M.; Arnold, Benjamin J.; Cella, David

2011-01-01

The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp-12) is a 12-item questionnaire that measures spiritual well-being in people with cancer and other chronic illnesses. Cancer patients, psychotherapists, and religious/spiritual experts provided input on the development of the items. It was validated with a large, ethnically diverse sample. It has been successfully used to assess spiritual well-being across a wide range of religious traditions, including those w...

Evaluation of using the Chinese version of the Spirituality Index of Well-Being (SIWB) scale in Taiwanese elders.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yi-Hui; Salman, Ali

2016-11-01

Spirituality and spiritual well-being have emerged as important indicators for one's quality of life and health outcomes. Nursing as a profession is concerned with a holistic approach to improve health and overall well-being. To evaluate the outcomes of holistic nursing interventions, using valid and reliable instruments to assess spiritual well-being becomes necessary. There is a lack of instruments for measuring spiritual well-being in Chinese populations. Little has been known about the feasibility of using the Spirituality Index of Well-Being (SIWB) in Taiwanese elders. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the uses of the translated Chinese version of the Spirituality Index of Well-Being (SIWB-C) with Taiwanese elders. A total of 150 individual who were 65 years old or older and living in southern Taiwan were recruited from a public community center. A four-step procedure was used to translate the English version of the SIWB to the traditional Chinese language. Internal consistency, factor analysis, and correlation coefficient were conducted to evaluate the reliability and validity of the SIWB-C. The SIWB-C demonstrated a high internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha .95. The construct validity of SIWB-C was supported by factor analysis and by significant correlations with its subscales and the CES-D scale. The psychometric analysis indicates that the SIWB-C is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring spiritual well-being. This instrument provides a feasible and valid approach for assessing Taiwanese elders' spiritual well-being in the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measures of spiritual and transpersonal constructs for use in yoga research

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Douglas A; Friedman, Harris L

2009-01-01

This article presents information on standardized paper-and-pencil measures of spiritual and transpersonal constructs that hold promise for use in yoga research. Nine instruments are discussed at length including the Assessment Schedule for Altered States of Consciousness, Ego Grasping Orientation, Expressions of Spirituality Inventory, Hindu Religious Coping Scale, Measures of Hindu Pathways, Self-Expansiveness Level Form, Spiritual Orientation Inventory, Spiritual Transcendence Scale, and the Vedic Personality Inventory. As well, a listing of an additional 14 measures, along with primary citations, is provided. In conclusion, the authors proffer recommendations for the use of psychometric tests and provide a general proposal for programmatic research. PMID:21234209

Spiritual assessment of patients with cancer: the moral authority, vocational, aesthetic, social, and transcendent model.

Science.gov (United States)

Skalla, Karen; McCoy, J Patrick

2006-07-01

To explore the nature of spiritual care in patients with cancer and discuss the Moral Authority, Vocational, Aesthetic, Social, and Transcendent (Mor-VAST) Model, a new theoretical model for assessment. Published articles, online references. Discussions regarding spirituality often do not occur for a variety of reasons but may affect physical and spiritual health of an individual. Assessment of spirituality should be an integral part of cancer care. The Mor-VAST model can assist clinicians in discussing spirituality. Nurses should be aware of resources for referral to chaplaincy, but they can be a part of the process of spiritual support. Educational opportunities are available for nurses who wish to address their own spirituality so they can address spirituality comfortably and confidently with their patients.

Assessing Students' Spiritual and Religious Qualities

Science.gov (United States)

Astin, Alexander W.; Astin, Helen S.; Lindholm, Jennifer A.

2011-01-01

This paper describes a comprehensive set of 12 new measures for studying undergraduate students' spiritual and religious development. The three measures of spirituality, four measures of "spiritually related" qualities, and five measures of religiousness demonstrate satisfactory reliability, robustness, and both concurrent and predictive validity.…

You Can’t Beat Relating with God for Spiritual Well-Being: Comparing a Generic Version with the Original Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire Called SHALOM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Fisher

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The Spiritual Health And Life-Orientation Measure (SHALOM is a 20-item instrument that assesses the quality of relationships of the respondent with self, others, the environment and/or a Transcendent Other. In the Transcendental domain, four of the five items had the words ‘God, ‘Divine’ and ‘Creator’ replaced by the word ‘Transcendent’ to make the survey more generic by removing any implied reference to any god or religion. Invitations to complete a web survey were sent to people who had published papers in spirituality, or belonged to associations for spirituality or religious studies, as well as the Australian Atheist Forum. 409 respondents from 14 geographic regions, completed the survey. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the modified, generic form of SHALOM showed acceptable model fit, comprising four clearly delineated domains of spiritual well-being. The paper analyses the results derived from using the modified, generic version and, in comparison with results of applications of the original survey instrument, concludes with discussion of the comparative utility of each of the versions of SHALOM. Further studies with more people are warranted, but, from evidence presented here, it looks like you can’t beat relating with God for spiritual well-being.

Psychometric testing of the properties of the spiritual health scale short form.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, Ya-Chu; Chiang, Yi-Chien; Lee, Hsiang-Chun; Han, Chin-Yen

2013-11-01

To further examine the psychometric properties of the spiritual health scale short form, including its reliability and validity. Spirituality is one of the main factors associated with good health outcomes. A reliable and valid instrument to measure spirituality is essential to identify the spiritual needs of an individual and to evaluate the effect of spiritual care. A cross-sectional study design was used. The study was conducted in six nursing schools in northern, central and southern Taiwan. The inclusion criterion for participants was nursing students with clinical practice experience. Initially, 1141 participants were recruited for the study, but 67 were absent and 48 did not complete the questionnaires. A total of 1026 participants were finally recruited, indicating a response rate of 89·9%. The psychometric testing of the spiritual health scale short form included construct validity with confirmatory factor analysis, known-group validity and internal consistency reliability. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported the five-factor model as an acceptable model fit. In the known-group validity, the results indicated that people who are in the category of primary religious affiliation have better spiritual health than people in the category of secondary religious affiliation and atheism. The result also indicated that the 24-item spiritual health scale short form achieved an acceptable internal consistency coefficient. The findings suggest that the spiritual health scale short form is a valid and reliable instrument for the appraisal of individual spiritual health. The spiritual health scale short form could provide useful information to guide clinical practice in assessing and managing people's spiritual health in Taiwan. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Association between Spirituality and Adherence to Management in Outpatients with Heart Failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juglans Souto Alvarez

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Spirituality may influence how patients cope with their illness. Objectives: We assessed whether spirituality may influence adherence to management of outpatients with heart failure. Methods: Cross sectional study enrolling consecutive ambulatory heart failure patients in whom adherence to multidisciplinary treatment was evaluated. Patients were assessed for quality of life, depression, religiosity and spirituality utilizing validated questionnaires. Correlations between adherence and psychosocial variables of interest were obtained. Logistic regression models explored independent predictors of adherence. Results: One hundred and thirty patients (age 60 ± 13 years; 67% male were interviewed. Adequate adherence score was observed in 38.5% of the patients. Neither depression nor religiosity was correlated to adherence, when assessed separately. Interestingly, spirituality, when assessed by both total score sum (r = 0.26; p = 0.003 and by all specific domains, was positively correlated to adherence. Finally, the combination of spirituality, religiosity and personal beliefs was an independent predictor of adherence when adjusted for demographics, clinical characteristics and psychosocial instruments. Conclusion: Spirituality, religiosity and personal beliefs were the only variables consistently associated with compliance to medication in a cohort of outpatients with heart failure. Our data suggest that adequately addressing these aspects on patient’s care may lead to an improvement in adherence patterns in the complex heart failure management.

Frequency, intensity, and correlates of spiritual pain in advanced cancer patients assessed in a supportive/palliative care clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Delgado-Guay, Marvin Omar; Chisholm, Gary; Williams, Janet; Frisbee-Hume, Susan; Ferguson, Andrea O; Bruera, Eduardo

2016-08-01

Regular assessments of spiritual distress/spiritual pain among patients in a supportive/palliative care clinic (SCPC) are limited or unavailable. We modified the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) by adding spiritual pain (SP) to the scale (0 = best, 10 = worst) to determine the frequency, intensity, and correlates of self-reported SP (≥1/10) (pain deep in your soul/being that is not physical) among these advanced cancer patients. We reviewed 292 consecutive consults of advanced cancer patients (ACPs) who were evaluated at our SCPC between October of 2012 and January of 2013. Symptoms were assessed using the new instrument (termed the ESAS-FS). The median age of patients was 61 (range = 22-92). Some 53% were male; 189 (65%) were white, 45 (15%) African American, and 34 (12%) Hispanic. Some 123 of 282 (44%) of ACPs had SP (mean (95% CI) = 4(3.5-4.4). Advanced cancer patients with SP had worse pain [mean (95% CI) = 5.3(4.8, 5.8) vs. 4.5(4.0, 5.0)] (p = 0.02); depression [4.2(3.7, 4.7) vs. 2.1(1.7, 2.6), p well-being [5.4(4.9, 5.8) vs. 4.5(4.1, 4.9), p = 0.0136]; and financial distress (FD) [4.4(3.9, 5.0) vs. 2.2(1.8, 2.7), p Spiritual pain correlated (Spearman) with depression (r = 0.45, p well-being (r = 0.27, p = 0.0006), nausea (r = 0.29, p = 0.0002), and financial distress (r = 0.42, p Spiritual pain, which is correlated with physical and psychological distress, was reported in more than 40% of ACPs. Employment of the ESAS-FS allows ACPs with SP to be identified and evaluated in an SCPC. More research is needed.

Validation of the Portuguese version of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being scale (FACIT-Sp 12) among Brazilian psychiatric inpatients.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucchetti, Giancarlo; Lucchetti, Alessandra Lamas Granero; de Bernardin Gonçalves, Juliane Piasseschi; Vallada, Homero P

2015-02-01

Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being scale (FACIT-Sp 12) is one of the most used and most validated instruments for assessing spiritual well-being in the world. Some Brazilian studies have used this instrument without, however, assessing its psychometric properties. The present study aims to validate the Portuguese version of the FACIT-Sp 12 among Brazilian psychiatric inpatients. A self-administered questionnaire, covering spiritual well-being (FACIT-Sp 12), depression, anxiety, religiosity, quality of life, and optimism, was administered. Of those who met the inclusion criteria, 579 patients were invited to participate and 493 (85.1 %) were able to fill out the FACIT-Sp 12 twice (test and retest). Subsequently, the validation analysis was carried out. Estimation of test-retest reliability, discriminant, and convergent validity was determined by the Spearman's correlation test, and the internal consistency was examined by the Cronbach's alpha. The sample was predominantly male (63.9 %) with a mean age of 35.9 years, and the most common psychiatric condition was bipolar disorder (25.7 %) followed by schizophrenia (20.4 %), drug use (20.0 %), and depression (17.6 %) according to ICD-10. The total FACIT-Sp 12 scale as well as the subscales demonstrated high internal consistency (coefficient alphas ranging from 0.893 for the total scale to 0.655 for the Meaning subscale), good convergent and divergent validity, and satisfactory test-retest reliability (rho = 0.699). The Portuguese version of FACIT-Sp 12 is a valid and reliable measure to use in Brazilian psychiatric inpatients. The availability of a brief and broad measure of spiritual well-being can help the study of spirituality and its influence on health by researchers from countries that speak the Portuguese language.

Psychometric assessment of the Spiritual Climate Scale Arabic version for nurses in Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, Jonas Preposi; Albaqawi, Hamdan Mohammad; Alharbi, Sami Melbes; Alicante, Jerico G; Vitorino, Luciano M; Abunab, Hamzeh Y

2017-12-07

To assess the psychometric properties of the Spiritual Climate Scale Arabic version for Saudi nurses. Evidence showed that a high level of spiritual climate in the workplace is associated with increased productivity and performance, enhanced emotional intelligence, organisational commitment and job satisfaction among nurses. A convenient sample of 165 Saudi nurses was surveyed in this descriptive, cross-sectional study. Cronbach's α and intraclass correlation coefficient of the 2 week test-retest scores were computed to establish reliability. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to support the validity of the Spiritual Climate Scale Arabic version. The Spiritual Climate Scale Arabic version manifested excellent content validity. Exploratory factor analysis supported a single factor with an explained variance of 73.2%. The Cronbach's α values of the scale ranged from .79 to .88, while the intraclass correlation coefficient value was .90. The perceived spiritual climate was associated with the respondents' hospital, gender, age and years of experience. Findings of this study support the sound psychometric properties of the Spiritual Climate Scale Arabic version. The Spiritual Climate Scale Arabic version can be used by nurse managers to assess the nurses' perception of the spiritual climate in any clinical area. This process can lead to spiritually centred interventions, thereby ensuring a clinical climate that accepts and respects different spiritual beliefs and practices. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Increasing the Number of Outpatients Receiving Spiritual Assessment: A Pain and Palliative Care Service Quality Improvement Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez-Castillo, Blanca J; Hirsch, Rosemarie; Groninger, Hunter; Baker, Karen; Cheng, M Jennifer; Phillips, Jayne; Pollack, John; Berger, Ann M

2015-11-01

Spirituality is a patient need that requires special attention from the Pain and Palliative Care Service team. This quality improvement project aimed to provide spiritual assessment for all new outpatients with serious life-altering illnesses. Percentage of new outpatients receiving spiritual assessment (Faith, Importance/Influence, Community, Address/Action in care, psychosocial evaluation, chaplain consults) at baseline and postinterventions. Interventions included encouraging clinicians to incorporate adequate spiritual assessment into patient care and implementing chaplain covisits for all initial outpatient visits. The quality improvement interventions increased spiritual assessment (baseline vs. postinterventions): chaplain covisits (25.5% vs. 50%), Faith, Importance/Influence, Community, Address/Action in care completion (49% vs. 72%), and psychosocial evaluation (89% vs. 94%). Improved spiritual assessment in an outpatient palliative care clinic setting can occur with a multidisciplinary approach. This project also identifies data collection and documentation processes that can be targeted for improvement. Published by Elsevier Inc.

First-year Student Pharmacists' Spirituality and Perceptions Regarding the Role of Spirituality in Pharmacy Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, Bobby; White, Annesha; Shogbon, Angela

2017-08-01

Objective: To measure student pharmacists' spirituality utilizing validated survey instruments and to determine perceptions regarding the anticipated role of spirituality in academic course work and professional practice. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study. The survey was offered to all first-year student pharmacists during the first week of the fall semester (2012-2015). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. Results: A total of 580 students (98%) participated. The majority of students reported having each of the spiritual experiences on most days of the week or more frequently (58% to 89% based on individual item). Furthermore, 57% of students anticipate that matters of spirituality would be significant components of academic course work and 75% anticipate they would be incorporated into eventual professional practice settings. These perceptions were positively correlated to measures of spirituality and religiosity. Conclusion: These findings suggest that faculty should evaluate current and future incorporation of topics related to spirituality and health in pharmacy curriculum.

Iranian nurses' professional competence in spiritual care in 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Adib-Hajbaghery, Mohsen; Zehtabchi, Samira; Fini, Ismail Azizi

2017-06-01

The holistic approach views the human as a bio-psycho-socio-spiritual being. Evidence suggests that among these dimensions, the spiritual one is largely ignored in healthcare settings. This study aimed to evaluate Iranian nurses' perceived professional competence in spiritual care, the relationship between perceived competence and nurses' personal characteristics, and barriers to provide spiritual care. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the year 2014. Participants and research context: The study population consisted of nurses working in teaching hospitals in Kashan city. Using a stratified, systematic random method, 250 samples were selected from a total of 1400 nurses. An indigenous instrument was used to assess the nurses' competencies in spiritual care. Ethical considerations: A research ethics committee approved the study. All the participants were briefed on the study aims, were assured of the confidentiality of their personal information, and signed a written informed consent. Among a total of 250 nurses, 239 answered the questionnaire completely, and in total, 23%, 51%, and 26% had poor, moderate, and favorable competence in spiritual care, respectively. No significant differences were found between the mean competence scores of spiritual care in terms of gender, marital status, employment status, and level of qualification. Significant difference was found between nurses' overall score of competence in spiritual care and receiving training on spiritual care, nurses' position, and the ward they worked in. Confirming the findings of the international literature, this study puts light on the situation of nurses' perceived competence and barriers to providing spiritual care in Iran as an eastern and Islamic context. Three-quarters of the nurses had moderate or unfavorable competence in spiritual care. Due to the crucial role of spiritual care in quality of care and patient satisfaction, nurses should be trained and supported to provide spiritual care.

Attitudes Toward Spirituality and Spiritual Care among Iranian Nurses and Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Babamohamadi, Hassan; Ahmadpanah, Mahsa-Sadat; Ghorbani, Raheb

2017-08-22

Addressing spiritual needs is taken into account as an integral part of holistic health care and also an important component of nursing practice. The aim of present study is to evaluate attitudes toward spirituality and spiritual care among nurses and nursing students at Semnan University of Medical Sciences in Iran. In this cross-sectional study, all nurses (n = 180) working in the teaching hospitals affiliated to Semnan University of Medical Sciences as well as senior nursing students (n = 50) selected by the census method. Finally, 168 individuals meeting the inclusion criteria were evaluated as the study sample. The data collection instrument was the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale. The mean and standard deviation scores of attitudes toward spirituality and spiritual care among nurses and nursing students were 59 ± 10.9, and the scores obtained by the majority of study population (64.3%) ranged between 32 and 62 which were at a moderate and relatively desirable level. Nurses and nursing students working in aforementioned hospitals reported positive attitudes to spirituality and spiritual care. Given the importance of spiritual care and also the moderate level of spirituality and spiritual care among nurses and nursing students in this study, institutionalization of the concept of spirituality, provision of an appropriate context to deliver such care, and also implementation of interventions in order to improve spiritual care along with other nursing skills were assumed of utmost importance.

Workplace spirituality and organizational citizenship behavior: Evidence from banking industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Ghorbanifar

2014-08-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the relationship between workplace Spirituality and Organization Citizenship behavior (OCB in banks located in province of Sari, Iran. The statistical population of research includes the employees of Sari's Banks including Melli, Ghavamin, Saderat, Keshavarzi, Mellat,Tejarat, Saman, Parsian, Sarmaye, Pasargad and Karafarin. We used a questionnaire with 45 questions as an instrument for collecting research data. The questionnaire was designed based on workplace spirituality (Milliman et al., 2003 [Milliman, J., Czaplewski, A., & Ferguson, J. (2003. Workplace spirituality and employee work attitudes, an exploratory empirical assessment. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 16(4, 426-447.] and organizational citizenship behavior (Podsakoff et al., 1990 [Podsakoff, P., MacKenzie, S., Paine, J., & Bachrach, D. (2000. Organizational citizenship behaviors: A critical review of the theoretical and empirical literature and suggestions for future research. Journal of Management, 26(3, 513–563.]. Findings show that there was a meaningful relationship between workplace Spirituality and Organization Citizenship behavior. The results also indicated that there was a positive relationship between work spirituality and Organization Citizenship behavior in Sari's Bank.

Investigation of the factor structure of the mental, physical and spiritual well-being scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diane L. Green

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The importance of mental, physical and spirituality in coping with violence is becoming increasingly recognized. As such, scales measuring these constructs are instrumental in assessment of clients from a holistic and strengths perspective, the foundation of social work. This article examines the factor structure of the Mental, Physical and Spiritual Well-being scale. The MPS is a 30 item, easy to administer, self report measure. The MPS was administered to 175 crime victims to assess whether or not the three factor structure fits the data from the sample. Exploratory statistical procedures were used to reduce data through principle component analysis identified three factors with eigenvalues greater than 1.0 and a cumulative variance of 57%. Recommendations are made for utilizing this brief self-report instrument in assessing victims of crime and training social workers and other practitioners.

Spiritual Dryness as a Measure of a Specific Spiritual Crisis in Catholic Priests: Associations with Symptoms of Burnout and Distress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arndt Büssing

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Spirituality/religiosity is recognized as a resource to cope with burdening life events and chronic illness. However, less is known about the consequences of the lack of positive spiritual feelings. Spiritual dryness in clergy has been described as spiritual lethargy, a lack of vibrant spiritual encounter with God, and an absence of spiritual resources, such as spiritual renewal practices. To operationalize experiences of “spiritual dryness” in terms of a specific spiritual crisis, we have developed the “spiritual dryness scale” (SDS. Here, we describe the validation of the instrument which was applied among other standardized questionnaires in a sample of 425 Catholic priests who professionally care for the spiritual sake of others. Feelings of “spiritual dryness” were experienced occasionally by up to 40%, often or even regularly by up to 13%. These experiences can explain 44% of variance in daily spiritual experiences, 30% in depressive symptoms, 22% in perceived stress, 20% in emotional exhaustion, 19% in work engagement, and 21% of variance of ascribed importance of religious activity. The SDS-5 can be used as a specific measure of spiritual crisis with good reliability and validity in further studies.

Distinguishing Between Spiritual Distress, General Distress, Spiritual Well-Being, and Spiritual Pain Among Cancer Patients During Oncology Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Michael; Meged-Book, Tehilah; Mashiach, Tanya; Bar-Sela, Gil

2017-07-01

Spiritual distress is present in approximately 25% of oncology patients. We examined the extent to which this measure is identical to a variety of other measures, such as spiritual well-being, spiritual injury, spiritual pain, and general distress. Structured interview of oncology outpatients over 12 months, approached nonselectively. The presence or absence of spiritual distress was compared against spiritual pain and two spiritual well-being tools: Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being 12-Item Scale (FACIT-Sp-12) and the Spiritual Injury Scale (SIS). We also examined whether a general distress visual analogue scale sufficed to identify spiritual distress. Other questions concerned demographic and clinical data. Of 416 patients approached, 202 completed the interview, of whom 23% reported spiritual distress. All measures showed significant correlation (receiver operating characteristic, area under the curve: SIS 0.79; distress thermometer [DT] 0.68; FACIT-Sp-12 0.67), yet none were identical with spiritual distress (sensitivity/specificity: SIS 64%/79%; spiritual pain 72%/76%; DT 41%/76%; FACIT-Sp-12 57%/72%). Of the FACIT-Sp-12 subscales, only peace correlated with spiritual distress. A significant predictor of spiritual distress was patients' self-evaluation of grave clinical condition (odds ratio 3.3; 95% CI 1.1-9.5). Multivariable analysis of individual measure items suggests an alternative three-parameter model for spiritual distress: not feeling peaceful, feeling unable to accept that this is happening, and perceived severity of one's illness. The DT is not sufficient to identify spiritual distress. The peace subscale of FACIT-Sp-12 is a better match than the measure as a whole. The SIS is the best match for spiritual distress, although an imperfect one. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spirituality and spiritual care in Iran: nurses' perceptions and barriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zakaria Kiaei, M; Salehi, A; Moosazadeh Nasrabadi, A; Whitehead, D; Azmal, M; Kalhor, R; Shah Bahrami, E

2015-12-01

effectively approach spiritual care as a beneficial component of holistic care. It is proposed that more emphasis is placed on integrating spirituality content into educational programmes to enable more effective clinical delivery. In addition, it would be beneficial to implement more widespread cultural assessment in order to further benefit spiritual care practices. © 2015 International Council of Nurses.

Nursing students' spiritual well-being, spirituality and spiritual care.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbasi, Mojgan; Farahani-Nia, Marhamat; Mehrdad, Neda; Givari, Azam; Haghani, Hamid

2014-05-01

Spiritual care should be considered an important part of holistic and multidisciplinary care and it has not been given much importance so far. We should begin with student nurses, who will soon be clinicians, to find out about potentiality of the nursing profession to put spiritual care into practice. Little has been known about spiritual well-being, spirituality, and spiritual care perspectives among nursing students. In this study, a comparison has been made in spiritual well-being, spirituality, and spiritual care perspectives between the first and fourth year baccalaureate nursing students. This is a descriptive-comparative study that was carried out among 283 nursing students. All the students were Iranians studying in the universities of Iran, Tehran, and Shahid Beheshti medical sciences. They volunteered to participate in the study. There were 105 first year students and 178 fourth year students. The questionnaires used were on Spiritual Well-being (SWB) Scale, Spiritual Perspective Scale (SPS), and Nursing Spiritual Care Perspective Scale (NSCPS). The statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software, version 10. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (distribution frequency, mean, and standard deviation). Mann-Whitney test was to compare each item and independent t-test to compare the mean values of two groups. Regarding spiritual well-being, there were no significant differences between the two groups. 98.8% of the first year students and 100% of the fourth year students were in the category of moderate spiritual well-being. Neither were there any significant differences between the two groups in spiritual perspective and spiritual care perspectives. The scores of fourth year nursing students were similar to those of first year students in spiritual well-being, spirituality, and spiritual care perspectives, though the fourth year students had already undergone 4-year nursing course. Including spiritual care in the curriculum of

Nursing students’ spiritual well-being, spirituality and spiritual care

Science.gov (United States)

Abbasi, Mojgan; Farahani-Nia, Marhamat; Mehrdad, Neda; givari, Azam; Haghani, Hamid

2014-01-01

Background: Spiritual care should be considered an important part of holistic and multidisciplinary care and it has not been given much importance so far. We should begin with student nurses, who will soon be clinicians, to find out about potentiality of the nursing profession to put spiritual care into practice. Little has been known about spiritual well-being, spirituality, and spiritual care perspectives among nursing students. In this study, a comparison has been made in spiritual well-being, spirituality, and spiritual care perspectives between the first and fourth year baccalaureate nursing students. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive–comparative study that was carried out among 283 nursing students. All the students were Iranians studying in the universities of Iran, Tehran, and Shahid Beheshti medical sciences. They volunteered to participate in the study. There were 105 first year students and 178 fourth year students. The questionnaires used were on Spiritual Well-being (SWB) Scale, Spiritual Perspective Scale (SPS), and Nursing Spiritual Care Perspective Scale (NSCPS). The statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software, version 10. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (distribution frequency, mean, and standard deviation). Mann–Whitney test was to compare each item and independent t-test to compare the mean values of two groups. Results: Regarding spiritual well-being, there were no significant differences between the two groups. 98.8% of the first year students and 100% of the fourth year students were in the category of moderate spiritual well-being. Neither were there any significant differences between the two groups in spiritual perspective and spiritual care perspectives. Conclusions: The scores of fourth year nursing students were similar to those of first year students in spiritual well-being, spirituality, and spiritual care perspectives, though the fourth year students had already undergone 4-year

Assessment of the relationship of spiritual well-being to depression and quality of life for persons with spinal cord injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Catherine S; Forchheimer, Martin; Heinemann, Allen W; Warren, Anne Marie; McCullumsmith, Cheryl

2017-03-01

This study sought to describe the association between spiritual well-being, demographic characteristics, quality of life (QOL) and depressive symptoms following spinal cord injury (SCI). We hypothesized QOL and depressed mood would both be explained by extent of spiritual well-being, and meaning-focused (M&P) spirituality would have a stronger impact than faith-focused spirituality. 210 individuals with SCI were screened as part of a randomized control trial of venlafaxine XR for major depressive disorder (MDD). 204 completed all measures: Patient Health Questionniare-9 (PHQ-9) assessed depression, the FACIT-Sp assessed spiritual well-being, the Neuro-QOL PAWB scale assessed QOL, and the PANAS assessed affect. Approximately 26% had major depression. Bivariate correlations of scores on PAWB and PANAS and FACIT-Sp showed that all four scales had strong associations with those on PAWB (p scales of the FACIT-Sp were significant predictors of QOL (β = 0.544; p scale was an independently significant predictor of likely MDD. The findings support that spirituality, as measured by the FACIT-Sp, is strongly associated with QOL and likelihood of MDD. Assessment of spirituality should be included along with more traditional psychological measurements to better inform treatment. Implications for Rehabilitation Spiritual beliefs can contribute to quality of life and may help moderate depressive symptoms that accompany chronic illness and disability, suggesting that rehabilitation professionals should address spirituality in working with their patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). While spiritual issues are often deferred to pastoral counselors during hospitalization, it is clear that addressing these is not the domain of one discipline and does not end upon inpatient discharge. In addressing spirituality, clinicians should tap the spiritual strengths present in their clients, whether meaning/peace-focused or religious, understanding that spirituality involves more

Spiritual needs of patients with chronic pain diseases and cancer - validation of the spiritual needs questionnaire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Büssing A

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Purpose For many patients confronted with chronic diseases, spirituality/religiosity is a relevant resource to cope. While most studies on patients' spiritual needs refer to the care of patients at the end of life, our intention was to develop an instrument to measure spiritual, existential and psychosocial need of patients with chronic diseases. Methods In an anonymous cross-sectional survey, we applied the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ version 1.2. to 210 patients (75% women, mean age 54 ± 12 years with chronic pain conditions (67%, cancer (28%, other chronic conditions (5%. Patients were recruited at the Community Hospital Herdecke, the Institute for Complementary Medicine (University of Bern, and at a conference of a cancer support group in Herten. Results Factor analysis of the 19-item instrument (Cronbach's alpha = .93 pointed to 4 factors which explain 67% of variance: Religious Needs, Need for Inner Peace, Existentialistic Needs (Reflection/Meaning, and Actively Giving. Within the main sample of patients with chronic pain and cancer, Needs for Inner Peace had the highest scores, followed by Self competent Attention; Existentialistic Needs had low scores, while the Religious Needs scores indicate no interest. Patients with cancer had significantly higher SpNQ scores than patients with chronic pain conditions. There were just some weak associations between Actively Giving and life satisfaction (r = .17; p = .012, and negatively with the symptom score (r = -.29; p Need for Inner Peace was weakly associated with satisfaction with treatment efficacy (r = .24; p Conclusion The preliminary results indicate that spiritual needs are conceptually different from life satisfaction, and can be interpreted as the patients' longing for spiritual well-being. Methods how health care professionals may meet their patients' spiritual needs remain to be explored.

Translation and validation of the Persian version of the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-Spiritual well-being scale (FACIT-Sp) among Muslim Iranians in treatment for cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafari, Najmeh; Zamani, Ahmadreza; Lazenby, Mark; Farajzadegan, Ziba; Emami, Hamid; Loghmani, Amir

2013-02-01

The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp) scale is a valid and reliable instrument to provide an inclusive measure of spirituality in research and clinical practice. The aim of this study was to translate and investigate the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the FACIT-Sp. The 12 item spiritual well-being subscale of the FACIT-Sp Version 4 was translated into the Persian language, Farsi, using the FACIT translation methodology. The questionnaire was administered to a diverse sample of 153 patients in treatment for cancer. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's α coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied to assess construct validity, and regression analysis was used to assess the predictor role of the FACIT-Sp in health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Cronbach's α reliability coefficient for the FACIT-Sp subscales ranged from 0.72 to 0.90. The CFA generally replicated the original conceptualization of the three subscales of the FACIT-Sp12 (Peace, Meaning, and Faith). All three subscales significant predicted HRQOL. The Persian version of the FACIT-Sp scale is a reliable and valid tool for the clinical assessment of, and research into, the spiritual well-being of Muslim Iranian and Farsi-speaking patients in other regions of the world who are in treatment for cancer.

[Spiritual phenomena occurring in everybody and health].

Science.gov (United States)

Krsiak, M

2008-01-01

The past several years have seen an explosion of research in the area of spirituality and health. However, confusion and incomprehension of the conception of spirituality (e.g. confounding spirituality with various conventional views on religiousness) hampers better understanding in this area. The present paper proposes definition of spiritual phenomena in man based on natural epistemological and instrumental criteria (whether a certain phenomenon can be objectively known and evoked): spiritual phenomena in man are those, which cannot be objectively known nor evoked, but which act (e.g., love, idea). Spiritual phenomena can be really known only in the self ("in spirit"). Objectively known can be only manifestations of spiritual phenomena. Some attributes of love (e.g. its personal uniqueness) or ideas (e.g., sense of own life) whose satisfaction appears to be important for health are briefly outlined. A review of some frequently cited recent papers investigating the role of spirituality in health and discussion of frequent pitfalls in this area is given. Spirituality is a universal human phenomenon. All human beings, secular or religious, encounter with spiritual phenomena. Although the present conception of spirituality distances from some conventional views on religiousness, it is not atheistic. On the contrary, it accommodates the basic religious concept "God is love". Conceptual clarification is essential for further progress in the study of impact of spirituality on health.

Nursing students’ spiritual well-being, spirituality and spiritual care

OpenAIRE

Abbasi, Mojgan; Farahani-Nia, Marhamat; Mehrdad, Neda; givari, Azam; Haghani, Hamid

2014-01-01

Background: Spiritual care should be considered an important part of holistic and multidisciplinary care and it has not been given much importance so far. We should begin with student nurses, who will soon be clinicians, to find out about potentiality of the nursing profession to put spiritual care into practice. Little has been known about spiritual well-being, spirituality, and spiritual care perspectives among nursing students. In this study, a comparison has been made in spiritual well-be...

Physiological and psychosocial factors in spiritual needs attainment for community-dwelling older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Jennifer A; Howard, Elizabeth P; Bryan, Margaret; Mitchell, Susan L

Spiritual well-being enhances older persons' health status. Factors that optimize their spiritual well-being are not well-established. To describe spiritual needs attainment and identify factors associated with such attainment among community-dwelling older persons. Cross-sectional. Sixty-five U.S. continuing care retirement communities or independent housing facilities. 4077 persons entering the facilities between January 1, 2007 and November 30, 2016. Standardized Community Health Assessment and Wellness Survey instruments were used to determine the proportion of subjects reporting their spiritual needs were met. Multivariate logistic regression identified characteristics independently associated with this outcome. Among the 4077 subjects (mean age 81.6 ± 7.5; male, 28.8%; and White race, 70.7%), 93.4% stated their spiritual needs were met. Factors independently associated with a greater likelihood of spiritual needs attainment were: satisfaction with life (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.00, 3.96; p dwelling older persons reported their spiritual needs were met. Adequate sleep, pain relief, and having a person with whom to discuss death are potentially modifiable factors that may promote spiritual needs attainment in this population, which in turn, may improve their health outcomes. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Social representations about religion and spirituality.

Science.gov (United States)

Borges, Moema da Silva; Santos, Marília Borges Couto; Pinheiro, Tiago Gomes

2015-01-01

to identify the social representations about the concepts of spirituality and religion of of health teachers. exploratory and descriptive study, based on a qualitative approach. 25 subjects participated in it. The following instruments were used to collect data: questionnaire to identify the profile; questionnaire of free association, whose inducing words were religion and spirituality, and an interview based on the scale FICA (Puchalski, 2006). the representations about religion and spirituality, for professors, are forged around the faith in God and it gives them meaning and purpose to deal with the challenges of personal and professional living. there are still barriers that need to be overcome with a view to a comprehensive care. For this, it is essential to incorporate spirituality in the process in the curricula of health courses.

Multidimensional Assessment of Spirituality/Religion in Patients with HIV: Conceptual Framework and Empirical Refinement

Science.gov (United States)

Kudel, Ian; Cotton, Sian; Leonard, Anthony C.; Tsevat, Joel; Ritchey, P. Neal

2011-01-01

A decade ago, an expert panel developed a framework for measuring spirituality/religion in health research (Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality), but empirical testing of this framework has been limited. The purpose of this study was to determine whether responses to items across multiple measures assessing spirituality/religion by 450 patients with HIV replicate this model. We hypothesized a six-factor model underlying a collective of 56 items, but results of confirmatory factor analyses suggested eight dimensions: Meaning/Peace, Tangible Connection to the Divine, Positive Religious Coping, Love/Appreciation, Negative Religious Coping, Positive Congregational Support, Negative Congregational Support, and Cultural Practices. This study corroborates parts of the factor structure underlying the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality and some recent refinements of the original framework. PMID:21136166

Spiritual therapy to improve the spiritual well-being of Iranian women with breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafari, Najmeh; Farajzadegan, Ziba; Zamani, Ahmadreza; Bahrami, Fatemeh; Emami, Hamid; Loghmani, Amir; Jafari, Nooshin

2013-01-01

Purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of spiritual therapy intervention in improving the spiritual well-being and quality of life (QOL) of Iranian women with breast cancer. Methods. This randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) recruited 65 women with breast cancer, randomly assigned to a 6-week spirituality-based intervention (n = 34) or control group (n = 31). Before and after six-week spiritual therapy intervention, spiritual well-being and quality of life (QOL) were assessed using Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Spiritual Well-being scale (FACIT-Sp12) and cancer quality-of-life questionnaire (QLQ-C30), respectively. t-test, Paired t-test, pearson's correlation, and hierarchical regression analyses were used for analysis using Predictive Analytic software (PASW, version 18) for Windows. Results. After six spiritual therapy sessions, the mean spiritual well-being score from 29.76 (SD = 6.63) to 37.24 (SD = 3.52) in the intervention group (P spiritual well-being and overall QOL. Social functioning was another significant predictor of spiritual well-being. Conclusion. The results of this randomized controlled trial study suggest that participation in spiritual therapy program is associated with improvements in spiritual well-being and QOL. Targeted interventions to acknowledge and incorporate spiritual needs into conventional treatment should be considered in caring of Iranian patients with breast cancer.

Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and spirituality.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurup, Ravi Kumar; Kurup, Parameswara Achutha

2003-03-01

The isoprenoid pathway was assessed in atheistic and spiritually inclined individuals. The pathway was also assessed in individuals with differing hemispheric dominance to assess whether hemispheric dominance has a correlation with spiritual and atheistic tendency. HMG CoA reductase activity, serum digoxin, RBC membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity, serum magnesium, and tyrosine/tryptophan catabolic patterns were assessed in spiritual/atheistic individuals and in those differing hemispheric dominance. In spiritually-inclined individuals, there was increased digoxin synthesis, decreased membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity, increased tryptophan catabolites (serotonin, quinolinic acid, and nicotine), and decreased tyrosine catabolites (dopamine, noradrenaline, and morphine). The pattern in spiritually-inclined individuals correlated with right hemispheric chemical dominance. In atheistic individuals there was decreased digoxin synthesis, increased membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity, decreased tryptophan catabolities (serotonin, quinolinic acid, and nicotine), and increased tyrosine catabolites (dopamine, noradrenaline, and morphine). This pattern in atheistic individuals correlated with that obtained in left hemispheric chemical dominance. Hemispheric chemical dominance and hypothalamic digoxin could regulate the predisposition to spirituality or atheism.

Creating a spiritual tapestry: nurses' experiences of delivering spiritual care to patients in an Irish hospice.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Bailey, Maria E

2009-01-01

This study aims to describe nurses\\' experiences of delivering spiritual support in a palliative care setting in the Republic of Ireland. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 nurses working in the area of specialist palliative care. A content analysis of the transcriptions revealed five sub-themes: understanding spirituality; the art of nursing in spiritual care; education and learning; the challenge of spiritual caring; and the dimensions of time. The resulting creation of a spiritual tapestry provided an overall theme. Nurses in this study were spiritually self-aware and placed a high value on the spiritual element of their caring role. Nurses described their individual understanding of spirituality and discussed how they recognized and addressed a patient\\'s spiritual needs. Time was described as essential to the provision of spiritual support and appeared to be a significant resource challenge to the provision of spiritual care. The challenges of assessing spiritual needs and measuring outcomes of care were also reported. Participants in this study described the creation of a spiritual tapestry that \\'weaves\\' together care and compassion with skills and knowledge in their nursing practice.

Spiritual leadership and spiritual care in neonatology.

Science.gov (United States)

Caldeira, Sílvia; Hall, Jenny

2012-12-01

This article aims to explore spiritual care in the neonatal care environment in addition to highlighting the importance of spiritual leadership of a health team in that context. Neonatal care is an ethically demanding and stressful area of practice. Babies and families require spiritual needs to be recognized in the context of holistic care. Literature around spiritual leadership is explored to nurture workplace spirituality. Analysis of a range of sources provides a theoretical reflection on spiritual leadership and spiritual care in neonatal care settings. The literature identifies that the carers should consider carefully on how care given may affect the infant and family. Themes relating to the baby's and family's spiritual needs and those of the staff in this area are identified. Spiritual leadership by the manager will provide support to the staff and help spiritual need to be met in this area of practice. Spiritual needs should be acknowledged within neonatal care whether these are of babies, families or the team itself. Managers have responsibility to ensure that spiritual care is carried out for babies and their families and to care for the team as spiritual leaders. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Study of Spiritual Intelligence and Adjustment Among Arts and Science College Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Devi, R Kalpana; Rajesh, Nakulan V; Devi, M Anisha

2017-06-01

A study to evaluate the relationship between the spiritual intelligence and adjustment among the college students was conducted on a sample of 250 students in six various colleges of Tuticorin district, Tamil Nadu, India. Gender, religion, community, major subject, educational qualification of father and mother, student locality, college type, father and mother's occupation and monthly family income (n = 11 variables) were chosen for the study. Test of significance for spiritual intelligence and adjustment was studied and found them nonsignificant except student locality, found to be significant. Two valid and reliable instruments were used to assess student's spiritual intelligence and adjustment. Correlation and Chi-square analysis using structural equation model were used to analyze these data. Correlation analysis showed significant relationship between the variables among the college students (n = 250). Chi-square analysis of association between adjustments of college students showed that most variables are nonsignificant unlike father's educational qualification and mother's occupation. The results disclosed the significant positive relationship with spiritual intelligence and adjustment among adolescents.

Spiritual pain and suffering.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunjes, George B

2010-01-01

Spiritual pain/suffering is commonly experienced by persons with life-limiting illness and their families. Physical pain itself can be exacerbated by non-physical causes such as fear, anxiety, grief, unresolved guilt, depression and unmet spiritual meets. Likewise, the inability to manage physical pain well can be due to emotional and spiritual needs. This is why a holistic, interdisciplinary assessment of pain and suffering is required for each patient and family. The mind, body and spirit are understood in relationship to each other and, in those cases, in relationship to a deity or deities are important to understand. Cultural interpretations of pain and suffering may conflict with the goals of palliative care. Understanding the spiritual framework of the patient and family can help to assure that the physical and spiritual suffering of the patient can be eliminated to provide a peaceful death. Spiritual practices may help in the management of physical pain.

Cultural considerations in the assessment and treatment of religious and spiritual problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukoff, D; Lu, F G; Turner, R

1995-09-01

the DSM-IV acknowledges that religious and spiritual issues can be the focus of psychiatric consultation and treatment. John McIntyre, MD, former APA President, and Harold Pincus, Director of the APA's Office of Research, observed that this new entry in DSM-IV was "a sign of the profession's growing sensitivity not only to religion but to cultural diversity generally." It is hoped that these developments will increase the accuracy of diagnostic assessments, reduce iatrogenic harm from misdiagnosis, and increase the mental health professional's respect for individual beliefs and values.

Educational needs of hospice social workers: spiritual assessment and interventions with diverse populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wesley, Carol; Tunney, Kathleen; Duncan, Ella

2004-01-01

Based on a national survey, this study analyzes the roles and educational needs of hospice social workers regarding assessment and intervention in spirituality, religion, and diversity of their patients. Sixty-two social workers responded to the survey. Results suggest that spiritual care is shared among hospice team members and that most social workers feel comfortable in addressing these issues. However, role conflict and role ambiguity also exist. Respondents to the survey often felt ill-prepared to deal with some complex faith-based conflicts related to diversity. They saw themselves in need of assessment models and end-of-life decision-making interventions regarding assisted suicide and euthanasia. This study provides recommendations for social work practice, education, and research.

Religious attitudes and spiritual health among elderly inpatient adults in Shahrekord hospitals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raziye Sadat hosseiny

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Human is a multidimensional creature and spiritual domain is the central dimension which has an undeniable effect on gaining health. The most important part of nursing care with family based approach is to help people in achieving optimal level of health. On the other hand, religious attitudes and spiritual health is an important domain of life in ageing period. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the religious attitudes and spiritual health among elderly inpatients in Shahrekord hospitals. Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted in 1392 in Shahrekord hospitals. A total of 308 geriatric patients who were admitted to a surgical ward, were recruited through random sampling. Two sets of questionnaires regarding religious and spiritual health were used as the instruments. After collecting the data, descriptive (frequency, mean, variance, standard deviation and analytical (independent t test, Pearson correlation statistics were used by SPSS statistical software. Results: The results showed that 68.8% of patients possessed large religious attitude with an average of 140.68 ±30.14. Spiritual health in 51.3 percent of samples was described to be low while the obtained average score was 86.18 ± 16.61. However, Pearson test showed that there is a positive significant correlation between religious attitudes and spiritual health (r =0.83, P =0.05. Conclusions: The present study revealed that there is a significant relationship between religious attitudes and spiritual health and people with high religious attitudes have high spiritual health.

[Evolutionary Concept Analysis of Spirituality].

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Il Sun; Choi, So Young; Kim, Jin Sook

2017-04-01

This study was done to clarify attributes, antecedents, and consequences of spirituality. Rodgers's evolutionary concept analysis was used to analyze fifty seven studies from the literature related to spirituality as it appears in systematic literature reviews of theology, medicine, counseling & psychology, social welfare, and nursing. Spirituality was found to consist of two dimensions and eight attributes: 1) vertical dimension: 'intimacy and connectedness with God' and 'holy life and belief', 2) horizontal dimension: 'self-transcendence', 'meaning and purpose in life', 'self-integration', and 'self-creativity' in relationship with self, 'connectedness' and 'trust' in relationship with others·neighbors·nature. Antecedents of spirituality were socio-demographic, religious, psychological, and health related characteristics. Consequences of spirituality were positive and negative. Being positive included 'life centered on God' in vertical dimension, and among horizontal dimension 'joy', 'hope', 'wellness', 'inner peace', and 'self-actualization' in relationship with self, 'doing in love' and 'extended life toward neighbors and the world' in relationship with others·neighbors·nature. Being negative was defined as having 'guilt', 'inner conflict', 'loneliness', and 'spiritual distress'. Facilitators of spirituality were stressful life events and experiences. Spirituality is a multidimensional concept. Unchangeable attributes of spirituality are 'connectedness with God', 'self-transcendence', 'meaning of life' and 'connectedness with others·nature'. Unchangeable consequences of spirituality are 'joy' and 'hope'. The findings suggest that the dimensional framework of spirituality can be used to assess the current spiritual state of patients. Based on these results, the development of a Korean version of the scale measuring spirituality is recommended. © 2017 Korean Society of Nursing Science

Nurses' Work Environment and Spirituality: A Descriptive Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zastrow Patricia

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Quality of care is a major health concern in the hospital setting. A work environment thatsupports professional nursing as well as the spirituality of nurses, or the meaning/purpose nurses find intheir work may contribute to quality of patient care. Yet, little is known about the nursing workenvironment and even less about the spirituality of nurses. Thus, the aims of this study were to measuremedical-surgical nurses’ perceived professional work environment score and perceived spiritual well-beingscore and determine if the two instruments are related. This cross-sectional survey consisted of aconvenience sample of 68 nurses who completed the Professional Practice Environment Scale (PPE andSpiritual Well-Being Scale (SWB on the hospital website during working hours. Several PPE subscalescores differed significantly among the various clinical units. As the nurse’s age, and years of clinicalexperience increased, specific PPE subscale scores also increased. The nurses’ mean SWB scores were allwithin the moderate range and did not differ significantly among the clinical units. The overall PPE andSWB scores were not significantly correlated. Nursing administrators can use the PPE scores from thisstudy to address the specific needs of individual clinical units. Older and more experienced nurses mayserve as resources for younger, less experienced nurses. Both instruments can be administered repeatedlyover time to monitor trends. Based on the SWB data, nurses in this study reported average levels ofspiritual well-being. However, there is a need to learn more about the specific spiritual needs of nurses.Spirituality of nurses as well as the nurse’s work environment are separate concepts that each merit furtherinvestigation and may add to the knowledge base for increased quality patient care.

Spiritual Well-Being Scale Differences between Caucasian Males and Females.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Geri; Gridley, Betty; Chester, Terri; Nunn, David; Vickers, Valerie

This paper presents an exploratory factor analysis of the Spiritual Well-Being (SWB) Scale, which was developed to examine overall life satisfaction. It is a 20-item, self-report instrument that measures three dimensions: an overall Spiritual Well-Being score, a Religious Well-Being score, and an Existential Well-Being score. The findings show…

Spiritual Therapy to Improve the Spiritual Well-Being of Iranian Women with Breast Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Najmeh Jafari

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of spiritual therapy intervention in improving the spiritual well-being and quality of life (QOL of Iranian women with breast cancer. Methods. This randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT recruited 65 women with breast cancer, randomly assigned to a 6-week spirituality-based intervention (n=34 or control group (n=31. Before and after six-week spiritual therapy intervention, spiritual well-being and quality of life (QOL were assessed using Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Spiritual Well-being scale (FACIT-Sp12 and cancer quality-of-life questionnaire (QLQ-C30, respectively. t-test, Paired t-test, pearson's correlation, and hierarchical regression analyses were used for analysis using Predictive Analytic software (PASW, version 18 for Windows. Results. After six spiritual therapy sessions, the mean spiritual well-being score from 29.76 (SD=6.63 to 37.24 (SD=3.52 in the intervention group (P<0.001. There was a significant difference between arms of study (F=22.91, P<0.001. A significant positive correlation was detected between meaning and peace with all subscales of functional subscales on European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of Life (EORTC QLQ-C30 (P<0.05. Hierarchical regression analyses of participants indicated that the study arm, pain, and financial impact were significant predictors of spiritual well-being and overall QOL. Social functioning was another significant predictor of spiritual well-being. Conclusion. The results of this randomized controlled trial study suggest that participation in spiritual therapy program is associated with improvements in spiritual well-being and QOL. Targeted interventions to acknowledge and incorporate spiritual needs into conventional treatment should be considered in caring of Iranian patients with breast cancer.

Assessing third-year medical students' ability to address a patient's spiritual distress using an OSCE case.

Science.gov (United States)

McEvoy, Mimi; Schlair, Sheira; Sidlo, Zsuzsanna; Burton, William; Milan, Felise

2014-01-01

To inform curricular development by assessing the ability of third-year medical students to address a patient's spiritual distress during an acute medical crisis in the context of an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) case. During March and April 2010, 170 third-year medical students completed an eight-station videotaped OSCE at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. One of the standardized patients (SPs) was a 65-year-old man with acute chest pain who mentioned his religious affiliation and fear of dying. If prompted, he revealed his desire to speak with a chaplain. The SP assessed students' history taking, physical examination, and communication skills. In a postencounter written exercise, students reported their responses to the patient's distress via four open-ended questions. Analysis of the postencounter notes was conducted by three coders for emergent themes. Clinical skills performance was compared between students who reported making chaplain referral and those who did not. A total of 108 students (64%) reported making a chaplain referral; 4 (2%) directly addressed the patient's religious/spiritual beliefs. Students' clinical performance scores showed no significant association with whether they made a chaplain referral. Findings suggest that the majority of medical students without robust training in addressing patients' spiritual needs can make a chaplain referral when faced with a patient in spiritual crisis. Yet, few students explicitly engaged the patient in a discussion of his beliefs. Thus, future studies are needed to develop more precise assessment measures that can inform development in spirituality and medicine curricula.

Implications of Nursing Clinical Practice to The Student’s Spiritual Health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhandesa Asthadi Mahendra

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to clarify the implications of Nursing Clinical Practice (PLKK to the spiritual health of STIKES Bali students. This study employed purposive sampling method to determine the number of respondents. To conduct this study, the fourth grade of nursing students were recruited as the sample with total number 136 respondents. A questionnaire about spirituality from World Health Organization (WHO was used in this study as the instrument. In addition, the data were analysed by using quantitative descriptive technique. The result showed that 50.0% of students had a very good spiritual health, 42.6% had good spiritual health, 6.6% had moderate spiritual health, and 0.7 % had poor spiritual health. It can be interpreted that spiritual health of nursing students of STIKES Bali is good after conducting Nursing Clinical Practice. Thus, this study can be concluded that Nursing Clinical Practice has implication to the ability of students to love themselves and others meaningfully as the evidence of students’ spiritual health.

Correlational study between spiritual well-being, religiosity, religion and spiritual coping and quality of life of elderly in hemodialysis treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Calíope Pilger

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The religiosity and spirituality, the religion and spiritual coping, and something higher belief are associate with stress reduction, reduced mortality rates, besides to improve people´s quality of life (QoL. Overall Objective: Analyze the relation between Spiritual Well-Being (SWB, religiosity, religion and spiritual coping, socio-demographic, economic, religious and health variables with QoL of elderly in hemodialysis treatment at Ribeirão Preto - SP. Material and Methods: It was developed a cross-sectional, correlational study with a quantitative approach, in five Dialysis Units of Ribeirão Preto - SP. The inclusion criteria for participants were: They must be elderly; have Chronic kidney Disease under regular hemodialysis treatment; have started treatment in a period bigger than six months; be able to communicate verbally and to present preserved cognitive functions according to the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE. The interview was the technique used to collect the data. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE, Socio-demografic, Economic, Religious and Health Characteristics Instrument, Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS, Duke Religiosity Index (P-DUREL, Brief Spiritual/Religious Coping Scale (SRCOPE Scale, Questionnaires Quality of Life WHOQOL Bref and WHOQOL-old were the instruments applied. Descriptive statistic, bivariate frequency (correlation Person and simple linear regression were realized to analyze the data. The statistical significance level was established as 5%. The ethical principles to research were respected, according to Resolution 466/2012 of the Ministry of Health. Results: One hundred and sixty nine participants were enrolled in the study. In most they were male (74%, aged between 60 and 69 years (53,3%, white skin color (69,3%, married or lived together a partner (a (65,1%, know how read and write (94,1% and with income less than R$ 780,00 (60,2%. The catholic religion, followed by evangelical and

Effect of spiritual counseling on spiritual well-being in Iranian women with cancer: A randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Sajadi, Mahbobeh; Niazi, Naimeh; Khosravi, Sharareh; Yaghobi, Abolghasem; Rezaei, Mahboubeh; Koenig, Harold G

2018-02-01

This study examined the effect of spiritual counseling on the spiritual well-being of Iranian women with cancer. a randomized clinical trial was conducted on 42 female cancer patients who were randomized to either an 8-week spiritual counseling intervention (n = 21) or a control group that received routine education/care (n = 21). Spiritual well-being (SWB) was assessed before and after the 8-week spiritual counseling program using Paloutzian and Ellison's (1983) Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS). There were no significant differences on SWBS and its two subscales scores (RWB and EWB) between intervention and control groups at baseline (p > .05). After intervention, there was a significant mean difference in SWB (p = .001), RWB (p = .013) and EWB (p = .001) in two groups. Spiritual counseling is associated with significant improvements in SWB in Iranian women with cancer. Interventions that acknowledge the spiritual needs of these patients should be incorporated into conventional treatments. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Practical approaches to spiritual pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunjes, George B

2010-01-01

Spiritual pain/suffering is commonly experienced by persons with life-limiting illness and their families. Physical pain itself can be exacerbated by non-physical causes such as fear, anxiety, grief, unresolved guilt, depression and unmet spiritual meets. Likewise, the inability to manage physical pain well can be due to emotional and spiritual needs. This is why a holistic, interdisciplinary assessment of pain and suffering is required for each patient and family. The mind, body and spirit are understood in relationship to each other and, in those cases, in relationship to a deity or deities are important to understand. Cultural interpretations of pain and suffering may conflict with the goals of palliative care. Understanding the spiritual framework of the patient and family can help to assure that the physical and spiritual suffering of the patient can be eliminated to provide a peaceful death. Spiritual practices may help in the management of physical pain.

Equipping Social Workers to Address Spirituality in Practice Settings: AModel Curriculum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David R. Hodge

2002-12-01

Full Text Available While there is growing interest in incorporating clients’ spiritual beliefs and values into social work practice, several studies have shown that social workers lack the necessary training to address spiritual issues in a culturally competent manner. This paper addresses this need by providing an annotated spirituality training course for use in various settings. Topics or domains covered in the curriculum include ethics and values, research and theory on spirituality, the nation’s spiritual demographics, the cultures of major spiritual traditions, value conflicts, spiritual interventions, assessment approaches, and the rights of spiritual believers. A number of potential assignments are offered,which are designed to promote practitioner self-awareness, respect for spiritual diversity, and an enhanced ability to assess and operationalize spiritual strengths to ameliorate problems in practice settings.

An exploration of the extent of inclusion of spirituality and spiritual care concepts in core nursing textbooks.

Science.gov (United States)

Timmins, Fiona; Murphy, Maryanne; Neill, Freda; Begley, Thelma; Sheaf, Greg

2015-01-01

Holistic care that encompasses a spiritual dimension is an expectation in modern healthcare (Rothman, 2009). Increasing attention is being paid to the role of nurses in providing spiritual care to patients. However nurses lack specific skills and expertise in this area (Lundmark, 2006; Timmins, 2010; RCN, 2011), and the extent to which their undergraduate education prepares them for this role is unclear. There is often an absence of clear direction about what to teach undergraduate nursing students. The extent to which core textbooks direct student studies in this area is not known. There is some evidence that some of these fundamental core textbooks provide insufficient direction (Pesut, 2008), thus gaps in knowledge and care provision in this field could be exacerbated. The aim of this study is to examine the extent to which spiritual care concepts are addressed in core nursing textbooks. Five hundred and forty three books were sampled from the Nursing and Midwifery Core Collection list (UK) (Tomlinsons, 2010) representing 94% of the total (n=580). A survey, the Spirituality Textbook Analysis Tool (STAT), was developed and used to collect data. One hundred and thirty of the books included content related to spirituality and religion. However there was little consistency in the core nursing textbooks with regard to direction for providing spiritual care. Thirty eight percent of the books defined spiritual care and 36% provided an outline of the role of the nurse in providing this. While some books advocated the assessment of patients' spiritual needs (32%) few referred specifically to assessment tools. It is essential that nurses are adequately prepared to address the spiritual needs of patients. While there are numerous spiritual care texts that deal solely with this issue for nurses, there is an argument emerging that core nursing texts used by nursing students ought to encompass spiritual care elements. Lack of specific focus on this field, by these key

Making sense of genetic uncertainty: the role of religion and spirituality.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Mary T

2009-02-15

This article argues that to the extent that religious and spiritual beliefs can help people cope with genetic uncertainty, a limited spiritual assessment may be appropriate in genetic counseling. The article opens by establishing why genetic information is inherently uncertain and why this uncertainty can be medically, morally, and spiritually problematic. This is followed by a review of the range of factors that can contribute to risk assessments, including a few heuristics commonly used in responses to uncertainty. The next two sections summarize recent research on the diverse roles of religious and spiritual beliefs in genetic decisions and challenges to conducting spiritual assessments in genetic counseling. Based on these findings, religious and spiritual beliefs are posited as serving essentially as a heuristic that some people will utilize in responding to their genetic risks. In the interests of helping such clients make informed decisions, a limited spiritual assessment is recommended and described. Some of the challenges and risks associated with this limited assessment are discussed. Since some religious and spiritual beliefs can conflict with the values of medicine, some decisions will remain problematic. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Study of Association between Spiritual Well-Being and Happiness in Male Students in Firouzabad County, Iran

OpenAIRE

Parvaneh Doodman; Hajar Safari

2017-01-01

Background and Objectives: Currently, People worldwide are increasingly turning to spirituality and spiritual issues. Religion and spirituality are considered one of the determinants of happiness in psychology. This study was conducted to investigate the association between spiritual well-being and happiness in male students of Firouzabad County. Methods: Study samples were 200 students in Firouzabad professional schools who were selected by random cluster sampling. Research instruments we...

Effects of sacred music on the spiritual well-being of bereaved relatives: a randomized clinical trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Araujo da Silva

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of instrumental sacred music and sacred music with vocals on the spiritual well-being of bereaved relatives. METHOD This is a randomized clinical trial carried out with family members bereaving the death of loved ones to cancer. Participants were allocated into three groups: Group 1 (control, Group 2 (experimental using sacred music with vocals or Group 3 (experimental using instrumental sacred music. Spiritual well-being was assessed through the Spiritual Well-Being Scale. RESULTS Sixty-nine (69 family members participated. Mean scores before and after the intervention indicated high levels of spiritual well-being (106.4 and 105.5 in Group 1; 103.2 and 105.2 in Group 2; 107.4 and 108.7 in Group 3 and religious well-being (57.9 and 56.9 in Group 1; 56.3 and 56.4 in Group 2; 57.4 and 58.1 in Group 3, and moderate levels of existential well-being (48.5 and 48.6 in Group 1; 46.9 and 48.9 in Group 2; 49.9 and 50.7 in Group 3, with the exception of Group 3 which presented a high level of existential well-being after the intervention. CONCLUSION The results show that there were no statistically significant differences in the spiritual well-being scores between the experimental groups and the control group. We evidence the need for further studies that use music therapy as a Nursing intervention for bereaved families. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials: RBR-2wtwjz.

Effects of sacred music on the spiritual well-being of bereaved relatives: a randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Vladimir Araujo da; Silva, Rita de Cássia Frederico; Cabau, Nubia Carla Ferreira; Leão, Eliseth Ribeiro; Silva, Maria Júlia Paes da

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of instrumental sacred music and sacred music with vocals on the spiritual well-being of bereaved relatives. METHOD This is a randomized clinical trial carried out with family members bereaving the death of loved ones to cancer. Participants were allocated into three groups: Group 1 (control), Group 2 (experimental using sacred music with vocals) or Group 3 (experimental using instrumental sacred music). Spiritual well-being was assessed through the Spiritual Well-Being Scale. RESULTS Sixty-nine (69) family members participated. Mean scores before and after the intervention indicated high levels of spiritual well-being (106.4 and 105.5 in Group 1; 103.2 and 105.2 in Group 2; 107.4 and 108.7 in Group 3) and religious well-being (57.9 and 56.9 in Group 1; 56.3 and 56.4 in Group 2; 57.4 and 58.1 in Group 3), and moderate levels of existential well-being (48.5 and 48.6 in Group 1; 46.9 and 48.9 in Group 2; 49.9 and 50.7 in Group 3), with the exception of Group 3 which presented a high level of existential well-being after the intervention. CONCLUSION The results show that there were no statistically significant differences in the spiritual well-being scores between the experimental groups and the control group. We evidence the need for further studies that use music therapy as a Nursing intervention for bereaved families. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials: RBR-2wtwjz.

Validation of the Persian version of the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES) in Pregnant Women: A Proper Tool to Assess Spirituality Related to Mental Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Saffari, Mohsen; Amini, Hossein; Sheykh-Oliya, Zarindokht; Pakpour, Amir H; Koenig, Harold G

2017-12-01

Assessing spirituality in healthy pregnant women may lead to supportive interventions that will improve their care. A psychometrically valid measure such as the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES) may be helpful in this regard. The current study sought to adapt a Persian version of DSES for use in pregnancy. A total of 377 pregnant women were recruited from three general hospitals located in Tehran, Iran. Administered scales were the DSES, Duke University Religion Index, Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith scale, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, as well as demographic measures. Reliability of the DSES was tested using Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for test-retest stability. Scale validity was assessed by criterion-related tests, known-groups comparison, and exploratory factor analysis. Participant's mean age was 27.7 (4.1), and most were nulliparous (70%). The correlation coefficient between individual items on the scale and the total score was greater than 0.30 in most cases. Cronbach's alpha for the scale was 0.90. The ICC for 2-week test-retest reliability was high (0.86). Relationships between similar and dissimilar scales indicated acceptable convergent and divergent validity. The factor structure of the scale indicated a single factor that explained 59% of the variance. The DSES was found to be a reliable and valid measure of spirituality in pregnant Iranian women. This scale may be used to examine the relationship between spirituality and health outcomes, research that may lead to supportive interventions in this population.

Psychometric properties of the Thai Spiritual Well-Being Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaiviboontham, Suchira; Phinitkhajorndech, Noppawan; Hanucharurnkul, Somchit; Noipiang, Thaniya

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the modified Thai Spiritual Well-Being Scale in patients with advanced cancer. This cross-sectional study was employed to investigate psychometric properties. Some 196 participants from three tertiary hospitals in Bangkok and suburban Thailand were asked to complete a Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ), The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS), and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS). Validity was determined by known-group, concurrent, and constructs validity. Reliability was estimated using internal consistency by Cronbach's α coefficients. Three factors were extracted: so-called existential well-being, religious well-being, and peacefulness accounted for 71.44% of total variance. The Cronbach's α coefficients for total SWB, EWB, RWB, and peacefulness were 0.96, 0.94, and 0.93, respectively. These findings indicate that the Thai SWBS is a valid and reliable instrument, and it presented one more factor than the original version.

Development and Validation of the Spiritual Care Needs Inventory for Acute Care Hospital Patients in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Li-Fen; Koo, Malcolm; Liao, Yu-Chen; Chen, Yuh-Min; Yeh, Dah-Cherng

2016-12-01

Spiritual care is increasingly being recognized as an integral aspect of nursing practice. The aim of this study was to develop a new instrument, Spiritual Care Needs Inventory (SCNI), for measuring spiritual care needs in acute care hospital patients with different religious beliefs. The 21-item instrument was completed by 1,351 adult acute care patients recruited from a medical center in Taiwan. Principal components analysis of the SCNI revealed two components, (a) meaning and hope and (b) caring and respect, which together accounted for 66.2% of the total variance. The internal consistency measures for the two components were 0.96 and 0.91, respectively. Furthermore, younger age, female sex, Christian religion, and regularly attending religious activities had significantly higher mean total scores in both components. The SCNI was found to be a simple instrument with excellent internal consistency for measuring the spiritual care needs in acute care hospital patients. © The Author(s) 2015.

Spiritual Fitness for Military Veterans: A Curriculum Review and Impact Evaluation Using the Duke Religion Index (DUREL).

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Kate H; McDaniel, Justin T; Albright, David L; Fletcher, Kari L; Koenig, Harold G

2018-06-01

Suicide rates among military veterans exceed those found in the general population. While the exact reasons for these high rates are unknown, contributing factors may include the military's perceived rejection of patient identities, creating barriers to mental health care within the clinical sector and a mandate for prevention programs. Spiritual fitness has emerged over the last decade as an important concept in human performance optimization and is included among holistic approaches to developing and maintaining mentally fit fighting forces. In attempts to better understand the role that spiritual fitness and religion play in mitigating and/or reducing suicide risk among veterans, the aims of this study were twofold (1) to assess the utility of the Duke Religion Index as a psychometric instrument for use with veterans completing spiritual fitness training and (2) to offer a post-intervention process evaluation of the spiritual fitness module from one resilience program offered to military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan in 2016. Twenty-eight attendees at the JRWI Wellness Resilient Leadership Retreat completed post-retreat surveys to assess their satisfaction with the coursework and specifically, to assess the spiritual fitness module of the resiliency retreat's curriculum. In total, the research team reviewed 25 completed post-intervention survey responses (89.3% response rate). Descriptive statistics indicated that respondents (n = 25) were subjectively religious, defined as belief in a higher power practiced in ritualized ways. Over half of program participants indicated they (a) attended religious meetings at least once a week and (b) engaged in private religious activity-such as meditation-at least once a day. Results showed that most program participants reported that the spiritual fitness skills learned during the resilient leadership program were useful (88%) (Z = 3.000, p fitness are indicated for use in veteran outreach and well

The relationship between spiritual well-being and stress coping strategies in hemodialysis patients

OpenAIRE

Zahra Taheri-Kharameh

2016-01-01

Background and Objectives: Spiritual well-being has been recognized as an important resource to cope with illness and life stresses. The aim of this study is to determine the Spiritual well-being status as well as stress coping strategies in hemodialysis patients. Methods: This descriptive-analysis study included 95 randomly selected patients undergoing treatments with hemodialysis in hemodialysis centers of Qom hospitals. Data collection instruments were the Spiritual Well-Being Scale an...

The role of religion and spirituality in mental health.

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, Samuel R; Pargament, Kenneth I

2014-09-01

There has been increased interest in the relationship between religion and spirituality and mental health in recent years. This article reviews recent research into the capacity of religion and spirituality to benefit or harm the mental health of believers. We also examine the implications this may have for assessment and treatment in psychiatric settings. Studies indicate that religion and spirituality can promote mental health through positive religious coping, community and support, and positive beliefs. Research also shows that religion and spirituality can be damaging to mental health by means of negative religious coping, misunderstanding and miscommunication, and negative beliefs. Tools for the assessment of patients' spiritual needs have been studied, and incorporation of spiritual themes into treatment has shown some promise. Religion and spirituality have the ability to promote or damage mental health. This potential demands an increased awareness of religious matters by practitioners in the mental health field as well as ongoing attention in psychiatric research.

Spiritual, religious, and personal beliefs are important and distinctive to assessing quality of life in health: a comparison of theoretical models.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connell, Kathryn A; Skevington, Suzanne M

2010-11-01

The study investigates theoretical debates on the contribution of spiritual, religious, and personal beliefs (SRPB) to quality of life (QoL) in health, by examining contrasting models. The WHOQOL-SRPB assesses QoL relating to SRPB where 33 QoL facets are scored in 6 domains, of which SRPB is one. The measure was completed by a heterogeneous sample of 285 sick and well people representing a cross-section of religious, agnostic, and atheist beliefs in UK, and structured for gender (52% female) and age (mean 47 years). No evidence was found to support the model of spiritual QoL as a concept that overarches every other QoL domain. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that SRPB is an integral concept to overall QoL, with a very good fit (comparative fit index=.99). Spiritual QoL made a significant, relatively independent contribution, similar to the other five domains (β=0.68). Spiritual QoL is most closely associated with the psychological domain, particularly hope and optimism and inner peace; two of the nine SRPB facets. Spiritual QoL, but not most other aspects of QoL, is higher for religious people. The results explain theoretical confusion arising from previous research. Spiritual QoL makes a significant and distinctive contribution to QoL assessment in health and should be assessed routinely in health care populations.

Spirituality and religion in patients with HIV/AIDS.

Science.gov (United States)

Cotton, Sian; Puchalski, Christina M; Sherman, Susan N; Mrus, Joseph M; Peterman, Amy H; Feinberg, Judith; Pargament, Kenneth I; Justice, Amy C; Leonard, Anthony C; Tsevat, Joel

2006-12-01

Spirituality and religion are often central issues for patients dealing with chronic illness. The purpose of this study is to characterize spirituality/religion in a large and diverse sample of patients with HIV/AIDS by using several measures of spirituality/religion, to examine associations between spirituality/religion and a number of demographic, clinical, and psychosocial variables, and to assess changes in levels of spirituality over 12 to 18 months. We interviewed 450 patients from 4 clinical sites. Spirituality/religion was assessed by using 8 measures: the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spirituality-Expanded scale (meaning/peace, faith, and overall spirituality); the Duke Religion Index (organized and nonorganized religious activities, and intrinsic religiosity); and the Brief RCOPE scale (positive and negative religious coping). Covariates included demographics and clinical characteristics, HIV symptoms, health status, social support, self-esteem, optimism, and depressive symptoms. The patients' mean (SD) age was 43.3 (8.4) years; 387 (86%) were male; 246 (55%) were minorities; and 358 (80%) indicated a specific religious preference. Ninety-five (23%) participants attended religious services weekly, and 143 (32%) engaged in prayer or meditation at least daily. Three hundred thirty-nine (75%) patients said that their illness had strengthened their faith at least a little, and patients used positive religious coping strategies (e.g., sought God's love and care) more often than negative ones (e.g., wondered whether God has abandoned me; Pself-esteem, greater life satisfaction, and lower overall functioning (R2=.16 to .74). Mean levels of spirituality did not change significantly over 12 to 18 months. Most patients with HIV/AIDS belonged to an organized religion and use their religion to cope with their illness. Patients with greater optimism, greater self-esteem, greater life satisfaction, minorities, and patients who drink less alcohol tend

Do spiritual patients want spiritual interventions?: A qualitative exploration of underserved cancer patients' perspectives on religion and spirituality.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Emma M; Kolidas, Evelyn; Moadel, Alyson

2015-02-01

This study examines religion and spirituality among advanced cancer patients from an underserved, ethnically-diverse population by exploring patient conceptualizations of religion and spirituality, the role of religion and spirituality in coping with cancer, and patient interest in spiritual support. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients who had participated in a study of a "mind-body" support group for patients with all cancer types. Analysis based on grounded theory was utilized to identify themes and theoretical constructs. With regard to patient conceptualizations of religion and spirituality, three categories emerged: (1) Spirituality is intertwined with organized religion; (2) Religion is one manifestation of the broader construct of spirituality; (3) Religion and spirituality are completely independent, with spirituality being desirable and religion not. Religion and spirituality played a central role in patients' coping with cancer, providing comfort, hope, and meaning. Patients diverged when it came to spiritual support, with some enthusiastic about interventions incorporating their spiritual values and others stating that they already get this support through religious communities. Spirituality plays a central role in the cancer experience of this underserved ethnically-diverse population. While spirituality seems to be a universal concern in advanced cancer patients, the meaning of spirituality differs across individuals, with some equating it with organized religion and others taking a more individualized approach. It is important that psychosocial interventions are developed to address this concern. Future research is needed to further explore the different ways that patients conceptualize spirituality and to develop spiritually-based treatments that are not "one size fits all."

Recovery Spirituality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ernest Kurtz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available There is growing interest in Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A. and other secular, spiritual, and religious frameworks of long-term addiction recovery. The present paper explores the varieties of spiritual experience within A.A., with particular reference to the growth of a wing of recovery spirituality promoted within A.A. It is suggested that the essence of secular spirituality is reflected in the experience of beyond (horizontal and vertical transcendence and between (connection and mutuality and in six facets of spirituality (Release, Gratitude, Humility, Tolerance, Forgiveness, and a Sense of Being-at-home shared across religious, spiritual, and secular pathways of addiction recovery. The growing varieties of A.A. spirituality (spanning the “Christianizers” and “Seculizers” reflect A.A.’s adaptation to the larger diversification of religious experience and the growing secularization of spirituality across the cultural contexts within which A.A. is nested.

Translation and Psychometric Testing of the Persian Version of the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire Among Elders With Chronic Diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Moeini, Babak; Zamanian, Hadi; Taheri-Kharameh, Zahra; Ramezani, Tahereh; Saati-Asr, Mohamadhasan; Hajrahimian, Mohamadhasan; Amini-Tehrani, Mohammadali

2018-01-01

Spirituality plays an important role in coping with chronic diseases for patients and they often report unmet spiritual and existential needs, which should be considered for a holistic view of their health. Studying spiritual needs in this generation requires culturally appropriate and valid instruments. The aim of this study was to determine the psychometric properties, such as validity, reliability, and factor structure of the Persian version of Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ). The aim of this study was to determine the psychometric properties, such as validity, reliability, and factor structure of the Persian version of Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ). The "forward-backward" procedure was applied to translate the SpNQ from English into Persian. The SpNQ-Persian Version (SpNQ-PV) was checked in terms of validity and reliability with a convenience sample of 100 elders with chronic diseases who were recruited from the inpatient wards at two university hospitals in Qom, Iran. The validity was assessed using content, face, and construct validity. The Cronbach alpha and test-retest were used to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. The results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated a five-factor solution for the questionnaire, which included religious needs, existential needs, forgiveness/generativity needs, need for inner peace, and emotional needs. These accounted for 60.1% of the total observed variance. One item was removed (factor loading Spiritual Well-being Scale. Cronbach alpha of the subscales ranged from 0.56 to 0.78 and the test-retest reliability ranged from 0.72 to 0.91, which indicated an acceptable range of reliability. The SpNQ-PV showed a minor difference in structuring and indicated good psychometric properties, which can be used to assess the spiritual needs of Iranian elders suffering from chronic diseases. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"As a Shepherd Divideth His Sheep from the Goats": Does the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale Encapsulate Separable Theistic and Civility Components?

Science.gov (United States)

Schuurmans-Stekhoven, James Benjamin

2013-01-01

Numerous studies suggest spirituality and subjective well-being (SWB) are positively associated. However, critics argue that popular spirituality instruments--including the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES)--contain items that conflate religiosity/spirituality (R/S), prosociality and SWB. Advocates of the DSES retort that, despite this…

The use of dreams in spiritual care.

Science.gov (United States)

Stranahan, Susan

2011-01-01

This paper explores the use of dreams in the context of pastoral care. Although many people dream and consider their dreams to hold some significant spiritual meaning, spiritual care providers have been reluctant to incorporate patients' dreams into the therapeutic conversation. Not every dream can be considered insightful, but probing the meaning of some dreams can enhance spiritual care practice. Hill's Cognitive-Experimental Dream Interpretation Model is applied in the current article as a useful framework for exploring dreams, gaining insight about spiritual problems, and developing a therapeutic plan of action. Bulkeley's criteria for dream interpretation were used to furnish safeguards against inappropriate application of dream interpretation to spiritual assessment and interventions.

Hospital Social Work and Spirituality: Views of Medical Social Workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandya, Samta P

2016-01-01

This article is based on a study of 1,389 medical social workers in 108 hospitals across 12 countries, on their views on spirituality and spiritually sensitive interventions in hospital settings. Results of the logistic regression analyses and structural equation models showed that medical social workers from European countries, United States of America, Canada, and Australia, those had undergone spiritual training, and those who had higher self-reported spiritual experiences scale scores were more likely to have the view that spirituality in hospital settings is for facilitating integral healing and wellness of patients and were more likely to prefer spiritual packages of New Age movements as the form of spiritual program, understand spiritual assessment as assessing the patients' spiritual starting point, to then build on further interventions and were likely to attest the understanding of spiritual techniques as mindfulness techniques. Finally they were also likely to understand the spiritual goals of intervention in a holistic way, that is, as that of integral healing, growth of consciousness and promoting overall well-being of patients vis-à-vis only coping and coming to terms with health adversities. Results of the structural equation models also showed covariances between religion, spirituality training, and scores on the self-reported spiritual experiences scale, having thus a set of compounding effects on social workers' views on spiritual interventions in hospitals. The implications of the results for health care social work practice and curriculum are discussed.

Kesejahteraan Spiritual Keluarga Pasien Stroke dan Kaitannya dengan Depresi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhamad Zulfatul A’la

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Stroke is a one of major problem in palliative care. Spiritual and depression assessment of the family is an important element in the process of palliative care for stroke survivors. The purpose of this study was to know the description of the spiritual well-being among stroke family caregiver family and its relationship with depression. This study used cross-sectional design. Spiritual well-being scale (SWBS was used to see the spiritual well-being of the family and the Center for Epidemiologycal Studies Depression Scale (CES-D to measure depression and was filled in by 44 Stroke families. The results of the study reported that the spiritual well-being of stroke family caregiver was in the high category and depression in the medium category. There was a relationship between the spiritual well-being of the family and depression in stroke patients (p=0.000. This study suggest a comprehensive assessment of the spiritual well-being and depression in stroke family and the need for future research about family interventions to decrease depression and increase spiritual well-being.

Spiritual Assessment of Students at Conservative Wesleyan-Arminian Bible Colleges

Science.gov (United States)

Cooley, Timothy L., Sr.

2011-01-01

The current study proposed to determine the level of spiritual transformation in students at conservative Wesleyan-Arminian Bible colleges and the association of spiritual transformation with selected Bible college activities. A quantitative survey was designed, validated, and implemented to measure students' self-reported levels of spiritual…

Relationships between Adult Workers' Spiritual Well-Being and Job Satisfaction: A Preliminary Study

Science.gov (United States)

Robert, Tracey E.; Young, J. Scott; Kelly, Virginia A.

2006-01-01

The authors studied the relationships between adult workers' spiritual well-being and job satisfaction. Two hundred participants completed 2 instruments: the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (C. W. Ellison & R. F. Paloutzian, 1982) and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (D. J. Weiss, R. V. Dawis, G. W. England, & L. H. Lofquist,…

Spiritual Values and Spiritual Practices: Interactive Effects on Leadership Effectiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zakiyulfikri Ali

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The relationship between spirituality and leadership effectiveness has been discussed over decades. These relations have been separated in two big perspective—first, an esoteric realm of intangible ideas and emotions; and second, a practical area and scientific inquiry. This research tries to integrate these two different perspectives. Specifically, this research examines the effects of spiritual values and spiritual practices on leadership effectiveness. The findings indicate that spiritual values and spiritual practices have positive effects on leadership effectiveness. This research also shows that spiritual values and spiritual practices have interactive effects on leadership effectiveness. This result implies that organizations should enhance the spiritual values and practices. Discussion, practical, and theoretical implications for further researches are offered. DOI: 10.15408/etk.v17i1.6497

Parental spirituality in life-threatening pediatric cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas, David B; Barrera, Maru; Granek, Leeat; D'Agostino, Norma Mammone; Shaheed, Jenny; Beaune, Laura; Bouffet, Eric; Antle, Beverley

2017-01-01

This study addressed parental spirituality in the context of pediatric cancer with a poor prognosis. Drawing upon previous research implementing a longitudinal grounded theory design examining parental hope, 35 parents were interviewed regarding their experiences with an emergent description of the role of spirituality in parents' daily lives. Spirituality included religious beliefs and practices, notions of a higher force or cosmos, relationship with a divine being, as well as elements emerging from meaning-making and relationships. Parental expectations of spirituality remained relatively constant across data collection time points (3-9 months postdiagnosis), although limited variation occurred relative to shifting circumstance (e.g., deterioration of the child's condition). Spirituality appeared to offer: greater acceptance of parents' inability to protect their child from harm related to her/his life-threatening illness, guidance and emotion decompression, and support from one's faith community. Recommendations for integrating spiritual assessment in clinical care practice are offered.

Competence and frequency of provision of spiritual care by nurses in the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, Annemieke; Schep-Akkerman, Annemiek E

2018-04-25

Spiritual care to patients is important for their well-being, and nurses do have a crucial role in it. Previous research focused on self-assessed competence in providing spiritual care, but little is known about the actual provision. The aims of this study were as follows: (i) to evaluate how often nurses provide spiritual care, (ii) if or which association there is between self-assessed competency and provision of spiritual care, and (iii) to study which factors do have influence on delivering spiritual care. A quantitative study was designed. Nurses were asked to complete a questionnaire. Self-assessment of spiritual care competence and actions was evaluated with the Spiritual Care Competence Scale New: a 27 items questionnaire on competence (SCCS-can) and frequency (SCCS-do) of providing spiritual care, measured with a five-point Likert scale. Mean competence score and frequency of provision were calculated, next to the correlation between those two. Several factors (mean SCCS-can, gender, age, education level, experience, life view, personal spirituality (measured on a 1-10 scale)) were included in regression analysis to study factors of influence on actual provision of spiritual care (measured with SCCS-do). A total of 104 completed questionnaires have been analysed. Mean score on the SCCS-can was 3.9, and on the SCCS-do 3.2. This means that nurses state they are highly competent in delivering spiritual care and provide this monthly. The Pearson correlation between SCCS-can and SCCS-do was 0.50, which means the higher the score on SCCS-can, the higher the score on SCCS-do. Regression analysis shows that the self-assessed competence of spiritual care (SCCS-can) and the personal spirituality are significant predictors of the outcome SCCS-do. The better the nurses think they can provide spiritual care, the more they say they practise it. Regression analysis supports this: the factors of influence on provision of spiritual care are self-assessed competence and

Emotional intelligence and spiritual well-being: implications for spiritual care.

Science.gov (United States)

Beauvais, Audrey; Stewart, Julie G; DeNisco, Susan

2014-01-01

Understanding factors that influence spiritual well-being may improve nurses' spiritual caregiving. This study examined relationships between emotional intelligence (EI) and spiritual well-being (SWB) in undergraduate and graduate nursing students. Using the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and the spiritual well-being scale (SWBS) relationships were found between managing emotion and spiritual well-being, and managing emotion and existential well-being. Implications for education and practice are discussed.

Creating conditions for good nursing by attending to the spiritual.

Science.gov (United States)

Biro, Anne L

2012-12-01

To note similarities, differences, and gaps in the literature on good nursing and spiritual care. Good nursing care is essential for meeting patient health needs. With growing recognition of the role of spirituality in health, understanding spiritual care as it relates to good nursing is important, especially as spiritual care has been recognized as the most neglected area of nursing care. Nursing research, reports and discussion articles from a variety of countries were reviewed on the topics of good nursing, spiritual care and spirituality. A nurse's spirituality and the nurse-patient relationship are integral to spiritual care and good nursing. There are many commonalities between good nursing and spiritual care. Personal attributes of the nurse are described in similar terms in research on spiritual care and good nursing. Professional attributes common to good nursing and spiritual care are the nurse-patient relationship, assessment skills and communication skills. Good nursing through spiritual care is facilitated by personal spirituality, training in spiritual care and a culture that implements changes supportive of spiritual care. Further research is needed to address limitations in the scope of literature. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The Functions and Spiritual Connotations of Traditional Music ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This work examines the spiritual connotations of ufie music, socio-cultural implications, performance norms and prescriptions. This descriptive survey employed musicological tools. It provides information on ways and means of preservation and maintenance of the instrument for the well-being of the society and posterity.

Experiences of patients with cancer and their nurses on the conditions of spiritual care and spiritual interventions in oncology units.

Science.gov (United States)

Rassouli, Maryam; Zamanzadeh, Vahid; Ghahramanian, Akram; Abbaszadeh, Abbas; Alavi-Majd, Hamid; Nikanfar, Alireza

2015-01-01

Although nurses acknowledge that spiritual care is part of their role, in reality, it is performed to a lesser extent. The purpose of the present study was to explore nurses' and patients' experiences about the conditions of spiritual care and spiritual interventions in the oncology units of Tabriz. This study was conducted with a qualitative conventional content analysis approach in the oncology units of hospitals in Tabriz. Data were collected through purposive sampling by conducting unstructured interviews with 10 patients and 7 nurses and analyzed simultaneously. Robustness of data analysis was evaluated by the participants and external control. Three categories emerged from the study: (1) "perceived barriers for providing spiritual care" including "lack of preparation for spiritual care," "time and space constraints," "unprofessional view," and "lack of support"; (2) "communication: A way for Strengthening spirituality despite the limitations" including "manifestation of spirituality in the appearances and communicative behaviors of nurses" and "communication: Transmission of spiritual energy"; and (3) "religion-related spiritual experiences" including "life events as divine will and divine exam," "death as reincarnation," "trust in God," "prayer/recourse to Holy Imams," and "acceptance of divine providence." Although nurses had little skills in assessing and responding to the patients' spiritual needs and did not have the organizational and clergymen's support in dealing with the spiritual distress of patients, they were the source of energy, joy, hope, and power for patients by showing empathy and compassion. The patients and nurses were using religious beliefs mentioned in Islam to strengthen the patients' spiritual dimension. According to the results, integration of spiritual care in the curriculum of nursing is recommended. Patients and nurses can benefit from organizational and clergymen's support to cope with spiritual distress. Researchers should

spirituality and contextuality 1. the historiography of spirituality

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The contextuality or historicity of spirituality is not self-evident. Not until modern times, in Europe, did it become more or less normal to look at spirituality from a historical perspective. It is thus not strange that the historiography of spirituality arose from the nineteenth century. In that time, the historical perspective was ...

Anxiety and Spiritual Well-Being in Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabbris, Jéssika Leão; Mesquita, Ana Cláudia; Caldeira, Sílvia; Carvalho, Ana Maria Pimenta; Carvalho, Emilia Campos de

2016-06-20

To analyze the relation between anxiety and spiritual well-being in undergraduate nursing students. Cross sectional, correlational, and survey design. A total of 169 students from a Brazilian Nursing School completed three instruments: demographic data, Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The mean score of SWBS was high, and the mean score of BAI was low. When experiencing anxiety, there was lower probability of experiencing high spiritual well-being. For those students considering religiosity very important, the score of SWBS was high. Students scoring lower in SWBS had more probability of experiencing moderate/high anxiety. Higher scores of SWBS and importance given to religiosity were related to lower scores of BAI. Also, the performance and score of spiritual well-being were related to anxiety scores. Further research is worthy to identify and validate which educational aspects could promote spiritual well-being and reduce anxiety as well as research to analyze the relation between spiritual well-being score and learning outcomes. © The Author(s) 2016.

Spirituality in cancer care at the end of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrell, Betty; Otis-Green, Shirley; Economou, Denice

2013-01-01

There is a compelling need to integrate spirituality into the provision of quality palliative care by oncology professionals. Patients and families report the importance of spiritual, existential, and religious concerns throughout the cancer trajectory. Leading palliative care organizations have developed guidelines that define spiritual care and offer recommendations to guide the delivery of spiritual services. There is growing recognition that all team members require the skills to provide generalist spiritual support. Attention to person-centered, family-focused oncology care requires the development of a health care environment that is prepared to support the religious, spiritual, and cultural practices preferred by patients and their families. These existential concerns become especially critical at end of life and following the death for family survivors. Oncology professionals require education to prepare them to appropriately screen, assess, refer, and/or intervene for spiritual distress.

Spirituality Self-Care Practices as a Mediator between Quality of Life and Depression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary L. White

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to develop a midrange theory, building on Orem’s self-care deficit nursing theory (SCDNT to include constructs of religion, spirituality, and spiritual self‑care practices. This mid-range theory, White’s theory of spirituality and spiritual self-care (WTSSSC, was developed and tested as part of a larger study of African American patients with heart failure (HF. The aim of the study was to determine if spiritual self-care practices were mediating the relationship between depression and quality of life for African Americans diagnosed with heart failure. Participants in this study included 142 African Americans diagnosed with HF who were recruited at the clinic where they were being treated. Four instruments were used to measure spiritual self-care practices (White’s Spiritual Self-Care Practice Scale (WSPSCPC, depression symptomology (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9, quality of life (World Health Organization QOL (WHOQOL-Bref, and personal characteristics. Results of the analysis were statistically significant, indicating that spirituality self-care practices were mediating the relationship between depression and quality of life for African American individuals diagnosed with HF. As the population ages and chronic illness becomes more common, nurses need to promote the use of spirituality self-care practices to help patients maintain their well-being.

Doctors discussing religion and spirituality: A systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Best, Megan; Butow, Phyllis; Olver, Ian

2016-04-01

Discussion of religion and/or spirituality in the medical consultation is desired by patients and known to be beneficial. However, it is infrequent. We aimed to identify why this is so. We set out to answer the following research questions: Do doctors report that they ask their patients about religion and/or spirituality and how do they do it? According to doctors, how often do patients raise the issue of religion and/or spirituality in consultation and how do doctors respond when they do? What are the known facilitators and barriers to doctors asking their patients about religion and/or spirituality? A mixed qualitative/quantitative review was conducted to identify studies exploring the physician's perspective on discussion of religion and/or spirituality in the medical consultation. We searched nine databases from inception to January 2015 for original research papers reporting doctors' views on discussion of religion and/or spirituality in medical consultations. Papers were assessed for quality using QualSyst and results were reported using a measurement tool to assess systematic review guidelines. Overall, 61 eligible papers were identified, comprising over 20,044 physician reports. Religion and spirituality are discussed infrequently by physicians although frequency increases with terminal illness. Many physicians prefer chaplain referral to discussing religion and/or spirituality with patients themselves. Such discussions are facilitated by prior training and increased physician religiosity and spirituality. Insufficient time and training were the most frequently reported barriers. This review found that physician enquiry into the religion and/or spirituality of patients is inconsistent in frequency and nature and that in order to meet patient needs, barriers to discussion need to be overcome. © The Author(s) 2015.

Kesejahteraan Spiritual Keluarga Pasien Stroke dan Kaitannya dengan Depresi

OpenAIRE

Muhamad Zulfatul A’la; Komarudin Komarudin; Defi Efendi

2015-01-01

Stroke is a one of major problem in palliative care. Spiritual and depression assessment of the family is an important element in the process of palliative care for stroke survivors. The purpose of this study was to know the description of the spiritual well-being among stroke family caregiver family and its relationship with depression. This study used cross-sectional design. Spiritual well-being scale (SWBS) was used to see the spiritual well-being of the family and the Center for Epidemiol...

Spirituality in education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirsi Tirri

2009-01-01

Full Text Available In this article the concept of spirituality in the educational framework is discussed. The concepts of religion and spirituality are compared. The psychological view of spirituality is presented with a new suggested intelligence type: spiritual intelligence. The educational view emphasizes spiritual sensitivity as a universal human ability that needs to be developed through education. The sociological view of spirituality explores it as an expression of postsecular religiosity. Empirical studies indicate that an increasing number of people­ now prefer to call themselves ‘spiritual’ rather than ‘religious’. This trend seems to be more present in some European countries, for example, in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Finland. Empirical studies on spirituality are reviewed and discussed. A special emphasis is given to the Finnish research findings related to the spirituality of a new generation or young adults. It is argued that understanding spirituality as an expression of postsecular religiosity gives more room for young adults to participate in communicative action concerning religion. This would promote a discursive religiousness in the spirit of Jürgen Habermas, in which a plurality of religious beliefs and practices are acknowledged and a dialogical and inter-religious approach is advocated.

Transcultural spirituality: the spiritual journey of hospitalized patients with schizophrenia in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chun-Tien; Narayanasamy, Aru; Chang, Sung-Ling

2012-02-01

The aim of this study was to explore how hospitalization and the diagnosis of schizophrenia have an impact on Taiwanese patients' spiritual life. Psychiatric nurses tend to construe patients' spiritual issues as pathological problems and consequently are reluctant to address patient's spirituality, which results in spirituality being overlooked in mental illness. An individual's spiritual journey is dependent upon their cultural background and beliefs; however, the professional's preconceived ideas suppress the voice of patients with schizophrenia to share their experiences of their spiritual journey. The lack of research exploring spirituality in mental illness in Taiwan means that spiritual care is overlooked in practice. This study sets out to explore spirituality from the perspectives of patients in two mental hospitals in Taiwan. Using a qualitative approach, 22 long-term hospitalized patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were interviewed. Several themes from the data were identified using Ritchie and Spencer's (1994) five stages analytical framework. The study was carried out from 2006 to 2008. Patients revealed spiritual distress as a consequence of prolonged hospitalization. They used referents consistent with traditional Chinese philosophical perspectives derived from Taoism and Confucianism to describe various features of their spiritual distress and their longing for spiritual revival, transcendence and to be accepted as normal persons. In this age of globalization, nurses need to be fully cognisant of the cultural aspects of patients to respond to a mental health patient's spirituality. Clinical and educational guidelines and policies could be developed for spiritual care in Taiwan. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Developments in spiritual care education in German--speaking countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Paal, Piret; Roser, Traugott; Frick, Eckhard

2014-06-05

This article examines spiritual care training provided to healthcare professionals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The paper reveals the current extent of available training while defining the target group(s) and teaching aims. In addition to those, we will provide an analysis of delivered competencies, applied teaching and performance assessment methods. In 2013, an anonymous online survey was conducted among the members of the International Society for Health and Spiritual Care. The survey consisted of 10 questions and an open field for best practice advice. SPSS21 was used for statistical data analysis and the MAXQDA2007 for thematic content analysis. 33 participants participated in the survey. The main providers of spiritual care training are hospitals (36%, n = 18). 57% (n = 17) of spiritual care training forms part of palliative care education. 43% (n = 13) of spiritual care education is primarily bound to the Christian tradition. 36% (n = 11) of provided trainings have no direct association with any religious conviction. 64% (n = 19) of respondents admitted that they do not use any specific definition for spiritual care. 22% (n = 14) of available spiritual care education leads to some academic degree. 30% (n = 19) of training form part of an education programme leading to a formal qualification. Content analysis revealed that spiritual training for medical students, physicians in paediatrics, and chaplains take place only in the context of palliative care education. Courses provided for multidisciplinary team education may be part of palliative care training. Other themes, such as deep listening, compassionate presence, bedside spirituality or biographical work on the basis of logo-therapy, are discussed within the framework of spiritual care. Spiritual care is often approached as an integral part of grief management, communication/interaction training, palliative care, (medical) ethics, psychological or religious counselling

Spirituality, Religion, and Suicidality Among Veterans: A Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lusk, Jaimie; Dobscha, Steven K; Kopacz, Marek; Ritchie, Mary Frances; Ono, Sarah

2018-01-01

This qualitative study explores the relationship between veterans' spirituality/religion and suicide ideation and attempts. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 veterans who either endorsed chronic suicidal ideation or had made suicide attempt(s). Interviews explored the bi-directional relationship between spirituality/religion (e.g., beliefs, practices, and experiences), and suicide ideation and behaviors. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Veterans' responses indicate that spirituality/religion can discourage or permit suicidal ideation, help in coping with ideation, and facilitate meaning making and coping in the presence of self-perceived suffering. Veterans who survived a suicide attempt explored the impact of their spirituality/religion on their recovery. Findings highlight a complex and diverse relationship between spirituality/religion and suicidality. These findings may inform further research on treatment strategies that assess the function of spirituality/religion, and incorporate protective aspects of spirituality/religion into mental health treatment.

Validation of a Novel Instrument to Measure Elements of Franciscan-Inspired Spirituality in a General Population and in Religious Persons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arndt Büssing

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Today there are several approaches for bringing mindfulness, which conceptually refers to the Buddhist Vipassana tradition, into organizations. Programs referring to value-based attitudes and behaviors derived from specific Christian contexts are rarely evaluated. A prerequisite are reliable instruments for measuring the respective outcomes. We therefore performed a cross-sectional study among 418 participants to validate an instrument measuring specific aspects of Franciscan-inspired spirituality (FraSpir, particularly the core dimensions and transformative outcomes. Exploratory factor analysis of this FraSpir questionnaire with 26 items pointed to four main factors (i.e., “Live from Faith/Search for God”; “Peaceful attitude/Respectful Treatment”; “Commitment to Disadvantaged and Creation”; “Attitude of Poverty”. Their internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.79 to 0.97. With respect to convergent validity, there were sound correlations with engagement in religious practices, gratitude and awe, and prosocial-humanistic practices. The 26-item instrument was found to be a reliable and valid instrument for use in training and education programs. Interestingly, nuns and monks scored significantly higher on the Faith and Poverty subscales than others, but similarly on the two subscales addressing considerate action in the world. These attitudes and behaviors are not exclusively valued by those of religious faith, but by all.

Relationship between spirituality/religiousness and coping in patients with residual schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Ruchita; Kulhara, Parmanand; Grover, Sandeep; Kumar, Suresh; Malhotra, Rama; Tyagi, Shikha

2011-09-01

To measure spirituality/religiousness and its relation to coping skills in patients with residual schizophrenia. Using a cross-sectional design, 103 persons with residual schizophrenia were assessed on Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale [PANSS] and Ways of Coping Checklist [WCC] to assess the repertoire of coping skills and WHO Quality of Life-Spirituality, Religiousness and Personal Belief scale [WHOQOL-SRPB] to assess religiousness and spirituality. Positive reappraisal as a coping strategy had significant positive correlation with all the facets of WHOQOL-SRPB and SRPB total domain scores. The coping subscales of accepting responsibility, planful problem solving, distancing, confrontive coping, and self-controlling also had significant positive correlations with different facets of WHOQOL-SRPB and total SRPB domain score. Seeking social support and escape-avoidance as coping mechanisms had no correlations with any of the WHOQOL-SRPB facets. A sound spiritual, religious, or personal belief system is associated with active and adaptive coping skills in subjects with residual schizophrenia. Understanding and assessing the spirituality and religiousness of subjects with schizophrenia can help in better management of the disorder.

Religious and/or spiritual practices: extending spiritual freedom to people with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Sharon; Suto, Melinda J

2012-04-01

It continues to be a challenge to define and utilize spirituality in client-centred occupational therapy practice. Dialogue about spirituality is especially problematic for occupational therapists working with people with schizophrenia. To explore the meaning of religion and/or spirituality for people living with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Nine community-based individuals with schizophrenia engaged in interviews about the meaning of religion and/or spirituality and demonstrated self-defined spiritual practices. Phenomenology, hermeneutic theory, and a symbolic interactionism framework provided methodological and analytic guidance. Participants employed religious and/or spiritual practices to cope with schizophrenia symptoms and make meaning of their lives. Individuals used multiple systems of meaning to explain their experiences. Religious and/or spiritual agency, an individual's sense of freedom to choose among the spiritual options, renewed their sense of empowerment. Therapists can engage in spiritual negotiation with clients by using well-worded empowering questions toward a common goal of life enhancement.

The potential of spiritual leadership in workplace spirituality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marilyn Naidoo

2014-06-01

Full Text Available We live in the transition period between the old definition of work as survival and the new definition of work as livelihood. A new awareness of the value of spirituality can add to the innovation and creative capacity of ‘human capital’, increased authenticity in communication and has the potential for increased ethical and moral behaviour. For organisations wanting greater commitment this means opening up the conversation to include dimensions of soul and spirit that have been traditionally left at the office door. Workplace spirituality has potential for leadership development as it allows employees and leaders to act from personal truth, integrity, values and ethical practice. Spiritual leadership taps into the fundamental needs of both leader and follower for spiritual survival so that they become more organisationally committed and productive. This article focuses on the potential of spiritual leadership to transform and to contribute to the success of an organisation.

Spiritual Care in the Intensive Care Unit: A Narrative Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Jim Q; Nguyen, Christopher D; Lopes, Richard; Ezeji-Okoye, Stephen C; Kuschner, Ware G

2018-05-01

Spiritual care is an important component of high-quality health care, especially for critically ill patients and their families. Despite evidence of benefits from spiritual care, physicians and other health-care providers commonly fail to assess and address their patients' spiritual care needs in the intensive care unit (ICU). In addition, it is common that spiritual care resources that can improve both patient outcomes and family member experiences are underutilized. In this review, we provide an overview of spiritual care and its role in the ICU. We review evidence demonstrating the benefits of, and persistent unmet needs for, spiritual care services, as well as the current state of spiritual care delivery in the ICU setting. Furthermore, we outline tools and strategies intensivists and other critical care medicine health-care professionals can employ to support the spiritual well-being of patients and families, with a special focus on chaplaincy services.

Relationship Between Religious Spiritual Well-Being and Death Anxiety in Iranian Elders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahboubeh Dadfar

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed to examine the relationship between religious spiritual well-being and death anxiety among Iranian elders. Subjects were 146 volunteer elders. They were selected by a convenient sampling. Instruments were Multidimensional Inventory of Religious Spiritual Well-Being (MI RSWB 48 the Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety (ASDA factors. On the MI RSWB 48 and the ASDA, there were no significant association between religious spiritual well-being and death anxiety total scores. There were significant association between Hope Transcendent (HT, and Experiences of Sense and Meaning (SM subscales of MI RSWB 48. Limitations of the present study were using of self-report scales, selectin of anold-age sample, a Muslim reliogion and an Iranian culture. Present results can be considered in the religious spiritual oriented interventions for reducing of death anxiety for elders in Muslim countries.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Spiritual Index of Well-Being in elderly Taiwanese.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Li-Fen; Yang, Shu-Hui; Koo, Malcolm

2017-01-04

Spiritual well-being has become an increasingly important issue for the elderly people. The 12-item Spirituality Index of Well-Being (SIWB) is a well-validated instrument for assessing a patient's current spiritual state. However, the psychometric properties of the SIWB in the Chinese elderly populations are not known. Therefore, this study translated the SIWB into Chinese and evaluated its psychometric properties. The English version of the SIWB was first translated into Chinese based on the Brislin's translation model. The psychometric properties of the translated version of the SIWB (SIWB-C) was evaluated in 416 elderly Taiwanese recruited using a purposive sampling procedure from a medical center, a long-term care institution, and a community health center. Convergent validity was accessed using Pearson's correlation coefficients of the SIWB-C, the EQ-5D-3 L health-related quality of life scale, and the Geriatric Depression Scale-5 (GDS-5). Exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation was performed to determine the construct validity. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for verification of the quality of the factor structures and demonstrating the convergent validity of the SIWB-C. An internal consistency test based on the Cronbach's alpha coefficient and a stability test based on the Guttman split-half coefficient were also performed. Test-retest reliability was evaluated with intraclass correlation coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the original two-dimensional structure of the scale. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a well-fitting model and a fine convergent validity of the SIWB-C. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the Guttman split-half coefficient for the SIWB-C were 0.94 and 0.84, respectively. The correlations between the SIWB-C with EQ-5D-3 L and GDS-5 were 0.22 (p spiritual well-being in elderly Taiwanese. Its application in assessing the spiritual well-being in Mandarin-speaking elderly population warrants

Spirituality and Quality of Life in Black Patients with Cancer Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Jinbing; Brubaker, Andrea; Meghani, Salimah H; Bruner, Deborah W; Yeager, Katherine A

2018-05-29

The objective of this study was to examine the associations between spirituality and overall quality of life (QOL) and individual QOL domains in Black patients with cancer pain. A secondary data analysis of a parent study exploring pain medication adherence in Black patients receiving around-the-clock opioids with cancer pain was performed. All the participating patients completed Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (spirituality), Brief Pain Inventory (pain severity and interference), Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (symptoms), and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (QOL). Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between spirituality and overall QOL and QOL domains and to identify the predictors of overall QOL and QOL domains. Black patients treated for cancer pain (n = 102) completed the study. Pearson correlation showed significant positive associations between spirituality and overall QOL (p < 0.001) and individual QOL domains (physical, social, emotional, functional). Higher spirituality was associated with lower pain severity (p = 0.01), pain interference (p = 0.001) and total symptoms score (p < 0.001). In multiple regression analysis, the best model for the overall QOL explained 67% of the variance (p < 0.001) and included total symptoms score, pain interference, spirituality and age. Spirituality significantly predicted QOL domains of social (p < 0.0001), emotional (p = 0.002) and functional well-being (p = 0.001) rather than physical well-being. Spirituality is associated with decreased pain and lower symptom burden and may serve as a protective factor against diminished overall QOL, specifically social, emotional and functional domains in back patients with cancer pain. There is a need to develop spirituality-based interventions along with symptom management interventions to improve QOL for this population. Copyright © 2018. Published by

Relationship between mental health and spiritual wellbeing among hemodialysis patients: a correlation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez, Beatriz Bertolaccini; Custódio, Rodrigo Pereira

2014-01-01

The stress of living with a terminal disease has a negative impact on the mental health of hemodialysis (HD) patients. Spirituality is a potential coping mechanism for stressful experiences. Studies on the relationship between spirituality and mental health among HD patients are scarce. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between mental health and spiritual well-being among HD patients. Cross-sectional observational study on hemodialysis patients at a single center in Brazil, between January and December 2011. Mental health was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire and spiritual wellbeing was assessed using the Spiritual Wellbeing Scale; 150 HD patients participated in the study. A significant correlation was found between mental health and spiritual wellbeing (P = 0.001). Spiritual wellbeing was the strongest predictor of mental health, psychological distress, sleep disturbance and psychosomatic complaints. Poor mental health was associated with lower spiritual wellbeing. This has important implications for delivery of palliative care to HD patients.

Making Sense of Genetic Uncertainty: The Role of Religion and Spirituality

OpenAIRE

White, Mary T.

2009-01-01

This paper argues that to the extent that religious and spiritual beliefs can help people cope with genetic uncertainty, a limited spiritual assessment may be appropriate in genetic counseling. The paper opens by establishing why genetic information is inherently uncertain and why this uncertainty can be medically, morally, and spiritually problematic. This is followed by a review of the range of factors that can contribute to risk assessments, including a few heuristics commonly used in resp...

The Association of Mental Distress and Spirituality/religiosity among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Face to face interviews were conducted with subjects and the following instruments were administered: Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ 20), Duke Religion Index, Satisfaction With Life Scale, Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Religious Coping Index, and Social Support Index. Results: The results showed that 35.9% were ...

Spiritual Intimacy, Marital Intimacy, and Physical/Psychological Well-Being: Spiritual Meaning as a Mediator.

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, Karen J; Lee, Jerry W; Marshak, Helen H; Martin, Leslie R

2016-08-01

Intimacy is an essential part of marital relationships, spiritual relationships, and is also a factor in well-being, but there is little research simultaneously examining the links among spiritual intimacy, marital intimacy, and well-being. Structural equation modeling was used to examine associations among the latent variables-spiritual intimacy, marital intimacy, spiritual meaning, and well-being-in a cross-sectional study of 5,720 married adults aged 29-100 years ( M = 58.88, SD = 12.76, 59% female). All participants were from the Adventist Health Study-2, Biopsychosocial Religion and Health Study. In the original structural model, all direct associations between the three latent variables of spiritual intimacy, marital intimacy, and well-being were significantly positive indicating that there was a significant relationship among spiritual intimacy, marital intimacy, and well-being. When spiritual meaning was added as a mediating variable, the direct connections of spiritual intimacy to marital intimacy and to well-being became weakly negative. However, the indirect associations of spiritual intimacy with marital intimacy and with well-being were then strongly positive through spiritual meaning. This indicates that the relationship among spiritual intimacy, marital intimacy, and well-being was primarily a result of the meaning that spiritual intimacy brought to one's marriage and well-being, and that without spiritual meaning greater spirituality could negatively influence one's marriage and well-being. These findings suggest the central place of spiritual meaning in understanding the relationship of spiritual intimacy to marital intimacy and to well-being.

FACT: taking a spiritual history in a clinical setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Larocca-Pitts, Mark A

2008-01-01

Healthcare clinicians need a good tool for taking spiritual histories in a clinical setting. A spiritual history provides important clinical information and any properly trained clinician can take one. Professionally trained chaplains follow-up with more in-depth spiritual assessments if indicated. A spiritual history tool's effectiveness depends on five criteria: brevity, memorability, appropriateness, patient-centeredness, and credibility (Koenig, 2007). The chaplain-developed FACT stands for: F-Faith (and/or Belief); A-Active (and/or Available, Accessible, Applicable); C-Coping (and/or Comfort)/Conflict (and/or Concern); and T-Treatment. FACT compares favorably, if not better in some categories, with three physician-developed spiritual history tools: Koenig's (2007) CSI-MEMO, American College of Physicians' tool (Lo, Quill, & Tulsky, 1999), and Puchalski's and Romer's (2000) FICA.

Nursing and spirituality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raphael de Brito Pedrão

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To evaluate the spiritual well-being of nurses; to appraise their opinions as to the importance of offering patients spiritual assistance, and to verify whether nurses received any specific type of preparation during their professional training for giving spiritual assistance to patients. Methods: This is an exploratory and descriptive study, carried out with a sample of 30 nurses who worked at the Stepdown Unit and Oncology Unit of Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, using the application of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWS and a questionnaire prepared by the authors. Results: On the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, 76.6% of nurses produced positive scores. On the Existential Well-Being subscale, 80% had positive scores, and on the Religious Well-Being subscale, 76.6% had positive scores. On the SWBS, the general average score was 107.26, and for the Existential and Religious ones, the average scores were 54.4 and 53.2, respectively. Most nurses responded affirmatively as to the importance of offering patients spiritual assistance, and 40% of nurses offered as rationale “to provide well-being and comfort to the patient”. Most nurses reported not having received professional training for giving spiritual assistance to patients in any of the nursing courses they had done. Conclusions: The results indicate the need for professional training and/or continued education courses in nursing to extend the reflection and discussion on spirituality and spiritual assistance to patients.

Spirituality and spiritual care: a descriptive survey of nursing practices in Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Akgün Şahin, Zümrüt; Kardaş Özdemir, Funda

2016-08-01

Nurses' spiritual care practices have been shown to affect patients' well-being, therefore understanding nurses' spiritual care perceptions and their practices. The aim of this paper is to investigate the nurses' views to practising spiritual care. A descriptive survey of 193 nurses was conducted at a general hospital in Turkey. Data was collected using a demographic questionnaire and The Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS). The findings of this study revealed that older nurses (pspiritual care (pspiritual care.

The spiritual experience index: A measure of spiritual maturity.

Science.gov (United States)

Genia, V

1991-12-01

The Spiritual Experience Index was developed to measure spiritual maturity in persons of diverse religious and spiritual beliefs. The scale was constructed from a developmental rather than a multidimensional conceptualization of faith. Initial findings from a religiously heterogeneous college sample indicated good reliability for the SEI and supported its use as a unidimensional measure. Higher scores on the SEI were significantly related to lower dogmatism and intolerance of ambiguity. The SEI was also moderately related to higher religious participation and positively correlated with intrinsicness and quest. However, compared with the intrinsic and quest scales, the SEI emerged as the strongest indicator of adaptive spiritual functioning. Directions for future research are suggested.

Palliative care and spirituality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Narayanasamy Aru

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Critical junctures in patients′ lives such as chronic illnesses and advanced diseases may leave the persons in a state of imbalance or disharmony of body, mind and spirit. With regard to spirituality and healing, there is a consensus in literature about the influence of spirituality on recovery and the ability to cope with and adjust to the varying and demanding states of health and illness. Empirical evidence suggests that spiritual support may act as an adjunct to the palliative care of those facing advanced diseases and end of life. In this article, the author draws from his empirical work on spirituality and culture to develop a discourse on palliative care and spirituality in both secular and non-secular settings. In doing so, this paper offers some understanding into the concept of spirituality, spiritual needs and spiritual care interventions in palliative care in terms of empirical evidence. Responding to spiritual needs could be challenging, but at the same time it could be rewarding to both healthcare practitioner (HCP and patient in that they may experience spiritual growth and development. Patients may derive great health benefits with improvements in their quality of life, resolutions and meaning and purpose in life. It is hoped that the strategies for spiritual support outlined in this paper serve as practical guidelines to HCPs for development of palliative care in South Asia.

An Investigation of the Perceptions and Practices of Nursing Students Regarding Spirituality and Spiritual Care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asli Kalkim

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research was to determine Turkish nursing students’ knowledge, practices and perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care and to investigate the relationship between their perceptions and their demographics. This study was a descriptive survey conducted at a nursing school providing degree-level education in the city of Manisa, in the western part of Turkey. The sample of the study consisted of the 400 nursing students. A nursing student sociodemographic form, a form on nursing students’ knowledge and practices of spirituality and spiritual care, and the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale were used to collect the data. Half of the students could meet patients’ or individuals’ spiritual needs, and the spiritual care that they gave was most frequently listening, empathy, and psychological support. The research findings were that nursing students’ perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care were “sufficiently” although not “very sufficiently” defined. Being female, being in the second year of education and seeing spiritual care education as necessary were determinants of their perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care.

Relationship between mental health and spiritual wellbeing among hemodialysis patients: a correlation study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatriz Bertolaccini Martinez

Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: The stress of living with a terminal disease has a negative impact on the mental health of hemodialysis (HD patients. Spirituality is a potential coping mechanism for stressful experiences. Studies on the relationship between spirituality and mental health among HD patients are scarce. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between mental health and spiritual well-being among HD patients. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional observational study on hemodialysis patients at a single center in Brazil, between January and December 2011. METHODS : Mental health was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire and spiritual wellbeing was assessed using the Spiritual Wellbeing Scale; 150 HD patients participated in the study. RESULTS : A significant correlation was found between mental health and spiritual wellbeing (P = 0.001. Spiritual wellbeing was the strongest predictor of mental health, psychological distress, sleep disturbance and psychosomatic complaints. CONCLUSION: Poor mental health was associated with lower spiritual wellbeing. This has important implications for delivery of palliative care to HD patients.

Performance of the Duke Religion Index and the spiritual well-being scale in online samples of men who have sex with men.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkerson, J Michael; Smolensk, Derek J; Brady, Sonya S; Rosser, B R Simon

2013-06-01

Religiosity is associated with behaviors that reduce the risk of HIV/STI infection among general-population and heterosexual-specific samples. Whether this association is similar to homosexual persons is unknown. Measures of religiosity have not been evaluated psychometrically among men who have sex with men (MSM), a population who, because of stigma, experience religiosity differently than heterosexual persons. We assessed the duke religion index and the spiritual well-being in two samples of MSM. Neither instrument produced adequate model fit. To study the association between religiosity and HIV/STI risk behaviors among MSM, scales are needed that measure the religious and spiritual experiences of MSM.

Spirituality and distress in palliative care consultation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hills, Judith; Paice, Judith A; Cameron, Jacqueline R; Shott, Susan

2005-08-01

One's spirituality or religious beliefs and practices may have a profound impact on how the individual copes with the suffering that so often accompanies advanced disease. Several previous studies suggest that negative religious coping can significantly affect health outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to explore the relationship between spirituality, religious coping, and symptoms of distress among a group of inpatients referred to the palliative care consult service. Pilot study. The study was conducted in a large academic medical center with a comprehensive Palliative Care and Home Hospice Program. (1) National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Management Assessment Tool; (2) Pargament Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE); (3) Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp); (4) Puchalski's FICA; and (5) Profile of Mood States-Short Form (POMS-SF). The 31 subjects surveyed experienced moderate distress (5.8 +/- 2.7), major physical and psychosocial symptom burden, along with reduced function and significant caregiving needs. The majority (87.2%) perceived themselves to be at least somewhat spiritual, with 77.4% admitting to being at least somewhat religious. Negative religious coping (i.e., statements regarding punishment or abandonment by God) was positively associated with distress, confusion, depression, and negatively associated with physical and emotional well-being, as well as quality of life. Palliative care clinicians should be alert to symptoms of spiritual distress and intervene accordingly. Future research is needed to identify optimal techniques to address negative religious coping.

Alcohol use and religiousness/spirituality among adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Knight, John R; Sherritt, Lon; Harris, Sion Kim; Holder, David W; Kulig, John; Shrier, Lydia A; Gabrielli, Joy; Chang, Grace

2007-04-01

Previous studies indicate that religiousness is associated with lower levels of substance use among adolescents, but less is known about the relationship between spirituality and substance use. The objective of this study was to determine the association between adolescents' use of alcohol and specific aspects of religiousness and spirituality. Twelve- to 18-year-old patients coming for routine medical care at three primary care sites completed a modified Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality; the Spiritual Connectedness Scale; and a past-90-days alcohol use Timeline Followback calendar. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to assess the association between each religiousness/spirituality measure and odds of any past-90-days alcohol use, controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and clinic site. Timeline Followback data were dichotomized to indicate any past-90-days alcohol use and religiousness/spirituality scale scores were z-transformed for analysis. Participants (n = 305) were 67% female, 74% Hispanic or black, and 45% from two-parent families. Mean +/- SD age was 16.0 +/- 1.8 years. Approximately 1/3 (34%) reported past-90-day alcohol use. After controlling for demographics and clinic site, Religiousness/Spirituality scales that were not significantly associated with alcohol use included: Commitment (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.36, 1.79), Organizational Religiousness (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.64, 1.07), Private Religious Practices (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.80, 1.10), and Religious and Spiritual Coping--Negative (OR = 1.07, 95% CI 0.91, 1.23). All of these are measures of religiousness, except for Religious and Spiritual Coping--Negative. Scales that were significantly and negatively associated with alcohol use included: Forgiveness (OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.42-0.73), Religious and Spiritual Coping--Positive (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.51-0.84), Daily Spiritual Experiences (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.54-0.84), and Belief (OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.68-0.83), which are

Modern health worries - the dark side of spirituality?

Science.gov (United States)

Köteles, Ferenc; Simor, Péter; Czető, Márton; Sárog, Noémi; Szemerszky, Renáta

2016-08-01

Modern health worries (MHWs) are widespread in modern societies. MHWs were connected to both negative and positive psychological characteristics in previous studies. The study aimed to investigate the relationships among intuitive-experiential information processing style, spirituality, MHWs, and psychological well-being. Members of the Hungarian Skeptic Society (N = 128), individuals committed to astrology (N = 601), and people from a non-representative community sample (N = 554) completed questionnaires assessing intuitive-experiential information processing style, spirituality, modern health worries (MHWs), and psychological well-being. Astrologers showed higher levels of spirituality, intuitive-experiential thinking, and modern health worries than individuals from the community sample; and skeptics scored even lower than the latter group with respect to all three constructs. Within the community sample, medium level connections between measures of spirituality and the experiential thinking style, and weak to medium level correlations between spirituality and MHWs were found. The connection between MHWs and experiential thinking style was completely mediated by spirituality. Individuals with higher levels of spirituality are particularly vulnerable to overgeneralized messages on health related risks. Official communication of potential risks based on rational scientific reasoning is not appropriate to persuade them as it has no impact on the intuitive-experiential system. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Spirituality and Mental Well-Being in Combat Veterans: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith-MacDonald, Lorraine; Norris, Jill M; Raffin-Bouchal, Shelley; Sinclair, Shane

2017-11-01

Many veterans experience significant compromised spiritual and mental well-being. Despite effective and evidence-based treatments, veterans continue to experience poor completion rates and suboptimal therapeutic effects. Spirituality, whether expressed through religious or secular means, is a part of adjunctive or supplemental treatment modalities to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is particularly relevant to combat trauma. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the relationship between spirituality and mental well-being in postdeployment veterans. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, JSTOR) were searched from database inception to March 2016. Gray literature was identified in databases, websites, and reference lists of included studies. Study quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool and Critical Appraising Skill Programme Qualitative Checklist. From 6,555 abstracts, 43 studies were included. Study quality was low-moderate. Spirituality had an effect on PTSD, suicide, depression, anger and aggression, anxiety, quality of life, and other mental well-being outcomes for veterans. "Negative spiritual coping" was often associated with an increase mental health diagnoses and symptom severity; "positive spiritual coping" had an ameliorating effect. Addressing veterans' spiritual well-being should be a routine and integrated component of veterans' health, with regular assessment and treatment. This requires an interdisciplinary approach, including integrating chaplains postcombat, to help address these issues and enhance the continuity of care. Further high-quality research is needed to isolate the salient components of spirituality that are most harmful and helpful in veterans' mental well-being, including the incorporating of veterans' perspectives directly. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Instruments to assess integrated care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyngsø, Anne Marie; Godtfredsen, Nina Skavlan; Høst, Dorte

2014-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Although several measurement instruments have been developed to measure the level of integrated health care delivery, no standardised, validated instrument exists covering all aspects of integrated care. The purpose of this review is to identify the instruments concerning how to mea...... was prevalent. It is uncertain whether development of a single 'all-inclusive' model for assessing integrated care is desirable. We emphasise the continuing need for validated instruments embedded in theoretical contexts.......INTRODUCTION: Although several measurement instruments have been developed to measure the level of integrated health care delivery, no standardised, validated instrument exists covering all aspects of integrated care. The purpose of this review is to identify the instruments concerning how...... to measure the level of integration across health-care sectors and to assess and evaluate the organisational elements within the instruments identified. METHODS: An extensive, systematic literature review in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Web of Science for the years 1980-2011. Selected...

Particularizing spirituality in points of tension: enriching the discourse.

Science.gov (United States)

Pesut, Barbara; Fowler, Marsha; Reimer-Kirkham, Sheryl; Taylor, Elizabeth Johnston; Sawatzky, Rick

2009-12-01

The tremendous growth in nursing literature about spirituality has garnered proportionately little critique. Part of the reason may be that the broad generalizing claims typical of this literature have not been sufficiently explicated so that their particular implications for a practice discipline could be evaluated. Further, conceptualizations that attempt to encompass all possible views are difficult to challenge outside of a particular location. However, once one assumes a particular location in relation to spirituality, then the question becomes how one resolves the tension between what are essentially theological or philosophical commitments and professional commitments. In this study, we discuss the tension between these perspectives using the idea of a responsible nursing response to spiritual pluralism. We then problematize three claims about spirituality in nursing discourse based upon our location as scholars influenced by Christian theological understandings: (i) the claim that all individuals are spiritual; (ii) the claim that human spirituality can be assessed and evaluated; and (iii) the claim that spirituality is a proper domain of nursing's concern and intervention. We conclude by suggesting that the widely shared values of social justice, compassion and human dignity may well serve as a grounding for the critique of spiritual discourses in nursing across particularized positions.

Exploring Nurse Communication About Spirituality.

Science.gov (United States)

Wittenberg, Elaine; Ragan, Sandra L; Ferrell, Betty

2017-07-01

Although spiritual care is considered one of the pillars of palliative care, many health-care providers never receive formal training on how to communicate about spirituality with patients and families. The aim of this study was to explore the spiritual care experiences of oncology nurses in order to learn more about patient needs and nurse responses. A survey was circulated at a communication training course for oncology nurses in June 2015. Nurses recalled a care experience that included the initiation of a spiritual care topic and their response to the patient/family. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Nurses reported that communication about spirituality was primarily initiated by patients, rather than family members, and spiritual topics commonly emerged during the end of life or when patients experienced spiritual distress. Nurses' experiences highlighted the positive impact spiritual conversations had on the quality of patient care and its benefit to families. Spiritual communication was described as an important nursing role at the end of patients' lives, and nonverbal communication, listening, and discussing patients' emotions were emphasized as important and effective nurse communication skills during spiritual care conversations. Approximately one-third of nurses in the sample reported sharing their own personal spiritual or religious backgrounds with patients, and they reported that these sharing experiences strengthened their own faith. It is evident that patients want to discuss spiritual topics during care. Study findings illustrate the need to develop a spiritual communication curriculum and provide spiritual care communication training to clinicians.

Hope and spirituality among patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis: a correlational study

OpenAIRE

Ottaviani, Ana Carolina; Souza, Érica Nestor; Drago, Natália de Camargo; Mendiondo, Marisa Silvana Zazzetta de; Pavarini, Sofia Cristina Iost; Orlandi, Fabiana de Souza

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the relationship between the hope and spirituality of patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis.METHOD: this is a cross-sectional, correlational study. The sample was composed of 127 patients of a Renal Replacement Unit. Data were collected through individual interviews guided by the following instruments: participant characterization, Herth Hope Index (HHI), and Pinto Pais-Ribeiro Spirituality Scale (PP-RSS).RESULTS: the average HHI score was 38.06 (±...

Validation of the Portuguese version of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS-P) in clinical and non-clinical samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Curcio, Cristiane Schumann Silva; Lucchetti, Giancarlo; Moreira-Almeida, Alexander

2015-04-01

Despite Brazil's high levels of religious involvement, there is a scarcity of validated religiousness/spirituality (R/S) measures in Portuguese, particularly multidimensional ones. This study presents the validation of the Portuguese version of the "Brief Multidimensional Measure in Religiousness and Spirituality" (BMMRS) within the Brazilian context. Inpatients (262) and caregivers (389) at two hospitals of Brazil answered the BMMRS, the DUREL-p, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The internal and convergent validity and test-retest reliability for major dimensions were good. Discriminant validity was high (except for the Forgiveness dimension). The Portuguese version of the BMMRS is a reliable and valid instrument to assess multiple R/S dimensions in clinical and non-clinical samples.

The relationship between spiritual well-being and stress coping strategies in hemodialysis patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahra Taheri-Kharameh

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Spiritual well-being has been recognized as an important resource to cope with illness and life stresses. The aim of this study is to determine the Spiritual well-being status as well as stress coping strategies in hemodialysis patients. Methods: This descriptive-analysis study included 95 randomly selected patients undergoing treatments with hemodialysis in hemodialysis centers of Qom hospitals. Data collection instruments were the Spiritual Well-Being Scale and Jalowiec Coping Scale Data were analyzed via SPSS 16 software, by using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient and independent t-test. Results: The mean and standard deviation score of spiritual well-being of patients were 91.98±15.09 while the mean and standard deviation of existential and religious well-being were 50.76±8.06 and 41.22±8.91, respectively. 52.6% got scores higher than the average score in spiritual well-being. The most common coping strategies in patients were Evasive and Supportant copings. Spiritual well-being and problem-oriented coping strategies had a significant positive correlation (r = 0.41, p = 0.008. But there was no significant relationship between spiritual well-being and emotion-focused coping strategies. Conclusion: Results showed that hemodialysis patients mostly use emotion-oriented strategies when facing disease and treatment’s challenges. There was a positive relation between spiritual well-being and problem-oriented coping strategies; therefore, in order to increase levels of coping with the disease, the care plan should be written with an emphasis on patients' spiritual needs.

Developmental patterns of adolescent spiritual health in six countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valerie Michaelson

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The spiritual health of adolescents is a topic of emerging contemporary importance. Limited numbers of international studies provide evidence about developmental patterns of this aspect of health during the adolescent years. Using multidimensional indicators of spiritual health that have been adapted for use within younger adolescent populations, we therefore: (1 describe aspects of the perceptions of the importance of spiritual health of adolescents by developmental stage and within genders; (2 conduct similar analyses across measures related to specific domains of adolescent spiritual health; (3 relate perceptions of spiritual health to self-perceived personal health status. Cross-sectional surveys were administered to adolescent populations in school settings during 2013–2014. Participants (n=45,967 included eligible and consenting students aged 11–15 years in sampled schools from six European and North American countries. Our primary measures of spiritual health consisted of eight questions in four domains (perceived importance of connections to: self, others, nature, and the transcendent. Socio-demographic factors included age, gender, and country of origin. Self-perceived personal health status was assessed using a simple composite measure. Self-rated importance of spiritual health, both overall and within most questions and domains, declined as young people aged. This declining pattern persisted for both genders and in all countries, and was most notable for the domains of “connections with nature” and “connections with the transcendent”. Girls consistently rated their perceptions of the importance of spiritual health higher than boys. Spiritual health and its domains related strongly and consistently with self-perceived personal health status. While limited by the 8-item measure of perceived spiritual health employed, study findings confirm developmental theories proposed from qualitative observation, provide foundational

An investigation into the spiritual needs of neuro-oncology patients from a nurse perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nixon Aline Victoria

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Spiritual needs of cancer patients should be assessed and discussed by healthcare professionals. Neurosurgical nurses need to be able to assess and support neuro-oncology patients with their spiritual needs from diagnosis and throughout their hospital stay. Methods Data were collected through questionnaires using a Critical Incident Technique (CIT from neurosurgical nurses, findings were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Nurses reported some awareness of their patients’ spiritual needs during their stay on neurosurgical units although some used expressions approximating what could be described as spiritual needs. Patients’ spiritual needs were identified as: need to talk about spiritual concerns, showing sensitivity to patients’ emotions, responding to religious needs; and relatives’ spiritual needs included: supporting them with end of life decisions, supporting them when feeling being lost and unbalanced, encouraging exploration of meaning of life, and providing space, time and privacy to talk. Participants appeared largely to be in tune with their patients’ spiritual needs and reported that they recognised effective strategies to meet their patients’ and relatives’ spiritual needs. However, the findings also suggest that they don’t always feel prepared to offer spiritual support for neuro-oncology patients. Conclusions There is a need for healthcare professionals to provide spiritual care for neuro-oncology patients and their relatives. Although strategies were identified that nurses can use to support patients with spiritual needs further research is required to explore how effective nurses are at delivering spiritual care and if nurses are the most appropriate professionals to support neuro-oncology patients with spiritual care.

Psychiatric care in Asia: spirituality and religious connotations.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhry, Haroon Rashid

2008-10-01

Throughout the history of humanity it has been said that the individual ego, is a very limited form of identity. Spirituality is shaped by larger social circumstances and by the beliefs and values present in the wider culture. In Asia, as compared to other regions, people fall back on spiritualism. Mental health professionals, laymen and patients have great interest in spirituality and religious activities but still it is one of the most neglected fields of life. Spirituality and religion often are used interchangeably and it has also been described as an individual search for meaning. In psychiatry, religion and spirituality play a vital role in an individual's personal and social life. They are part of a very powerful medium to help in the healing process. Spiritual people know the meaning and goal of their life, have strong belief and firm faith in God or themselves, they can easily cope with stress and have the ability to adjust in every situation. They have satisfaction and contentment. They are less anxious and depressed and if they feel so, they try to overcome it through religious activities or rituals. Patients who depend heavily on their religious faith are significantly less depressed than those who don't. Spiritual practices foster an awareness that serves to identify and promote values such as creativity, patience, perseverance, honesty, kindness, compassion, wisdom, equanimity, hope and joy, all of which support good healthcare practice. Spirituality and religion form a bridge of contact between human, a composite of body and soul, and the Creator. Realizing this need, mental health professionals working in this field need to understand the spiritual values of patients and incorporate them in assessment and treatment.

Spirituality in the Healthcare Workplace

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donia Baldacchino

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Spirituality involves a sense of connectedness, meaning making and transcendence. There is abundant published research that focuses on the importance of spirituality to patients and their families during times of illness and distress. However over the last decade there has also been a growing awareness about the importance of considering the need to address peoples’ spiritual needs in the workplace. Engaging in ones own personal spirituality involves connecting with the inner self, becoming more self aware of ones humanity and limitations. Engaging with ones personal spirituality can also mean that people begin to greater find meaning and purpose in life and at work. This may be demonstrated in the workplace by collegial relationships and teamwork. Those who engage with their own spirituality also engage more easily with others through a connectedness with other staff and by aligning their values with the respective organization if they fit well with ones personal values. Workplace spirituality is oriented towards self-awareness of an inner life which gives meaning, purpose and nourishment to the employees’ dynamic relationships at the workplace and is eventually also nourished by meaningful work. Exercising ones personal spirituality contributes towards generating workplace spirituality. Essentially acting from ones own personal spirituality framework by being in doing can contribute towards a person becoming a healing and therapeutic presence for others, that is nourishing in many workplaces. Personal spirituality in healthcare can be enhanced by: reflection in and on action; role-modeling; taking initiative for active presence in care; committing oneself to the spiritual dimension of care; and, integrating spirituality in health caregivers’ education. As spirituality is recognized as becoming increasingly important for patients in healthcare, increasing educational opportunities are now becoming available for nurses internationally that

ASSET: A Model for Actioning Spirituality and Spiritual Care Education and Training in Nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanasamy, Aru

1999-01-01

A model for improving nurses' preparation in spiritual care includes development of spiritual self-awareness, knowledge of varied traditions of spirituality, and ability to implement a spiritual dimension in nursing practice using the skills of communication, trust building, and giving hope. (SK)

Alcohol Use and Religiousness/Spirituality Among Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Knight, John R.; Sherritt, Lon; Harris, Sion Kim; Holder, David W.; Kulig, John; Shrier, Lydia A.; Gabrielli, Joy; Chang, Grace

2014-01-01

Background Previous studies indicate that religiousness is associated with lower levels of substance use among adolescents, but less is known about the relationship between spirituality and substance use. The objective of this study was to determine the association between adolescents’ use of alcohol and specific aspects of religiousness and spirituality. Methods Twelve- to 18-year-old patients coming for routine medical care at three primary care sites completed a modified Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality; the Spiritual Connectedness Scale; and a past-90-days alcohol use Timeline Followback calendar. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to assess the association between each religiousness/spirituality measure and odds of any past-90-days alcohol use, controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and clinic site. Timeline Followback data were dichotomized to indicate any past-90-days alcohol use and religiousness/spirituality scale scores were z-transformed for analysis. Results Participants (n = 305) were 67% female, 74% Hispanic or black, and 45% from two-parent families. Mean ± SD age was 16.0 ± 1.8 years. Approximately 1/3 (34%) reported past-90-day alcohol use. After controlling for demographics and clinic site, Religiousness/Spirituality scales that were not significantly associated with alcohol use included: Commitment (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.36, 1.79), Organizational Religiousness (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.64, 1.07), Private Religious Practices (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.80, 1.10), and Religious and Spiritual Coping – Negative (OR = 1.07, 95% CI 0.91, 1.23). All of these are measures of religiousness, except for Religious and Spiritual Coping – Negative. Scales that were significantly and negatively associated with alcohol use included: Forgiveness (OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.42–0.73), Religious and Spiritual Coping –Positive (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.51–0.84), Daily Spiritual Experiences (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.54–0.84), and Belief

Enhancing Spiritualism in Virtual World

Science.gov (United States)

Dangwal, Kiran Lata; Singh, Shireesh Pal

2012-01-01

Spiritualism is one word which puts man on the highest plinth of life. Spirituality is the way we find meaning, hope, comfort and inner peace in life. Spirituality in the virtual World is generally known as Virtual Spirituality. A goldmine of wisdom from all kinds of religious and spiritual philosophies, traditions and practices can be found in…

ENHANCING SPIRITUALISM IN VIRTUAL WORLD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kiran Lata DANGWAL

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Spiritualism is one word which puts man on the highest plinth of life. Spirituality is the way we find meaning, hope, comfort and inner peace in life. Spirituality in the virtual World is generally known as Virtual Spirituality. A goldmine of wisdom from all kinds of religious and spiritual philosophies, traditions and practices can be found in virtual World now. Technology and Spirituality together forms the material to which man can incline on to and work for the development of a globe in which war will be considered a taboo and violence a rejected dogma. Therefore there is an urgent nee to made the world a safe place to live in and the spiritual reconstruction can help us in achieving this.Spiritualism, Virtual World, Online Technology.

Iranian nurses' perception of spirituality and spiritual care: a qualitative content analysis study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoodishan, Gholamreza; Alhani, Fatemeh; Ahmadi, Fazlollah; Kazemnejad, Anoshirvan

2010-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to explore nurses' perception about spirituality and spiritual care. A qualitative content analysis approach was conducted on 20 registered nurses interviewed using unstructured strategy in 2009. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: 1) "meaning and purpose of work and life" including 'spiritualistic view to profession', 'commitment and professional responsibility', and 'positive attitude'; 2) "religious attitude" including 'God approval', 'spiritual reward', 'taking advice', 'inner belief in the Supreme Being', 'faith-based interactions and altruism'; 3) "transcendence-seeking" including 'need for respect' and 'personal-professional transcendence'. Therefore, the spirituality produces maintenance, harmony and balance in nurses in relation to God. Spiritual care focuses on respecting patients, friendly and sympathetic interactions, sharing in rituals and strengthening patients and nurses' inner energy. This type of spirituality gives a positive perspective to life and profession, peaceful interactions, a harmonious state of mind, and acts as a motivator among nurses to promote nursing care and spirituality.

A Database Management Assessment Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Landry, Jeffrey P.; Pardue, J. Harold; Daigle, Roy; Longenecker, Herbert E., Jr.

2013-01-01

This paper describes an instrument designed for assessing learning outcomes in data management. In addition to assessment of student learning and ABET outcomes, we have also found the instrument to be effective for determining database placement of incoming information systems (IS) graduate students. Each of these three uses is discussed in this…

Spirituality in childhood cancer care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lima NN

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Nádia Nara Rolim Lima,1 Vânia Barbosa do Nascimento,1 Sionara Melo Figueiredo de Carvalho,1 Modesto Leite Rolim Neto,2 Marcial Moreno Moreira,2 Aline Quental Brasil,2 Francisco Telésforo Celestino Junior,2 Gislene Farias de Oliveira,2 Alberto Olavo Advíncula Reis3 1Health Sciences Postgraduate Program, ABC Region Medical School, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil; 2Department of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Barbalha, Ceará, Brazil; 3Public Health Postgraduate Program, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil Abstract: To deal with the suffering caused by childhood cancer, patients and their families use different coping strategies, among which, spirituality appears a way of minimizing possible damage. In this context, the purpose of the present study was to analyze the influence of spirituality in childhood cancer care, involving biopsychosocial aspects of the child, the family, and the health care team facing the disease. To accomplish this purpose, a nonsystematic review of literature of articles on national and international electronic databases (Scientific Electronic Library Online [SciELO], PubMed, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature [LILACS] was conducted using the search terms “spirituality,” “child psychology,” “child,” and “cancer,” as well as on other available resources. After the search, 20 articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the final sample. Our review showed that the relation between spirituality and health has lately become a subject of growing interest among researchers, as a positive influence of spirituality in the people's welfare was noted. Studies that were retrieved using the mentioned search strategy in electronic databases, independently assessed by the authors according to the systematic review, showed that spirituality emerges as a driving force that helps pediatric patients and their families in coping with cancer. Health care workers

Spirituality in adolescent patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, Meaghann S; Wratchford, Dale

2017-07-01

Adolescence, the transition between childhood and adulthood, represents a time of rapid biological, neurocognitive, and psychosocial changes. These changes have important implications for the development and evolution of adolescent spirituality, particularly for adolescents with chronic or life-limiting illnesses. To contribute positively to adolescent spiritual formation, palliative care teams benefit from understanding the normative changes expected to occur during adolescence. This paper provides a narrative review of adolescent spirituality while recognizing the role of religious, familial, and cultural influences on spiritual development during the teenage years. By giving explicit attention to the contextual norms surrounding adolescence and still recognizing each adolescent-aged patient as unique, palliative care teams can help adolescents transition toward meaningful and sustainable spiritual growth. This paper reviews the clinical and research implications relevant to integrating adolescent spiritual health as part of comprehensive palliative care.

Spirituality in Nursing: Filipino Elderly's Concept of, Distance from, and Involvement with God

Science.gov (United States)

de Guzman, Allan B.; Dalay, Naihra Jae Z.; De Guzman, Anthony Joe M.; de Jesus, Luigi Lauren E.; de Mesa, Jacqueline Barbara C.; Flores, Jan Derick D.

2009-01-01

Spirituality is an aspect of holistic care delivery by health team members. However, despite the established relationship of spirituality and health, there had been little evidence of ways of assessing spirituality for nurses' clinical practice in Asia, particularly in regard to geriatric patients. This study aimed to establish an eiditic…

Inequalities in the spiritual health of young Canadians: a national, cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Michaelson, Valerie; Freeman, John; King, Nathan; Ascough, Hannah; Davison, Colleen; Trothen, Tracy; Phillips, Sian; Pickett, William

2016-11-28

Spiritual health, along with physical, emotional, and social aspects, is one of four domains of health. Assessment in this field of research is challenging methodologically. No contemporary population-based studies have profiled the spiritual health of adolescent Canadians with a focus on health inequalities. In a 2014 nationally representative sample of Canadians aged 11-15 years we therefore: (1) psychometrically evaluated a series of items used to assess the perceived importance of spiritual health and its four potential sub-domains (connections with: self, others, nature and the natural environment, and the transcendent) to adolescents; (2) described potential inequalities in spiritual health within adolescent populations, overall and by spiritual health sub-domain, by key socio-demographic factors. Cross-sectional analysis of survey reports from the 2014 (Cycle 7) of the Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (weighted n = 25,036). Principal components analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis were used to explore the psychometric properties of the spiritual health items and the associated composite scale describing perceived importance of spiritual health. Associations among this composite scale, its individual sub-domains, and key socio-demographic factors were then explored. The principal components analysis best supported a four-factor structure where the eight scale items loaded highly according to the original four domains. This was also supported in confirmatory factor analyses. We then combined the eight items into composite spiritual health score as supported by theory, principal components analysis findings, and acceptable tests of reliability. Further confirmatory factor analysis suggested the need for additional refinements to this scale. Based upon exploratory cross-sectional analyses, strong socio-demographic inequalities were observed in the spiritual health measures by age, gender, relative material wealth

Concepts of spirituality prevailing among undergraduate medical students in Delhi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shantanu Sharma

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Spirituality is considered one of the determinants of health. Various studies have documented its role in the management of psychological illnesses such as schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders. Doctors often lack skills to do spiritual assessment of the patients. Aim: The current study was conducted among the 1st year undergraduate medical students to find out their ideas and thoughts about spirituality using self-administered questionnaire. Methodology: This was a college based cross sectional study wherein 168 students were interviewed using semistructured, self administered questionnaire. Ethical clearance was obtained from Institutional ethical committee.Results: Most of the students (93.5% believed in spirituality, but only about half (49% of them had complete knowledge about it. Only psychological disorders and chronic diseases were labeled by students who need spirituality as a modality of treatment. Girls linked spirituality with God more than boys. A formal training in spirituality is not essential according to 43% of the subjects. Conclusion: The undergraduates need to understand the importance of this dimension of health. A mere gain in knowledge about spiritual strength available in some of the textbooks would not be able to orient doctors sufficiently to apply it in their practice. Future Direction: Skill building and practicing the culture of spiritual counseling among health workers is the need of hour.

[Spiritual Care of Patients With Depression].

Science.gov (United States)

Kao, Chia-Chan; Lin, Yu-Hua

2018-06-01

Spiritual care is a component of holistic care. Patients with depression often experience body-mind-spirit health problems and may suffer from spiritual crises, particularly during the acute stage of a diseases, due to low self-esteem, negative attitudes toward life goals, daily life issues, and beliefs caused by physical, psychological, and occupational dysfunctions. Nonetheless, psychical care is the main treatment for patients with depression. This paper focuses on patients with depression and addresses the concepts of spiritual needs and spiritual care, identifying the factors that influence spiritual needs, the essentials of spiritual intervention, and the health effects of spiritual intervention outcomes on patients with depression. Courses that teach practical spiritual interventions are recommended for nurses. These courses should address topics such as individual approaches, building trusting relationships, setting diverse goals for spiritual interventions based on disease stage, and spiritual interventions involving the body-mind-spiritual aspects for patients with depression.

Experiences of spirituality and spiritual values in the context of nursing - an integrative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudolfsson, Gudrun; Berggren, Ingela; da Silva, António Barbosa

2014-01-01

Spirituality is often mistakenly equated with religion but is in fact a far broader concept. The aim of this integrative review was to describe experiences of the positive impact of spirituality and spiritual values in the context of nursing. The analysis was guided by Whittemore and Knafl's integrative review method. The findings revealed seven themes: 'Being part of a greater wholeness', 'Togetherness - value based relationships', 'Developing inner strength', 'Ministering to patients', 'Maintaining one's sense of humanity', 'Viewing life as a gift evokes a desire to 'give back'' and 'Achieving closure - life goes on'. It is difficult to draw definite conclusions, as spirituality involves many perspectives on various levels of awareness. However, spirituality was considered more inclusive, fluid and personal. Furthermore, it emerged that spirituality and spiritual values in the context of nursing are closely intertwined with the concept of caring.

The relevance of spirituality, religion and personal beliefs to health-related quality of life: themes from focus groups in Britain.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connell, Kathryn A; Skevington, Suzanne M

2005-09-01

Generic health-related quality of life (QoL) instruments have not routinely assessed spirituality, religion, and personal beliefs (SRPB) in their measurement. This research addresses the perceived importance of 18 facets (dimensions) of SRPB, for example, inner peace, to QoL that are not specific to a religion, but address the experience of having this belief, in relation to health. Adult focus groups were structured according to beliefs from UK surveys. Quotas targeted gender and health status. Nine focus groups (N = 55, age 51, 47% male) contained sick and well people who were religious, Christians, Buddhists, Quakers (50.1%), agnostic (27.4%), or atheist (21.8%) participants. Qualitative and quantitative analysis showed considerable variability in the importance attributed to some concepts, although spiritual strength, meaning in life and inner peace were relevant to all groups. Spiritual strength (4.42), the meaning of life (4.09), wholeness/integration (4.06), and inner peace (4.02) were most important. Divine love, freedom to practice beliefs, and attachment/detachment were less relevant, conceptually confusing or had religious bias; atheists rated them as unimportant and as less important (p religious people. SRPB is relevant to health-related QoL and consensually important facets should be included in generic health care assessments. Their inclusion permits a more holistic assessment and improves the case for a biopsychosociospiritual model of health.

Developing a new instrument to assess the impact of cancer in young adult survivors of childhood cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Zebrack, Brad

2009-09-01

Thirty years of psychosocial oncology research have detailed issues having significant impact in both pediatric and adult populations; yet, few studies have captured the subtle and unique ways in which cancer impacts, disrupts and in some instances promotes the growth and development of adolescents and young adults with a cancer history. This paper reports the initiation of an effort to assess the impact of cancer in this young survivor population through the development of a new Impact of Cancer (IOC) instrument. 64 young adults aged 18-39 years and treated for a pediatric malignancy participated in face-to-face interviews and responded to questions prompting them to describe the impact of cancer on their physical, psychological, social and spiritual/existential well-being. Intent of analysis was to organize data into meaningful sub-categories from which to develop a set of candidate survey items that assess a range of problems, issues and changes that long-term survivors ascribe to their cancer experience. A total of 82 candidate survey items represented content across 11 topical domains including Body, Health and Body image, Treatment and Health Care, Having Children, Identity, Talking and Thinking About Cancer, Meaning of Cancer, Memory and Thinking, Finances, Family and Relationships, Socializing, and Life Goals. Assessing the instrument's psychometric properties in a large representative group of young cancer survivors is the next step for further development of such a measure. Once established, a valid and reliable Impact of Cancer instrument has the potential for identifying salient survivorship issues in a clinical setting.

Workplace spirituality and job satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Walt, Freda; de Klerk, Jeremias J

2014-06-01

In order to obtain an improved understanding of behaviour at work, employees should be studied from physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions. Although the physical and psychological dimensions of individuals at work have been studied extensively, the spiritual dimension has been neglected for many years. The objective of the current research was to determine the relationship between workplace spirituality and a positive attitude related to work, that is, job satisfaction. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 600 white-collar workers, chosen from two organizations in different industries in South Africa. The research results indicate that there is a positive relationship between workplace spirituality and job satisfaction. These findings deepen the understanding of personal spirituality, organizational spirituality, and job satisfaction. They bring new insights into the significant role which spirituality plays in the context of the workplace. To survive in the 21st century, organizations need to be spiritually based. This, in turn, will lead to workers being satisfied with their entire work experience.

Changes in spiritual well-being and psychological outcomes in ovarian cancer survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Lauren Z; Cuneo, Michaela; Thaker, Premal H; Goodheart, Michael J; Bender, David; Lutgendorf, Susan K

2018-02-01

Because of the poor prognosis of ovarian cancer and concomitant distress, understanding contributors to positive well-being is critical. This study examines spiritual growth as a domain of posttraumatic growth and its contribution to longitudinal emotional outcomes in ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer patients (N = 241) completed measures assessing spirituality (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-being-12; subscales: faith, meaning, and peace), depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), cancer-specific anxiety (Impact of Event Scale), and total mood disturbance (TMD; Profile of Mood States) prior to surgery and 1-year postsurgery. Stressful life events in the year after diagnosis were measured at 1-year postsurgery. Regressions examined the association between changes in spirituality and depression, anxiety, and TMD at 1-year postsurgery. Additionally, spiritual change was examined as a moderator of the effect of recent life events on mood. Increases in peace were related to lower depression (β = -.40, P spiritual growth in cancer patients. Furthermore, changes in peace appear to moderate the effect of life events on psychological well-being. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Spiritual Competency Scale: Further Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Dailey, Stephanie F.; Robertson, Linda A.; Gill, Carman S.

2015-01-01

This article describes a follow-up analysis of the Spiritual Competency Scale, which initially validated ASERVIC's (Association for Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Values in Counseling) spiritual competencies. The study examined whether the factor structure of the Spiritual Competency Scale would be supported by participants (i.e., ASERVIC…

Does spirituality facilitate adjustment and resilience among individuals and families after SCI?

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Kate; Simpson, Grahame Kenneth; Briggs, Lynne; Dorsett, Pat

2016-01-01

The purpose of this scoping review was to investigate the role of spirituality in facilitating adjustment and resilience after spinal cord injury (SCI) for the individual with SCI and their family members. METHOD-DATA SOURCES: Peer reviewed journals were identified using PsychInfo, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase and Sociological Abstracts search engines. After duplicates were removed, 434 abstracts were screened applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The selected 28 studies were reviewed in detail and grouped according to methodological approach. Of the 28 studies relating to spirituality and related meaning-making constructs, 26 addressed the adjustment of the individual with SCI alone. Only two included family members as participants. Quantitative studies demonstrated that spirituality was positively associated with life satisfaction, quality of life, mental health and resilience. The utilisation of meaning-making and hope as coping strategies in the process of adjustment were highlighted within the qualitative studies. Clinical implications included recommendations that spirituality and meaning-making be incorporated in assessment and interventions during rehabilitation. The use of narratives and peer support was also suggested. Spirituality is an important factor in adjustment after SCI. Further research into the relationship between spirituality, family adjustment and resilience is needed. Higher levels of spirituality were associated with improved quality of life, life satisfaction, mental health, and resilience for individuals affected by spinal cord injury. Health professionals can enhance the role that spirituality plays in spinal rehabilitation by incorporating the spiritual beliefs of individuals and their family members into assessment and intervention. By drawing upon meaning-making tools, such as narrative therapy, incorporating peer support, and assisting clients who report a decline in spirituality, health professionals can provide additional support

Ruhsal Zeka ve Çalışma Algısı Üzerine Bir Analiz(The Analysis on Spiritual Intelligence and Working Perception

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ümmühan YİĞİT SEYFİ

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In today’s world, companies have mosaic organization structure in that employees with different cultures and generations work together. In this structure, to sustain existence of the companies with their employees as a whole, it is important to improve spiritual intelligence of employees. Spiritual intelligence is a kind of connective thinking that provides holistic approach. Spiritual intelligence is being aware of who you are and is living life with this awareness. This research is designed to understand the nature of the relationships between spiritual intelligence and working perception. First of all the related literature were examined aiming for research purpose. The survey instrument through which the research were conducted consists of ‘The Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (SISRI-24, Work Mentality(IGA Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 22. After profiles were determined benefiting from demographic data of the sample, the reliability and validity of the instruments, factor analysis were performed. Correlation, regression, t-test and ANOVA techniques have been used to analyse the data. Results of the study indicate that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between spiritual intelligence and work perception and established model was adopted. The increase in spiritual intelligence level positively affects the work perception.

Spiritual absence and 1-year mortality after hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Deidre B; Christian, Lisa M; Patidar, Seema; Bishop, Michelle M; Dodd, Stacy M; Athanason, Rebecca; Wingard, John R; Reddy, Vijay S

2010-08-01

Religiosity and spirituality have been associated with better survival in large epidemiologic studies. This study examined the relationship between spiritual absence and 1-year all-cause mortality in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. Depression and problematic compliance were examined as possible mediators of a significant spiritual absence-mortality relationship. Eighty-five adults (mean = 46.85 years old, SD = 11.90 years) undergoing evaluation for allogeneic HSCT had routine psychologie evaluation prior to HSCT admission. The Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic was used to assess spiritual absence, depression, and problematic compliance, the psychosocial predictors of interest. Patient status at 1 year and survival time in days were abstracted from medical records. Cox regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the psychosocial factors of interest and mortality after adjusting for relevant biobehavioral factors. Twenty-nine percent (n = 25) of participants died within 1 year of HSCT. After covarying for disease type, individuals with the highest spiritual absence and problematic compliance scores were significantly more likely to die 1-year post-HSCT (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.49, P = .043 and HR = 3.74, P = .029, respectively), particularly secondary to infection, sepsis, or graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (HR = 4.56, P = .01 and HR = 5.61, P = .014), relative to those without elevations on these scales. Depression was not associated with 1-year mortality, and problematic compliance did not mediate the relationship between spiritual absence and mortality. These preliminary results suggest that both spiritual absence and problematic compliance may be associated with poorer survival following HSCT. Future research should examine these relations in a larger sample using a more comprehensive assessment of spirituality.

The evaluation of spiritual well-being: validating an approach

OpenAIRE

Rego, Ana

2008-01-01

O presente estudo teve como objectivo analisar os resultados da tradução/validação da Escala de Avaliação Espiritual e estudar as suas propriedades psicométricas. O instrumento original, denominado Spiritual Assessment Scale foi desenvolvido por Elizabeth O’Brien (1999), com o objectivo de avaliar o bem-estar espiritual. Partindo da Spiritual Assessment Scale, procedeu-se a um estudo de investigação metodológica. O instrumento foi validado numa amostra de 210 pacientes. Após a análise da homo...

Cultural adaptation, psychometric properties, and outcomes of the Native American Spirituality Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenfield, Brenna L; Hallgren, Kevin A; Venner, Kamilla L; Hagler, Kylee J; Simmons, Jeremiah D; Sheche, Judith N; Homer, Everett; Lupee, Donna

2015-05-01

Spirituality is central to many Native Americans (NAs) and has been associated with recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs). However, no published questionnaire uniquely taps tribal-specific spiritual beliefs and practices. This hinders efforts to integrate traditional NA spirituality into SUD treatment and track spiritual outcomes. As part of a randomized controlled trial examining SUD treatment for NAs, we adapted the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) in collaboration with members of a Southwest tribe to create the Native American Spirituality Scale (NASS) and measured changes in the NASS over the course of treatment. The 83 participants (70% male) were from a single Southwest tribe and seeking SUD treatment. They completed the NASS at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 months. Exploratory factor analysis of the NASS was conducted and its temporal invariance, construct validity, and longitudinal changes in the factor and item scores were examined. The NASS yielded a 2-factor structure that was largely invariant across time. Factor 1 reflected behavioral practices, while Factor 2 reflected more global beliefs. Both factors significantly increased across 12 months, albeit at different assessment points. At baseline, Factor 1 was negatively related to substance use and positively associated with measures of tribal identification while Factor 2 was unrelated to these measures. Given the importance of tribal spirituality to many NAs, the development of this psychometrically sound measure is a key precursor and complement to the incorporation of tribal spirituality into treatment, as well as research on mechanisms of change for SUD treatment among NAs and assessment of NA spirituality in relation to other aspects of health. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

The impact of pain on spiritual well-being in people with a spinal cord injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Siddall, P J; McIndoe, L; Austin, P; Wrigley, P J

2017-01-01

The study uses a cross-sectional, group comparison, questionnaire-based design. To determine whether spinal cord injury and pain have an impact on spiritual well-being and whether there is an association between spiritual well-being and measures of pain and psychological function. University teaching hospital in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Questionnaires evaluating pain, psychological and spiritual well-being were administered to a group of people with a spinal cord injury (n=53) and a group without spinal cord injury (n=37). Spiritual well-being was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness and Therapy - Spirituality Extended Scale (FACIT-Sp-Ex). Pain and psychological function were also assessed using standard, validated measures of pain intensity, pain interference, mood and cognition. Levels of spiritual well-being in people with a spinal cord injury were significantly lower when compared with people without a spinal cord injury. In addition, there was a moderate but significant negative correlation between spiritual well-being and pain intensity. There was also a strong and significant negative correlation between depression and spiritual well-being and a strong and significant positive correlation between spiritual well-being and both pain self-efficacy and satisfaction with life. Consequences of a spinal cord injury include increased levels of spiritual distress, which is associated, with higher levels of pain and depression and lower levels of pain self-efficacy and satisfaction with life. These findings indicate the importance of addressing spiritual well-being as an important component in the long-term rehabilitation of any person following spinal cord injury. This study was supported by grant funding from the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

Longitudinal spiritual coping with trauma in people with HIV: implications for health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Kremer, Heidemarie; Ironson, Gail

2014-03-01

This 10-year study (N=177) examines how people with HIV use spirituality to cope with life's trauma on top of HIV-related stress (e.g., facing death, stigma, poverty, limited healthcare) usual events. Spirituality, defined as a connection to a higher presence, is independent from religion (institutionalized spirituality). As a dynamic adaptive process, coping requires longitudinal studying. Qualitative content-analysis of interviews/essays yielded a coding of specific aspects and a longitudinal rating of overall spiritual coping. Most participants were rated as spiritual, using spiritual practices, about half experienced comfort, empowerment, growth/transformation, gratitude, less than one-third meaning, community, and positive reframing. Up to one-fifth perceived spiritual conflict, struggle, or anger, triggering post-traumatic stress, which sometimes converted into positive growth/transformation later. Over time, 65% used spiritual coping positively, 7% negatively, and 28% had no significant use. Spirituality was mainly beneficial for women, heterosexuals, and African Americans (pspirituality is a major source of positive and occasionally negative coping (e.g., viewing HIV as sin). We discuss how clinicians can recognize and prevent when spirituality is creating distress and barriers to HIV treatment, adding a literature review on ways of effective spiritual assessment. Spirituality may be a beneficial component of coping with trauma, considering socio-cultural contexts.

Spiritual care of cancer patients by integrated medicine in urban green space: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakau, Maiko; Imanishi, Jiro; Imanishi, Junichi; Watanabe, Satoko; Imanishi, Ayumi; Baba, Takeshi; Hirai, Kei; Ito, Toshinori; Chiba, Wataru; Morimoto, Yukihiro

2013-01-01

Psycho-oncological care, including spiritual care, is essential for cancer patients. Integrated medicine, a therapy combining modern western medicine with various kinds of complementary and alternative medicine, can be appropriate for the spiritual care of cancer because of the multidimensional characteristics of the spirituality. In particular, therapies that enable patients to establish a deeper contact with nature, inspire feelings of life and growth of plants, and involve meditation may be useful for spiritual care as well as related aspects such as emotion. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of spiritual care of cancer patients by integrated medicine in a green environment. The present study involved 22 cancer patients. Integrated medicine consisted of forest therapy, horticultural therapy, yoga meditation, and support group therapy, and sessions were conducted once a week for 12 weeks. The spirituality (the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual well-being), quality of life (Short Form-36 Health Survey Questionnaire), fatigue (Cancer Fatigue Scale), psychological state (Profile of Mood States, short form, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and natural killer cell activity were assessed before and after intervention. In Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual well-being, there were significant differences in functional well-being and spiritual well-being pre- and postintervention. This program improved quality of life and reduced cancer-associated fatigue. Furthermore, some aspects of psychological state were improved and natural killer cell activity was increased. It is indicated that integrated medicine performed in a green environment is potentially useful for the emotional and spiritual well-being of cancer patients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of spiritual intelligence in employees’ withdrawal behaviors in physical education organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davoud Noroozi

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Spiritual intelligence is the mind’s capacity to handle substantial and spiritual aspects of life. According to previous studies, spiritual intelligence can be effective in reducing the withdrawal behavior of employees. This study investigated the effect of spiritual intelligence on employees’ withdrawal behavior in Ardabil Physical Education organization. The statistical population of this study included all the employees of Physical Education organization of Ardabil (N=60. Descriptive Statistics, Pearson Correlation, and Linear Regression Analyses were used to assess the association between spiritual intelligence and withdrawal behaviors. The results of the study revealed that spiritual intelligence had positive and significant effect on reducing employees’ withdrawal behavior. The findings supported that spiritual intelligence training as a new psychological and religious construction may reduce psychological and physical withdrawal behaviors and improve the employees’ perception of themselves.

SPIRITUAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP BERBASIS AL-QUR’AN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sodiman Sodiman

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Ian Marshall and Danah Zohar predicted theoretically that in the context of modern business will appear spirituality without religion as the moral basis of the business which he described as spiritual capital. But look at the phenomenon in Indonesia, sharia economic development is rapidly increasing which in fact appears based on religious values, then the theory Marshal and the Zohar indisputable. Spiritual entrepreneurship based on the Koran in Indonesia is growing; the ideas, thoughts, willingness (iradah, passion (ghirah and determination ('azm owned by an individual or group (community Muslims to strive in commerce (material or services that are based on the values of faith in God who taught the Koran. Spirituality entrepreneurship models based al-Qur'an that life (living values is very varied, among the models discussed in this paper are (1 spirituality entrepreneurship kaafah models, (2 spirituality entrepreneurship ukhuwah models, (3 spirituality entrepreneurship tareqat models, (4 spirituality entrepreneurship models keep ablution, (5 spirituality entrepreneurship models do not sell cigarettes, (6 the spirituality of entrepreneurship model- publication that profit to charity. Key Words : Spiritual, entrepreneurship, and models of bussines.

RELATIONSHIP OF SPIRITUAL-WELLBEING WITH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH CARDIAC HEART DISEASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aan Nuraeni

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Anxiety and depression are problems faced by patients with chronic diseases such as patients with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD. Both of these can also worsen the condition of CHD patients, thus needs to be prevented and handled. It is stated that spirituality can enhance constructive coping skills in patients with chronic diseases. But how it relates to anxiety and depression in patients with CHD in Indonesia was still unknown. Objective: The study purpose was to identify the relationship of spiritual wellbeing with the incidence of anxiety and depression in CHD patients. Methods: The research used descriptive correlative quantitative with cross sectional approach. The instruments used to measure the variabels were Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Inventory II, and Spirituality Index of Well-Being scale. Data were taken on 100 respondents within 3 months in outpatient cardiac unit with the consecutive sampling technique and analyzed by spearman correlation test. Results: The results showed mean of the anxiety; depression; and spiritual well-being respectively were 47.66; 43; and 60. Based on spearman test, spiritual wellbeing correlated with anxiety significantly p= 0.000(r=-0.371 and so was depression p= 0.000 (r=-0.571. Conclusions: There was a significant relationship between spiritual well-being with anxiety and depression with a negative correlation direction. The higher the spiritual well-being will be the lower the level of anxiety and depression. Thus nurses need to strengthen the spiritual aspects of CHD patients to prevent psychosocial problems.

Religiousness, Spirituality, and Salivary Cortisol in Breast Cancer Survivorship: A Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulett, Jennifer M; Armer, Jane M; Leary, Emily; Stewart, Bob R; McDaniel, Roxanne; Smith, Kandis; Millspaugh, Rami; Millspaugh, Joshua

Psychoneuroimmunological theory suggests a physiological relationship exists between stress, psychosocial-behavioral factors, and neuroendocrine-immune outcomes; however, evidence has been limited. The primary aim of this pilot study was to determine feasibility and acceptability of a salivary cortisol self-collection protocol with a mail-back option for breast cancer survivors. A secondary aim was to examine relationships between religiousness/spirituality (R/S), perceptions of health, and diurnal salivary cortisol (DSC) as a proxy measure for neuroendocrine activity. This was an observational, cross-sectional study. Participants completed measures of R/S, perceptions of health, demographics, and DSC. The sample was composed of female breast cancer survivors (n = 41). Self-collection of DSC using a mail-back option was feasible; validity of mailed salivary cortisol biospecimens was established. Positive spiritual beliefs were the only R/S variable associated with the peak cortisol awakening response (rs = 0.34, P = .03). Poorer physical health was inversely associated with positive spiritual experiences and private religious practices. Poorer mental health was inversely associated with spiritual coping and negative spiritual experiences. Feasibility, validity, and acceptability of self-collected SDC biospecimens with an optional mail-back protocol (at moderate temperatures) were demonstrated. Positive spiritual beliefs were associated with neuroendocrine-mediated peak cortisol awakening response activity; however, additional research is recommended. Objective measures of DSC sampling that include enough collection time points to assess DSC parameters would increase the rigor of future DSC measurement. Breast cancer survivors may benefit from nursing care that includes spiritual assessment and therapeutic conversations that support positive spiritual beliefs.

Incorporating spiritual beliefs into a cognitive model of worry.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosmarin, David H; Pirutinsky, Steven; Auerbach, Randy P; Björgvinsson, Thröstur; Bigda-Peyton, Joseph; Andersson, Gerhard; Pargament, Kenneth I; Krumrei, Elizabeth J

2011-07-01

Cognitive theory and research have traditionally highlighted the relevance of the core beliefs about oneself, the world, and the future to human emotions. For some individuals, however, core beliefs may also explicitly involve spiritual themes. In this article, we propose a cognitive model of worry, in which positive/negative beliefs about the Divine affect symptoms through the mechanism of intolerance of uncertainty. Using mediation analyses, we found support for our model across two studies, in particular, with regards to negative spiritual beliefs. These findings highlight the importance of assessing for spiritual alongside secular convictions when creating cognitive-behavioral case formulations in the treatment of religious individuals. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Spiritual coping, perceived growth, and the moderating role of spiritual mindfulness in cancer survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudaz, Myriam; Ledermann, Thomas; Grzywacz, Joseph G

2018-06-05

This study examined the moderating role of spiritual mindfulness on the association between spiritual coping and perceived growth in individuals with and without current treatment for cancer. Adults with a cancer history (N = 534) from the Midlife in the United States study completed a telephone interview and self-administered questionnaires. Moderated regression analyses, controlled for age and educational attainment, showed that mindfulness moderated the effect of spiritual coping on personal growth and on positive reinterpretation. High mindfulness amplified the effect of spiritual coping on both personal growth and positive reinterpretation. Further, this moderating effect was significantly different for adults with versus without current treatment for cancer for positive reinterpretation but not for personal growth. These findings highlight the potential amplifying effect of spiritual mindfulness on the effect of spiritual coping on perceived growth in cancer survivors.

The spiritual health of veterans with a history of suicide ideation

Science.gov (United States)

Kopacz, Marek S.

2014-01-01

Introduction: In recent years, considerable empirical attention has been devoted to examining the increased risk of suicide observed in some Veteran populations. This has led to a renewed focus on developing novel support options which can be used to respond to Veterans in distress, reducing their risk of suicide. Spirituality and religion, however, have been largely absent from any public discourse related to suicide prevention, not least of all in Veteran populations. Aim: The aim of this cross-sectional study is to compare the self-rated spiritual health of Veterans with and without suicide ideation. Identifying differences which may exist between these two groups could highlight the relevance of spiritual well-being to Veteran suicide prevention efforts. Materials and Methods: Data were collected using pencil-and-paper surveys, called Spiritual Assessments, distributed within the general population of in- and outpatients at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Using Likert-type scales, this study examines the self-rated spiritual health, spiritual devotion, and significance ascribed to spirituality in a sample of 5378 Veterans. Statistical analysis took place using chi-squared to examine differences in the distribution of responses between ideators and non-ideators. Results: Ideators significantly more often rated their spiritual health as worse than that of non-ideators. Even with similar levels of spiritual devotion or significance ascribed to spiritual life, ideators continued to significantly more often rate their spiritual health as worse than that of non-ideators. Conclusion: The results show that Veterans with suicide ideation more often rate their spiritual health as worse than that of Veterans without suicide ideation. This suggests that spiritual well-being may indeed be relevant to suicide prevention efforts in Veteran populations. PMID:25750787

Family Spirituality and Family Health Among Korean-American Elderly Couples.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Suk-Sun; Kim-Godwin, Yeoun Soo; Koenig, Harold G

2016-04-01

Spirituality has been regarded as an individual and private matter; consequently, research on spirituality as a family phenomenon has been largely neglected. In addition, most published research has been focused on Western cultures. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of family spirituality and how it influences health among Korean-American elderly couples who are the first generation to reside in the Southeastern USA. A thematic and interpretive data analysis method was used. Thirteen elderly couples (N = 26) participated in in-depth individual interviews in Korean with the primary author. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and then translated by two bilingual researchers with a background in Korean and American culture. Three main themes of family spirituality were identified: (1) family togetherness, (2) family interdependence, and (3) family coping. Also, participants reported that family spirituality strengthened family health by fostering family commitment, improving emotional well-being, developing new healthy behaviors, and providing healing experiences. This finding implies that healthcare providers need to assess family spiritual issues of elderly couples to maximize their strengths for coping with health problems. As our society becomes more culturally diverse, healthcare providers should seek to understand family spirituality from different cultural perspectives to develop a more holistic approach to care.

The interrelations between spiritual well-being, pain interference and depressive symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nsamenang, Sheri A; Hirsch, Jameson K; Topciu, Raluca; Goodman, Andrew D; Duberstein, Paul R

2016-04-01

Depressive symptoms are common in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), and are frequently exacerbated by pain; however, spiritual well-being may allow persons with MS to more effectively cope with pain-related deficits in physical and role functioning. We explored the associations between spiritual well-being, pain interference and depressive symptoms, assessing each as a potential mediator, in eighty-one patients being treated for MS, who completed self-report measures: Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Pain Effects Scale, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised. At the bivariate level, spiritual well-being and its subscale of meaning and peace were negatively associated with depression and pain interference. In mediation models, depression was not related to pain interference via spiritual well-being, or to spiritual well-being via pain interference. Pain interference was related to depression via spiritual well-being and meaning/peace, and to spiritual well-being and meaning/peace via depressive symptoms. Finally, spiritual well-being and meaning/peace were related to depression via pain interference, and to pain interference via depressive symptoms. For patients with MS, a multi-faceted approach to treatment that includes pain reduction and promotion of spiritual well-being may be beneficial, although amelioration of depression remains a critical task.

Spiritual formation and the nurturing of creative spirituality: A case study in Proverbs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anneke Viljoen

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The article is positioned in the interface between Old Testament scholarship and the discipline of spiritual direction of which spiritual formation is a component. The contribution that a Ricoeurian hermeneutic may make in unlocking the potential which an imaginal engagement with the book of Proverbs may hold for the discipline of spiritual formation was explored. Specifically three aspects of the text of Proverbs illustrated the creative process at work in the text, and how it converges with the concept of spiritual formation and the nurturing of creative spirituality. These aspects were, the development in Lady Wisdom�s discourses, the functional definition of the fear of Yahweh (illustrated from Proverbs 10:1�15:33, and the paradigmatic character of the book of Proverbs.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The research is positioned in the interface between Old Testament studies and Practical Theology. The research results in the enhancement of the interdisciplinary dialogue and interchange of resources between the named disciplines with regard to the interest in formation of persons that the biblical book of Proverbs and the discipline of spiritual formation shares.Keywords: Spiritual formation; fear of Yahweh; Proverbs; Wisdom; Hermeneutics; Paul Ricoeur; Symbolic world; Textual reference

Relationship between nurses’ spiritual intelligence with hardiness and general health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Akbarizadeh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Nursing is one of the stressful jobs that affect nurse's general health. The aim of this study was assessment relationship between Spiritual intelligence, Hardiness and General health among nurses in the hospital of Bushehr in 1388. Methods: Cross- sectional study designed and 125 nurses who have been working in different wards of the hospital enrolled in the study. Data was collected using Spiritual intelligence, Hardiness, General health and characteristics demographic questionnaires. Correlation, t-test, ANOVA, Tukey and regression analysis was applied using SPSS-16 soft ware. Results: The results showed there was significant relationship between spiritual intelligence and hardiness (P<0.005, spiritual intelligence and General health (P<0.005, hardiness and General health (P<0.001. Among the demographic characteristics including age, gender, working section, marital status, job experiences, and education only working section showed significantly correlated with patience (P<0.005. Conclusion: Improvement of spiritual intelligence and reinforcement of hardiness could help to increase the general health of nurses.

Spirituality and the physician executive.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, L R

2000-01-01

The "s" word can now be spoken without flinching in health care organizations. Spirituality is becoming a common topic in management conferences around the world. Many U.S. corporations are recognizing the role of spirituality in creating a new humanistic capitalism that manages beyond the bottom line. Spirituality refers to a broad set of principles that transcend all religions. It is the relationship between yourself and something larger, such as the good of your patient or the welfare of the community. Spirituality means being in right relationship to all that is and understanding the mutual interdependence of all living beings. Physician executives should be primary proponents of spirituality in their organizations by: Modeling the power of spirituality in their own lives; integrating spiritual methodologies into clinical practice; fostering an integrative approach to patient care; encouraging the organization to tithe its profits for unmet community health needs; supporting collaborative efforts to improve the health of the community; and creating healing environments.

Experiences of Spirituality and Spiritual Values in the Context of Nursing – An Integrative Review

Science.gov (United States)

Rudolfsson, Gudrun; Berggren, Ingela; da Silva, António Barbosa

2014-01-01

Spirituality is often mistakenly equated with religion but is in fact a far broader concept. The aim of this integrative review was to describe experiences of the positive impact of spirituality and spiritual values in the context of nursing. The analysis was guided by Whittemore and Knafl’s integrative review method. The findings revealed seven themes: ‘Being part of a greater wholeness’, ‘Togetherness − value based relationships’, ‘Developing inner strength’, ‘Ministering to patients’, ‘Maintaining one’s sense of humanity’, ‘Viewing life as a gift evokes a desire to ‘give back’’ and ‘Achieving closure − life goes on’. It is difficult to draw definite conclusions, as spirituality involves many perspectives on various levels of awareness. However, spirituality was considered more inclusive, fluid and personal. Furthermore, it emerged that spirituality and spiritual values in the context of nursing are closely intertwined with the concept of caring. PMID:25598856

Religion and Spirituality's Influences on HIV Syndemics Among MSM: A Systematic Review and Conceptual Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Lassiter, Jonathan M; Parsons, Jeffrey T

2016-02-01

This paper presents a systematic review of the quantitative HIV research that assessed the relationships between religion, spirituality, HIV syndemics, and individual HIV syndemics-related health conditions (e.g. depression, substance abuse, HIV risk) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. No quantitative studies were found that assessed the relationships between HIV syndemics, religion, and spirituality. Nine studies, with 13 statistical analyses, were found that examined the relationships between individual HIV syndemics-related health conditions, religion, and spirituality. Among the 13 analyses, religion and spirituality were found to have mixed relationships with HIV syndemics-related health conditions (6 nonsignificant associations; 5 negative associations; 2 positive associations). Given the overall lack of inclusion of religion and spirituality in HIV syndemics research, a conceptual model that hypothesizes the potential interactions of religion and spirituality with HIV syndemics-related health conditions is presented. The implications of the model for MSM's health are outlined.

Development and psychometric testing of a new geriatric spiritual well-being scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Karen S

2008-09-01

Aims and objectives.  Assess the psychometric properties of a new geriatric spiritual well-being scale (GSWS), specifically designed for older adults. Background.  Religiosity and spiritual wellness must be measured as two distinct concepts to prevent confounding them as synonymous among atheist and agnostic population. Design.  A test-retest survey design was used to estimate the psychometric properties. Methods.  A convenience sample of 138 community-dwelling older adults was drawn from the inner city of Detroit. Data were collected using telephone survey interviews. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, structural equation modelling, reliability analyses, and point-biserial correlations. Results.  The factorial validity of the proposed model was not supported by the data. Fit indices were χ(2)  = 185.98, d.f. = 98, P atheists have spiritual needs that do not include religious beliefs or practices. Thus, assessing patients' religious beliefs and practices prior to assessing spiritual well-being is essential to prevent bias. © 2008 The Author. Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Relationship between Spiritual Health and Quality of Life in Patients with Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohebbifar, Rafat; Pakpour, Amir H; Nahvijou, Azin; Sadeghi, Atefeh

2015-01-01

As the essence of health in humans, spiritual health is a fundamental concept for discussing chronic diseases such as cancer and a major approach for improving quality of life in patients is through creating meaningfulness and purpose. The present descriptive analytical study was conducted to assess the relationship between spiritual health and quality of life in 210 patients with cancer admitted to the Cancer Institute of Iran, selected through convenience sampling in 2014. Data were collected using Spiritual Health Questionnaire and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ). Patients' performance was assessed through the Karnofsky Performance Status Indicator and their cognitive status through the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Data were analyzed in SPSS-16 using descriptive statistics and stepwise linear regression. The results obtained reported the mean and standard deviation of the patients' spiritual health scoreas 78.4±16.1and the mean and standard deviation of their quality of life score as 58.1±18.7. The stepwise linear regression analysis confirmed a positive and significant relationship between spiritual health and quality of life in patients with cancer (β=0.688 and r=0.00). The results of the study show that spiritual health should be more emphasized and reinforced as a factor involved in improving quality of life in patients with cancer. Designing care therapies and spiritual interventions is a priority in the treatment of these patients.

Spirituality and spiritual care in in the context of nursing education in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandhya Chandramohan

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background: In order for nursing education to prepare nurses for holistic patient care, it is critical that educators become more aware of the religious and spiritual dimensions in patien tcare and be able to provide adequate knowledge and skills for nurses to offer spiritually-basedc are in an ethical way. Furthermore, spiritual care is an essential component in the nursing context, as nurses have to care for patients who may often turn to the spiritual dimension to cope and heal. These aspects are important issues to be considered in planning what should be taught as part of spiritual care. Objectives: This paper presents findings from a study on nursing practitioners’ views on the role of spiritual care in nursing practice and whether current nursing education has integrated this dimension into teaching. Method: A descriptive survey using a cross-sectional design with 385 nurses was conducted between December 2012 and February 2013. Participants were recruited through multistage random sampling. Data analysis was undertaken using SSPS 0.20. Results: All the participants (n = 385 concurred that spiritual care was a salient component of holistic patient care. They however stated that the primary barriers to providing spiritual care related to uncertainty on how to provide this type of care, and a lack of educational preparedness for this role. Conclusion: The study found that nurses were very accepting of the need for spiritual care as part of their nursing role but that nursing education had not paid adequate attention to integrating this dimension into the nursing curriculum.

Spiritually and religiously integrated group psychotherapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Viftrup, Dorte Toudal; Hvidt, Niels Christian; Buus, Niels

2013-01-01

WE SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEWED THE RESEARCH LITERATURE ON SPIRITUALLY AND RELIGIOUSLY INTEGRATED GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING THREE QUESTIONS: first, how are spirituality and religiosity defined; second, how are spiritual and religious factors characterized and integrated into group......, 8 articles were considered eligible for the review. Findings from the evaluation suggested that the concepts of spirituality and religiosity were poorly conceptualized and the way in which spiritual and religious factors were integrated into such group psychotherapies, which distinguished it from...... for spiritually or religiously integrated group psychotherapy and conducting research in this field are propounded....

Quality of life and religious-spiritual coping in palliative cancer care patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ticiane Dionizio de Sousa Matos

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objectives: to compare the quality of life and religious-spiritual coping of palliative cancer care patients with a group of healthy participants; assess whether the perceived quality of life is associated with the religious-spiritual coping strategies; identify the clinical and sociodemographic variables related to quality of life and religious-spiritual coping. Method: cross-sectional study involving 96 palliative outpatient care patient at a public hospital in the interior of the state of São Paulo and 96 healthy volunteers, using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Brief Religious-Spiritual Coping scale. Results: 192 participants were interviewed who presented good quality of life and high use of Religious-Spiritual Coping. Greater use of negative Religious-Spiritual Coping was found in Group A, as well as lesser physical and psychological wellbeing and quality of life. An association was observed between quality of life scores and Religious-Spiritual Coping (p<0.01 in both groups. Male sex, Catholic religion and the Brief Religious-Spiritual Coping score independently influenced the quality of life scores (p<0.01. Conclusion: both groups presented high quality of life and Religious-Spiritual Coping scores. Male participants who were active Catholics with higher Religious-Spiritual Coping scores presented a better perceived quality of life, suggesting that this coping strategy can be stimulated in palliative care patients.

The impact of nurses' spiritual health on their attitudes toward spiritual care, professional commitment, and caring.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Yi-Chien; Lee, Hsiang-Chun; Chu, Tsung-Lan; Han, Chin-Yen; Hsiao, Ya-Chu

2016-01-01

The personal spiritual health of nurses may play an important role in improving their attitudes toward spiritual care and their professional commitment and caring capabilities. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of nurses' personal spiritual health on their attitudes toward spiritual care, professional commitment, and caring. A total of 619 clinical nurses were included in this cross-sectional survey. The measurements included the spiritual health scale-short form, the spiritual care attitude scale, the nurses' professional commitment scale, and the caring behaviors scale. Structural equation modeling was used to establish associations between the main research variables. The hypothetical model provided a good fit with the data. Nurses' spiritual health had a positive effect on nurses' professional commitment and caring. Nurses' attitudes toward spiritual care could therefore mediate their personal spiritual health, professional commitment, and caring. The findings indicated that nurses' personal spiritual health is an important value and belief system and can influence their attitudes toward spiritual care, professional commitment, and caring. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Religion, Spirituality, and the Hidden Curriculum: Medical Student and Faculty Reflections.

Science.gov (United States)

Balboni, Michael J; Bandini, Julia; Mitchell, Christine; Epstein-Peterson, Zachary D; Amobi, Ada; Cahill, Jonathan; Enzinger, Andrea C; Peteet, John; Balboni, Tracy

2015-10-01

Religion and spirituality play an important role in physicians' medical practice, but little research has examined their influence within the socialization of medical trainees and the hidden curriculum. The objective is to explore the role of religion and spirituality as they intersect with aspects of medicine's hidden curriculum. Semiscripted, one-on-one interviews and focus groups (n = 33 respondents) were conducted to assess Harvard Medical School student and faculty experiences of religion/spirituality and the professionalization process during medical training. Using grounded theory, theme extraction was performed with interdisciplinary input (medicine, sociology, and theology), yielding a high inter-rater reliability score (kappa = 0.75). Three domains emerged where religion and spirituality appear as a factor in medical training. First, religion/spirituality may present unique challenges and benefits in relation to the hidden curriculum. Religious/spiritual respondents more often reported to struggle with issues of personal identity, increased self-doubt, and perceived medical knowledge inadequacy. However, religious/spiritual participants less often described relationship conflicts within the medical team, work-life imbalance, and emotional stress arising from patient suffering. Second, religion/spirituality may influence coping strategies during encounters with patient suffering. Religious/spiritual trainees described using prayer, faith, and compassion as means for coping whereas nonreligious/nonspiritual trainees discussed compartmentalization and emotional repression. Third, levels of religion/spirituality appear to fluctuate in relation to medical training, with many trainees experiencing an increase in religiousness/spirituality during training. Religion/spirituality has a largely unstudied but possibly influential role in medical student socialization. Future study is needed to characterize its function within the hidden curriculum. Copyright �

[Spirituality and ethics in psychosomatic medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Irmiš, Felix

2015-01-01

A patient has to cope with an illness on a physical, mental and spiritual level. There exists a difference between religiousness and spirituality even though the approach has a common foundation. Nonreligious spirituality relates to an inner experience, transcendent states of consciousness, meaningfulness, responsibility, sympathy, ethics, humanisation, faith. We encounter the spiritual point of view in humanistic psychotherapy, pastoral medicine, work of hospital chaplains, New Age, psychotherapies with religious and alternative aspects, transpersonal psychotherapy, psycho-spiritual crises, unusual states of consciousness, in meditation, Yoga, relaxation, kinesiology, ethicotherapy, reincarnation therapy, positive motivation, holotropic breathing, etc. There is description of different degrees of spiritual development, rational and irrational feeling of spirituality, Quantum Physics, spiritual intelligence, neuro-theology, physiological change, effects on improving adaptation during stress, drugs addiction, etc. Spirituality in relation with ethics is discussed in terms of socio-biology, evolution, emotions, aggressivity, genetics and social influence. The work analyses the effect of stressful situations on the deterioration of moral attitudes: during lack of time, obedience to authority and order. It is described how temperament and personality disorders can affect perception of spirituality, guilt feeling and conscience. Stressful situations, lack of time, relying only on the auxiliary objective methods leads to alienation of physician with a patient. Spirituality can partially improve the doctor-patient relationship, communication and sense of responsibility.

Conceptualising spirituality and religion for healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Pesut, Barbara; Fowler, Marsha; Taylor, Elizabeth J; Reimer-Kirkham, Sheryl; Sawatzky, Richard

2008-11-01

To discuss some of the challenges of conceptualising spirituality and religion for healthcare practice. With the growing interest in spirituality in healthcare, has come the inevitable task of trying to conceptualise spirituality, a daunting task given the amorphous nature of spirituality, the changing understandings of spirituality among individuals and the diverse globalised society within which this task is taking place. Spirituality's relationship to religion is a particularly challenging point of debate. Critical review. Three social and historical conditions - located in the context of Western thought - have contributed to current conceptualisations of spirituality and religion: the diminishment of the social authority of religion as a result of the Enlightenment focus on reason, the rise of a postmodern spirituality emphasising spiritual experience and current tensions over the ideological and political roles of religion in society. The trend to minimise the social influence of religion is a particular Western bias that seems to ignore the global megatrend of the resurgence of religion. Current conceptualisations are critiqued on the following grounds: that they tend to be ungrounded from a rich history of theological and philosophical thought, that a particular form of elitist spirituality is emerging and that the individualistic emphasis in recent conceptualisations of spirituality diminishes the potential for societal critique and transformation while opening the door for economic and political self interest. Constructing adequate conceptualisations of spirituality and religion for clinical practice entails grounding them in the wealth of centuries of philosophical and theological thinking, ensuring that they represent the diverse society that nursing serves and anchoring them within a moral view of practice.

Spirituality in the Healthcare Workplace

OpenAIRE

Donia Baldacchino

2017-01-01

Spirituality involves a sense of connectedness, meaning making and transcendence. There is abundant published research that focuses on the importance of spirituality to patients and their families during times of illness and distress. However over the last decade there has also been a growing awareness about the importance of considering the need to address peoples’ spiritual needs in the workplace. Engaging in ones own personal spirituality involves connecting with the inner self, becoming m...

Spiritual Experiences of Muslim Critical Care Nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakir, Ercan; Samancioglu, Sevgin; Kilic, Serap Parlar

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the experiences and perceptions of intensive care nurses (ICNs) about spirituality and spiritual care, as well as the effective factors, and increase the sensitivity to the subject. In this study, we examined spiritual experiences, using McSherry et al. (Int J Nurs Stud 39:723-734, 2002) Spirituality and spiritual care rating scale (SSCRS), among 145 ICNs. 44.8% of the nurses stated that they received spiritual care training and 64.1% provided spiritual care to their patients. ICNs had a total score average of 57.62 ± 12.00 in SSCRS. As a consequence, it was determined that intensive care nurses participating in the study had insufficient knowledge about spirituality and spiritual care, but only the nurses with sufficient knowledge provided the spiritual care to their patients.

Aligning Islamic Spirituality to Medical Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Zainuddin, Zainul Ibrahim

2017-10-01

This paper attempts to conceptualize Islamic spirituality in medical imaging that deals with the humanistic and technical dimensions. It begins with establishing an understanding concerning spirituality, an area that now accepted as part of patient-centred care. This is followed by discussions pertaining to Islamic spirituality, related to the practitioner, patient care and the practice. Possible avenues towards applying Islamic spirituality in medical imaging are proposed. It is hoped that the resultant harmonization between Islamic spirituality and the practice will trigger awareness and interests pertaining to the role of a Muslim practitioner in advocating and enhancing Islamic spirituality.

The concept of spirituality and its relation to religion in positive psychology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciana Fernandes Marques

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This is a theoretical study that aims to provide a review of current scientific studies on the concept of spirituality and proposes some issues for future research. The article brings a literature review on the subject, including several areas of positive psychology. Articles and books in Portuguese, Spanish and English were examined  and held a computerized search in the SciELO (www.scielo.br and electronic Indexer Google Scholar, and the references of materials examined. The descriptors were: conceit, espirit, religion, and their counterparts in Spanish and English. The purpose of this review is outline some definitions to set limits and help in conducting research when the researcher should choose constructs and measurement instruments. Comment some classical authors such as Wundt, Maslow and James. After there is a difference about religion and spirituality, discussing their similarities and antagonisms that are mentioned in the reviewed literature and how the concept of spirituality appears in Positive Psychology. 

New Zealand Nurses’ Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual care: Qualitative Findings from a National Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Egan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the qualitative findings from the first national survey of New Zealand nurses’ views on spirituality and spiritual care. The importance of spirituality as a core aspect of holistic nursing care is gaining momentum. Little is currently known about New Zealand nurses’ understandings, perceptions and experience of spirituality. Design: A descriptive online survey. Method: A random sample of 2000 individuals resident in New Zealand whose occupation on the New Zealand electoral roll suggested nursing was their current or past occupation were invited via postcard to participate in an online survey. This paper reports on the free response section of the survey. Findings: Overall, 472 invitees responded (24.1%. From the respondents, 63% completed at least one of the optional free response sections. Thematic analysis generated three metathemes: ‘The role of spirituality in nursing practice’, ‘Enabling best practice’, and ‘Creating a supportive culture’. Conclusions: Spirituality was predominantly valued as a core aspect of holistic nursing care. However, clarity is needed surrounding what constitutes spiritual care and how this intersects with professional responsibilities and boundaries. Participants’ insights suggest a focus on improving the consistency and quality of spiritual care by fostering inter-professional collaboration, and improved provision of resources and educational opportunities.

Relationship between Nurses' Spiritual Well-being and Nurses' perception of competence in providing spiritual care for patients

OpenAIRE

Ebrahimi, Hossein; Jafarabadi, Mohammad Asghari; Arshetnab, Hossein Namdar; Khanmiri, Soraya Golipoor

2015-01-01

Objective: As an important factor affecting human's health consequences, spiritual well-being has been the center of attention in recent years. According to literature, nurses' spiritual well-being affects how they provide spiritual care. This paper, thus, aims to find the relationship between nurses' spiritual well-being and their perception of their competence in providing spiritual care for patients in Tabriz Educational-Therapeutic centersMaterial and Methods: This is cross...

The relationship of general health, hardiness and spiritual intelligence relationship in Iranian nurses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Akbarizadeh

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Nursing is one of the stressful jobs that affect nurse's well-being. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between spiritual intelligence, hardiness and well-being among Iranian nurses.Samples of this cross- sectional study selected by Randomized stratified sampling, 125 nurses who have been working in different wards of Bushehr university hospitals. Data were collected using spiritual intelligence, hardiness, well-being and demographic characteristics questionnaires. Correlation, t-test, ANOVA, Tukey and regression analysis were applied.The results revealed a significant relationship between spiritual intelligence and hardiness, spiritual intelligence and well-being, Hardiness and well-being. It also showed that among the demographic characteristics (age, gender, working ward, marital status, job experiences, and education working ward significantly correlated with spiritual intelligence.Improvement of spiritual intelligence and reinforcement of hardiness could help increase the well-being of nurses.

PENGETAHUAN SPIRITUAL YOGA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I Nyoman Dayuh

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The education paradigm emhasizes the complete balance of intelectual, emotional, and spiritual potencies. The spiritual one becomes more importantwhen the influence of materialism, hedonism, and pragmatism have becoming significant. To face it self-control as taught in Yogasutra Patanjali is crucial.

Corporate spirituality as organizational praxis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

drs. Eelco van den Dool

2009-01-01

A methodology for doing research into corporate spirituality should enable us to deal with the religious component of spirituality instead of trying to separate spirituality from religious beliefs, as the positivist school proposes. Waaijman’s phenomenological-dialogical research cycle enables us to

Translation, Transcultural Adaptation, and Validation of the Empathy, Spirituality, and Wellness in Medicine Scale to the Brazilian Portuguese Language.

Science.gov (United States)

Cangussu Silva, Alexander; Ezequiel, Oscarina da Silva; Damiano, Rodolfo Furlan; Granero Lucchetti, Alessandra Lamas; DiLalla, Lisabeth Fisher; Dorsey, J Kevin; Lucchetti, Giancarlo

2018-04-09

Construct: The Empathy, Spirituality, and Wellness in Medicine Scale (ESWIM) is a 43-item multidimensional scale developed to investigate different dimensions of physicians and medical students. Medical education research requires the use of several different instruments with dozens of items that evaluate each construct separately, making their application slow and increasing the likelihood of students providing a large number of incomplete or missing responses. To provide an alternative measure, this study aims to translate, adapt, and validate the multidimensional ESWIM instrument for Brazilian medical students. This is a very promising instrument because it is multidimensional, relatively short, and cost free; it evaluates important constructs; and it has been explicitly designed for use in the medical context. The English-language instrument was translated and adapted into the Brazilian Portuguese language using standard procedures: translation, transcultural adaptation, and back-translation. ESWIM was administered to students in all years of the medical curriculum. A retest was given 45 days later to evaluate reliability. To assess validity, the questionnaire also included sociodemographic data, the Duke Religion Index, the Empathy Inventory, the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-Bref), and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. A total of 776 medical students (M age = 22.34 years, SD = 3.11) were assessed. The Brazilian Portuguese version of ESWIM showed good internal consistency for the factor of Empathy (α = 0.79-0.81) and borderline internal consistency for the other factors: Openness to Spirituality (α = 0.61-0.66), Wellness (α = 0.57-0.68), and Tolerance (α = 0.56-0.65). The principal component analysis revealed a four-factor structure; however, the confirmatory factor analysis showed a better fit for a three-factor structure. We found a significant positive correlation between ESWIM empathy and empathy measured by

Spiritual care in Christian parish nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

van Dover, Leslie; Pfeiffer, Jane Bacon

2007-01-01

This paper reports the development of a substantive theory to explain the process parish nurses use to provide spiritual care to parishioners in Christian churches in a context where patients and nurses share a common set of values. Despite a surge of interest in spirituality and spiritual care in nursing, consensus is lacking on how care should be conceptualized and provided. Grounded theory method was used to explore and describe the processes 10 American parish nurses experienced and used as they gave spiritual care. Data were collected between 1998 and 2001. Participants were interviewed and audiotapes transcribed verbatim. Constant comparative methods were used to analyse more than 50 separate incidents reported by the nurses. From its initial emergence as the core category, 'Bringing God Near' became a Basic Social Process theory of giving spiritual care for these parish nurses. This Basic Social Process became a theory through writing theoretical memos that described how the 'main concern' of the nurses to give spiritual care was resolved. Phases within the process include: trusting God, forming relationships with the patient/family, opening to God, activating/nurturing faith and recognizing spiritual renewal or growth. The essence is bringing God near to people as they face health challenges. Findings from the study and spiritual care literature are integrated in the discussion. The parish nurses' spiritual challenge is to respond to what God is directing the nurse to be and do to strengthen people spiritually. This spiritual care can help restore the patient's sense of well-being, and encourage growth in faith. Those interested in providing and teaching spiritual care in the church context will find this theory useful as a conceptual guide.

VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE SPIRITUAL COPING STRATEGIES SCALE ARABIC VERSION IN SAUDI PATIENTS UNDERGOING HAEMODIALYSIS.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, Jonas P; Baldacchino, Donia R; Alquwez, Nahed

2016-06-01

Patients often resort to religious and spiritual activities to cope with physical and mental challenges. The effect of spiritual coping on overall health, adaptation and health-related quality of life among patients undergoing haemodialysis (HD) is well documented. Thus, it is essential to establish a valid and reliable instrument that can assess both the religious and non-religious coping methods in patients undergoing HD. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Spiritual Coping Strategies Scale Arabic version (SCS-A) in Saudi patients undergoing HD. A convenience sample of 60 Saudi patients undergoing HD was recruited for this descriptive, cross-sectional study. Data were collected between May and June 2015. Forward-backward translation was used to formulate the SCS-A. The SCS-A, Muslim Religiosity Scale and the Quality of Life Index Dialysis Version III were used to procure the data. Internal consistency reliability, stability reliability, factor analysis and construct validity tests were performed. Analyses were set at the 0.05 level of significance. The SCS-A showed an acceptable internal consistency and strong stability reliability over time. The EFA produced two factors (non-religious and religious coping). Satisfactory construct validity was established by the convergent and divergent validity and known-groups method. The SCS-A is a reliable and valid tool that can be used to measure the religious and non-religious coping strategies of patients undergoing HD in Saudi Arabia and other Muslim and Arabic-speaking countries. © 2016 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.

Spiritual Bypass: A Preliminary Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Cashwell, Craig S.; Glosoff, Harriet L.; Hammond, Cheree

2010-01-01

The phenomenon of spiritual bypass has received limited attention in the transpersonal psychology and counseling literature and has not been subjected to empirical inquiry. This study examines the phenomenon of spiritual bypass by considering how spirituality, mindfulness, alexithymia (emotional restrictiveness), and narcissism work together to…

Spiritual culture crisis in modern society

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rusko Nadiya Mykhaylivna

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article researches the concept of spirituality as a holistic phenomenon, characterises the current state of spirituality in Ukraine and reveal the basic ways of forming spiritual culture with the help of philosophical, cultural, theological, linguistic, pedagogical, and psychological approaches. Moreover, the crisis in the today’s spiritual culture is analysed, and the determinants of the negative processes in the modern society are examined. Therefore, we can state that education remains a priority area in the spiritual and cultural development of the society. In the current phase of state construction, the main educational objective is the development of the spiritual culture of personality.

What Impact Do Chaplains Have? A Pilot Study of Spiritual AIM for Advanced Cancer Patients in Outpatient Palliative Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Kestenbaum, Allison; Shields, Michele; James, Jennifer; Hocker, Will; Morgan, Stefana; Karve, Shweta; Rabow, Michael W; Dunn, Laura B

2017-11-01

Spiritual care is integral to quality palliative care. Although chaplains are uniquely trained to provide spiritual care, studies evaluating chaplains' work in palliative care are scarce. The goals of this pre-post study, conducted among patients with advanced cancer receiving outpatient palliative care, were to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of chaplain-delivered spiritual care, utilizing the Spiritual Assessment and Intervention Model ("Spiritual AIM"), and to gather pilot data on Spiritual AIM's effects on spiritual well-being, religious and cancer-specific coping, and physical and psychological symptoms. Patients with advanced cancer (N = 31) who were receiving outpatient palliative care were assigned based on chaplains' and patients' outpatient schedules, to one of three professional chaplains for three individual Spiritual AIM sessions, conducted over the course of approximately six to eight weeks. Patients completed the following measures at baseline and post-intervention: Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, Steinhauser Spirituality, Brief RCOPE, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual (FACIT-Sp-12), Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer (Mini-MAC), Patient Dignity Inventory, Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (10 items), and Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory. From baseline to post-Spiritual AIM, significant increases were found on the FACIT-Sp-12 Faith subscale, the Mini-MAC Fighting Spirit subscale, and Mini-MAC Adaptive Coping factor. Two trends were observed, i.e., an increase in Positive religious coping on the Brief RCOPE and an increase in Fatalism (a subscale of the Mini-MAC). Spiritual AIM, a brief chaplain-led intervention, holds potential to address spiritual needs and religious and general coping in patients with serious illnesses. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spiritual well-being and quality of life in Iranian women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafari, Najmeh; Farajzadegan, Ziba; Zamani, Ahmadreza; Bahrami, Fatemeh; Emami, Hamid; Loghmani, Amir

2013-05-01

Psychological distress and morbidity are common consequences of diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and associated with poor quality of life (QOL). Spiritual well-being is an important aspect of QOL, but little is known about the spiritual well-being and its relationship with QOL in patients of different cultures such as Iranian Muslim patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of QOL and spirituality among patients with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy. This was a cross-sectional study which was conducted in the Breast Cancer Research Center of St. S. Al-Shohada Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. Spiritual well-being was measured using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp12). The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (EORTC QLQ-C30) and its supplementary breast cancer questionnaire (QLQ-BR23) were used to assess the quality of life of patients. Descriptive analysis, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression analysis were performed for statistical assessment. In all, 68 patients fulfilled the study's inclusion criteria and were interviewed. The mean global QOL was 41.42 (SD = 18.02), and the mean spiritual well-being was 28.41 (SD = 6.95). There was a significant positive correlation between general QOL and total spiritual well-being scores. Also, spiritual well-being, social functioning, pain, and arm symptoms were significant predictors of global QOL. The results of this study provide evidence that breast cancer survivors in Iran experience a poor quality of life across a broad spectrum of health domains, particularly social, emotional, and spiritual, indicating that psychosocial-spiritual support should be considered in caring for patients with breast cancer.

Predictors of family strength: the integrated spiritual-religious/resilient perspective for understanding the healthy/strong family.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghaffari, Majid; Fatehizade, Maryam; Ahmadi, Ahmad; Ghasemi, Vahid; Baghban, Iran

2013-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of spiritual well-being and family protective factors on the family strength in a propositional structural model. The research population consisted of all the married people of the Isfahan, Iran, in 2012 with preschool-aged children and in the first decade of marriage with at least eight grades of educational level. Three hundred and ninety five voluntary and unpaid participants were selected randomly through multi-stage sampling from seven regions of the city. The instruments used were the Spiritual Well-being Scale, Inventory of Family Protective Factors, and Family Strength Scale. Descriptive statistics and a structural equation modeling analytic approach were used. The analytic model predicted 82% of the variance of the family strength. The total effect of the spiritual well-being on the family strength was higher compared to the family protective factors. Furthermore, spiritual well-being predicted 43% of the distribution of the family protective factors and had indirect effect on the family strength through the family protective factors (p spiritual well-being and family protective factors, and their simultaneous effects on family strength. Family counselors may employ an integrated spiritual-religious/resilient perspective to inform their strength-based work with individuals and their families. None.

Spiritual Distress in Bereavement: Evolution of a Research Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurie A. Burke

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Many mourners turn to their spiritual beliefs and traditions when confronted by the death of a loved one. However, prior studies have either focused primarily on the benefits of faith following loss or studied spiritual struggle outside the context of bereavement. Moreover, scales to measure bereavement-related crises of faith and interventions specifically designed for spiritually inclined, distressed grievers are virtually non-existent. Our program of research, which to date has consisted of working with Christian grievers and is outlined below, elucidates complicated spiritual grief (CSG—a spiritual crisis following the loss of a loved one. For example, our longitudinal examination of 46 African American homicide survivors established the relation between positive religious coping, CSG, and complicated grief (CG, to clarify whether religious coping more strongly predicted bereavement distress or vice versa, with a follow-up study that determined the relation between religious coping and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD and depression. We replicated and expanded these findings with a diverse sample of 150 grievers to explore the complex relation between CSG, CG, and meaning making in a comparison study of mourners who had experienced traumatic-versus natural death losses. In a companion study, we qualitatively analyzed 84 grievers’ narratives and interviewed a 5-member focus group to capture and learn from their firsthand experiences of spiritual distress. To close the gap in terms of CSG assessment, we also developed and validated the Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief (ICSG. Currently, our ongoing CSG investigation extends in several directions: first, to a sample of family members anticipating the loss of their hospice-eligible loved one in palliative care; and, second, to the development and testing of a writing-intensive intervention for newly bereaved, spiritually inclined grievers.

Freedom and Spirituality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vintges, K.; Taylor, D.

2011-01-01

Spirituality is an idiosyncratic concept in the work of Foucault, which might best be characterized as an "intensity without a ‘spirit’". To understand Foucault's specific concept of spirituality, we have to take into account some basic themes of his oeuvre, especially of his later work, that is,

A validational study of the Ironson-Woods Spirituality/Religiousness Index in Nigerian adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Otakpor, Alex N; Akanni, Oluyemi O

2015-01-01

The mental health impact of spirituality/religiousness is widely recognised and studied in Western countries, but less so in developing nations, partly because of lack of valid instruments for such studies. The objective of the study was to determine the convergent validity of the Ironson-Woods Spirituality/Religiousness Index (IWSRI) in school attending Nigerian adolescents, and any relationship between spirituality/religiousness and mental health status. The 25-item IWSRI, the "Age Universal" Religious Orientation Scale (ROS) and the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) were administered to 300 randomly selected final year senior secondary students, aged 16 to 19 years, in Benin City. Responses were analysed using SPSS version 16 to determine the internal consistency for reliability, and correlation scores for convergent validity, of the IWSRI. Cronbach's alpha for the total IWSRI scale was 0.91; and for each of the two spirituality and two religiousness subscales of the IWSRI, these were quite high as well. The correlation of IWSRI with ROS intrinsic (r=0.47, p=0.00) and extrinsic personal religiosity (r=0.22, p=0.00) were significant. There was a significant difference in the IWSRI mean scores of GHQ cases and non-cases (t=4.30, p=0.00). IWSRI has acceptable psychometric properties, and therefore applicable in measuring spirituality and religiousness in Nigerian adolescents.

THE CONCEPT OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOR OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT BASED ON ISLAMIC SPIRITUALITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nursanty I.A.

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The study aims at constructing the concept of ethical behavior of public accountant based on Islamic spirituality. This research adapts spiritualist paradigm and spiritualist research design to create behavioral concept based on Islamic spirituality. Through zikr (Islam: repeated confession of faith, prayer, and contemplation method, researchers obtained balance in terms of mind, justice, honesty, and love as the instruments to analyze data. This research shows that the balance of mind, justice, honesty, and love reflected in public accountant personality will lead the accountants to personality with humanist values, as the leader on Earth with trustworthy, spreading love to others, beyond the consciousness to be devoted and faithful to Allah God Almighty.

Spiritual Needs in Patients Suffering from Fibromyalgia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Offenbaecher

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to assess spiritual needs of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS and to evaluate correlations with disease and health associated variables. Using a set of standardized questionnaires (i.e., Spiritual Needs Questionnaire, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, SF-36's Quality of Life, Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale, etc., we enrolled 141 patients (95% women, mean age 58 ± 10 years. Here, needs for inner peace and giving/generativity scored the highest, while existential needs and religious needs scored lowest. Particularly inner peace needs and existential needs correlated with different domains of reduced mental health, particularly with anxiety, the intention to escape from illness, and psychosocial restrictions. Thirty-eight percent of the patients stated needs to be forgiven and nearly half to forgive someone from their past life. Therefore, the specific spiritual needs of patients with chronic diseases should be addressed in clinical care in order to identify potential therapeutic avenues to support and stabilize their psychoemotional situation.

Professional, Spectator, and Olympic Sports in the Context of the Terms Spiritualism and Spirituality, and in the Context of Normative Ethics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kosiewicz Jerzy

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The author has used - in his paper - two different expressions related to spirituality in its entirety: that is, spirituality (the spiritual sphere in superficial sense and meaning and spiritualism (the spiritual sphere in deep sense and meaning. The author presented selected different definitions and manifestations of spirituality and spiritualism.

Spiritual well-being may buffer psychological distress in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD)

OpenAIRE

Salmoirago-Blotcher, Elena; Crawford, Sybil; Tran, Chau; Goldberg, Robert; Rosenthal, Lawrence; Ockene, Ira

2012-01-01

Psychological distress is common in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and has been associated with a worse prognosis. The authors examined whether spiritual wellbeing is associated with reduced psychological distress in patients with ICDs. The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Wellbeing (FACIT-SWB) questionnare and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used to measure spiritual wellbeing and overall psychological distress. Mu...

The Complex Reasons for Missing Spirituality. A Response to "Democratic Foundations for Spiritually Responsive Pedagogy"

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Marian

2017-01-01

This article is written in response to Lingley's (2016) concept of spiritually responsive pedagogy. To begin with, the word "spiritual", when applied to education, still attracts varied responses. Therefore, I have begun by examining contemporary understandings of spirituality as reflected in current research and literature, which…

Spiritual activity is associated with better cognitive function in old age.

Science.gov (United States)

Fung, A W T; Lam, L C W

2013-09-01

This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the association between late-life spiritual activity participation and cognitive function in older Chinese adults in Hong Kong. Participants aged 60 years or older without clinical dementia or major psychiatric disorders were recruited. Dementia severity and global cognitive function were assessed using the Clinical Dementia Rating and Cantonese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination, respectively. Cognitive performance was measured using 10-minute delayed recall, the Category Verbal Fluency Test, Visual Aural Digit Span Test, and Modified Card Sorting Test. Psychological status was assessed using the Chinese version of the Purpose in Life scale. Activities participated in were categorised into 6 domains of physical, cognitive, social, prosocial, spiritual, and recreational activities. A total of 380 participants were enrolled. Bivariate correlation showed that the composite score of cognitive function was positively correlated with aerobic exercise (r = 0.14; p = 0.01), cognitive activity (r = 0.30; p < 0.001), and spiritual activity (r = 0.16; p = 0.002). Multiple linear regression suggested that frequent participation in cognitive activity (B = 0.87, beta = 0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.52-1.25 and p < 0.001) and spiritual activity (B = 0.45, beta = 0.11; 95% CI = 0.13-0.76 and p = 0.01) were associated with better cognitive function after controlling for age and years of education. Engagement in spiritual activity may benefit cognitive function in old age. Longitudinal studies are recommended to further examine the causal relationship of spiritual activity and cognitive function.

Spirituality and stress management in healthy adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuck, Inez; Alleyne, Renee; Thinganjana, Wantana

2006-12-01

The purposes of this longitudinal, descriptive pilot study were to (a) test the acceptability and feasibility of a 6-week spiritual intervention; (b) determine the relationship between spirituality and stress; (c) explore the effects of the intervention on measures of perceived stress, spiritual perspective, and spiritual well-being; and (d) explore the meaning of spirituality. The sample consisted of 27 community-dwelling adults. Six categories emerged from the qualitative data as descriptors of the meaning and significance of spirituality. The survey data indicated that there were significant negative correlations between perceived stress and spiritual well-being at three time intervals, a significant decline in the levels of perceived stress, and a significant increase in spiritual perspective from the pretest to the 6-week follow-up. There were no significant changes in spiritual well-being. The intervention proved effective in reducing stress in this healthy adult sample.

Mysticism and spirituality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nils G. Holm

2009-01-01

Full Text Available How does the popular correspond to the grand terms of the title? Are not mysticism and spirituality something very exclusive, reserved for a few individuals? No they are not, as this presentation of both the author's own studies and the research of others will provide a different picture of these two concepts. Mysticism and spirituality are notions that are very difficult to define. Traditionally mysticism has been regarded as a way to reach the inner dimensions of human life, dimensions where man even achieves unity with the Divine Being. Such traditions have been found in all the major religions, and since the times of William James a hundred years ago, the features of mysticism in various religions have been analysed. Spirituality is a concept that can hold various meanings. It has often been associated with religious traditions where inner life and its growth are emphasized. These include, in particular, various schools, orders and movements that aim at cultivating a deeper spiritual life. In its more recent use, the term spirituality has, to a fairly large extent, been dissociated from religion and has become a notion that seeks to grasp the searching of modern man for ethics and norms in a globalised world, where pollution is accelerating and where stress and entertainment disrupt the inner harmony of people. Keywords

Translation and psychometric testing of the Korean Versions of the Spiritual Perspective Scale and the Self-transcendence Scale in Korean elders.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Suk Sun; Reed, Pamela G; Kang, Youngmi; Oh, Jina

2012-12-01

The purpose of this study was to translate the Spiritual Perspective Scale (SPS) and Self-transcendence Scale (STS) into Korean and test the psychometric properties of the instruments with Korean elders. A cross-sectional survey design was used to implement the three stages of the study. Stage I consisted of translating and reviewing the scales by six experts. In Stage II, equivalence was tested by comparing the responses between the Korean and English versions among 71 bilingual adults. Stage III established the psychometric properties of the Korean versions SPS-K and STS-K among 154 Korean elders. Cronbach's alpha of the SPS-K and the STS-K .97, and .85 respectively with Korean elders. Factor analysis showed that the SPS-K had one factor; the STS-K had four factors with one factor clearly representing self-transcendence as theorized. Both scales showed good reliability and validity for the translated Korean versions. However, continued study of the construct validity of the STS-K is needed. Study findings indicate that the SPS-K and the STS-K could be useful for nurses and geriatric researchers to assess a broadly defined spirituality, and to conduct research on spirituality and health among Korean elders. Use of these scales within a theory-based study may contribute to further knowledge about the role of spirituality in the health and well-being of Korean people facing health crises.

The impact of a spiritual legacy intervention in patients with brain cancers and other neurologic illnesses and their support persons.

Science.gov (United States)

Piderman, Katherine M; Radecki Breitkopf, Carmen; Jenkins, Sarah M; Lapid, Maria I; Kwete, Gracia M; Sytsma, Terin T; Lovejoy, Laura A; Yoder, Timothy J; Jatoi, Aminah

2017-03-01

The objectives were to assess the feasibility of using a novel, comprehensive chaplain-led spiritual life review interview to develop a personal Spiritual Legacy Document (SLD) for persons with brain tumors and other neurodegenerative diseases and to describe spiritual well-being (SWB), spiritual coping, and quality of life (QOL) of patients and their support persons (SP) before and after receipt of the SLD. Patient-SP pairs were enrolled over a 2-year period. Assessments included the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Expanded Version, Brief Religious Coping Scale, Brief COPE Inventory, and QOL Linear Analog Scale. Baseline assessments were completed prior to an audio-recorded spiritual life review interview with a chaplain. Thirty-two patient/SP pairs were enrolled; 27 completed baseline assessments and the interview. Twenty-four reviewed their SLD and were eligible for follow-up. A total of 15 patients and 12 SPs completed the 1-month follow-up; 10 patients and seven SPs completed the 3-month follow-up. Patients endorsed high levels of SWB and spiritual coping at baseline. Both patients and SPs evidenced improvement on several aspects of SWB, spiritual coping, and QOL at 1 month, but patients' decreased financial well-being was also observed. Patients and SPs demonstrated favorable changes in peacefulness and positive religious coping at both time points. A chaplain-led spiritual life review is a feasible intervention for patients with neurodegenerative disease and results in beneficial effects on patients and SPs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The relationship between spiritual well-being and psychosocial adjustment in Taiwanese patients with colorectal cancer and a colostomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chia-Chun; Rew, Lynn; Hwang, Shiow-Li

2012-01-01

We examined relationships among demographic and clinical characteristics, spiritual well-being, and psychosocial adjustment in Taiwanese patients with colorectal cancer and a colostomy. A descriptive, cross-sectional, exploratory study design was used to answer research questions. Participants were recruited from the outpatient ambulatory clinic in the gastrointestinal surgical department at the medical center of National Taiwan University. Forty-five Taiwanese patients aged 42 to 83 years who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and underwent colostomy surgery participated in the study. Participants completed a personal data questionnaire designed for this study, along with 2 validated instruments, the Spiritual Well-Being Scale and the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self Report. Forty-five persons participated in the study; 69% reported a moderate level of spiritual well-being. Participants reported strong adjustment to extended family relationships, but poor adjustment in sexual relationships. Spiritual well-being was significantly associated with psychosocial adjustment (r = -0.52, P spiritual well-being) accounted for 53% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment. Spiritual well-being plays an important role for Taiwanese patients when faced with psychosocial adjustment related to life with colorectal cancer and a colostomy.

Using Spiritual Genograms in Family Therapies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yahya Şahin

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The genogram was developed by Bowen, a pioneer of the psychodynamic family theory, and has been used in therapies in different ways. Genogram types are named according to the area in which they are used, and spiritual genograms are one of these. Due to the increase in studies focusing on spirituality in family therapies, this research is conducted over the use of spiritual genograms as a therapeutic tool. Although Turkey has great potential for religiousness and spirituality, no study has yet been observed there on the use of spiritual genograms in the therapeutic process. This deficiency has led us to introduce spiritual genograms and provide a place for their use in therapy. This study also aims to provide information on the stages of spiritual genograms and how they should be used as a tool in therapy. Furthermore, results have been shared regarding the effect of using genograms in the therapeutic process based on sample cases employed by various researchers in therapy.

Spiritual Pathology: The Case of Adolf Hitler

OpenAIRE

W. George Scarlett

2012-01-01

Hitler had a noble purpose (to save the world) and a strong faith in the laws of Nature as he understood Nature. He was, then, a spiritual person, though his spirituality was pathological and destructive. Here, the example of Hitler, his faith, and his spiritual pathology is given to both understand spiritual pathology in general and, through contrast, to understand positive spiritual development.

WHAT IS SPIRITUALITY? 1. INTRODUCTION

African Journals Online (AJOL)

we must assign to the treatises concerning the spiritual life a very early date. ... When, from 1200 on, city culture began to take shape in Western. Europe, and in .... rience the spiritual themes: prayer, work, leisure, are then treated in mystagogy .... In the field of primordial spirituality different sub-forms can be distinguished: ...

Daily Spiritual Experiences and Adolescent Treatment Response.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Matthew T; Veta, Paige S; Johnson, Byron R; Pagano, Maria E

2014-04-01

The purpose of this study is to explore changes in belief orientation during treatment and the impact of increased daily spiritual experiences (DSE) on adolescent treatment response. One-hundred ninety-five adolescents court-referred to a 2-month residential treatment program were assessed at intake and discharge. Forty percent of youth who entered treatment as agnostic or atheist identified themselves as spiritual or religious at discharge. Increased DSE was associated with greater likelihood of abstinence, increased prosocial behaviors, and reduced narcissistic behaviors. Results indicate a shift in DSE that improves youth self-care and care for others that may inform intervention approaches for adolescents with addiction.

Daily Spiritual Experiences and Adolescent Treatment Response

Science.gov (United States)

LEE, MATTHEW T.; VETA, PAIGE S.; JOHNSON, BYRON R.; PAGANO, MARIA E.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore changes in belief orientation during treatment and the impact of increased daily spiritual experiences (DSE) on adolescent treatment response. One-hundred ninety-five adolescents court-referred to a 2-month residential treatment program were assessed at intake and discharge. Forty percent of youth who entered treatment as agnostic or atheist identified themselves as spiritual or religious at discharge. Increased DSE was associated with greater likelihood of abstinence, increased prosocial behaviors, and reduced narcissistic behaviors. Results indicate a shift in DSE that improves youth self-care and care for others that may inform intervention approaches for adolescents with addiction. PMID:25525291

Concept Analysis of Spirituality: An Evolutionary Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Weathers, Elizabeth; McCarthy, Geraldine; Coffey, Alice

2016-04-01

The aim of this article is to clarify the concept of spirituality for future nursing research. Previous concept analyses of spirituality have mostly reviewed the conceptual literature with little consideration of the empirical literature. The literature reviewed in prior concept analyses extends from 1972 to 2005, with no analysis conducted in the past 9 years. Rodgers' evolutionary framework was used to review both the theoretical and empirical literature pertaining to spirituality. Evolutionary concept analysis is a formal method of philosophical inquiry, in which papers are analyzed to identify attributes, antecedents, and consequences of the concept. Empirical and conceptual literature. Three defining attributes of spirituality were identified: connectedness, transcendence, and meaning in life. A conceptual definition of spirituality was proposed based on the findings. Also, four antecedents and five primary consequences of spirituality were identified. Spirituality is a complex concept. This concept analysis adds some clarification by proposing a definition of spirituality that is underpinned by both conceptual and empirical research. Furthermore, exemplars of spirituality, based on prior qualitative research, are presented to support the findings. Hence, the findings of this analysis could guide future nursing research on spirituality. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Spiritual Pathology: The Case of Adolf Hitler

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. George Scarlett

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Hitler had a noble purpose (to save the world and a strong faith in the laws of Nature as he understood Nature. He was, then, a spiritual person, though his spirituality was pathological and destructive. Here, the example of Hitler, his faith, and his spiritual pathology is given to both understand spiritual pathology in general and, through contrast, to understand positive spiritual development.

Spiritual Therapy to Improve the Spiritual Well-Being of Iranian Women with Breast Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OpenAIRE

Jafari, Najmeh; Farajzadegan, Ziba; Zamani, Ahmadreza; Bahrami, Fatemeh; Emami, Hamid; Loghmani, Amir; Jafari, Nooshin

2013-01-01

Purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of spiritual therapy intervention in improving the spiritual well-being and quality of life (QOL) of Iranian women with breast cancer. Methods. This randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) recruited 65 women with breast cancer, randomly assigned to a 6-week spirituality-based intervention (n = 34) or control group (n = 31). Before and after six-week spiritual therapy intervention, spiritual well-being and quality of life (QOL) were...

Spiritual Criminology: The Case of Jewish Criminology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ronel, Natti; Ben Yair, Y

2018-05-01

Throughout the ages and in most cultures, spiritual and religious thinking have dealt extensively with offending (person against person and person against the Divine), the response to offending, and rehabilitation of offenders. Although modern criminology has generally overlooked that body of knowledge and experience, the study of spirituality and its relation to criminology is currently growing. Frequently, though, it is conducted from the secular scientific perspective, thus reducing spiritual knowledge into what is already known. Our aim here is to present a complementary perspective; that is, spiritual criminology that emerges from the spiritual perspective. Following a description of the state-of-the-art in criminological research concerning spirituality and its impact upon individuals, we focus on Jewish criminology as an illustrative case study, and present a spiritual Jewish view on good and evil, including factors that lead to criminality, the issue of free choice, the aim of punishment and societal response, crime desistance, rehabilitation, and prevention. The proposed establishment of spiritual criminology can be further developed by including parallel schools of spirituality, to create an integrated field in criminology.

The cultural expression of spiritual distress in Israel.

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Michael; Meged-Book, Tehilah; Mashiach, Tanya; Bar-Sela, Gil

2018-03-30

Although spiritual distress is present across cultures, the ways in which patients experience it vary between cultures. Our goal was to examine the cultural expression and key indicators of spiritual distress in Israel. We conducted a structured interview of 202 oncology outpatients in a cross-sectional study. Self-diagnosis of spiritual distress, which is a demonstrated gold standard for identifying its presence, was compared with the Facit-Sp-12 and a number of other items (from the Spiritual Injury Scale and newly developed Israeli items) hypothesized as Israeli cultural expressions of spiritual distress, demographic and medical data, and patient desire to receive spiritual care. Significant variation was found between Israeli cultural expression of spiritual distress and that found in studies from other countries. Key expressions of spiritual distress in this study included lack of inner peace, grief, and an inability to accept what is happening. Items related to faith were not significant, and loss of meaning showed mixed results. Patients requesting spiritual care were more likely to be in spiritual distress. No demographic or medical data correlated with spiritual distress. Specially designed interventions to reduce spiritual distress should address the expressions of the distress specific to that culture. Studies of the efficacy of spiritual care can examine the extent of spiritual distress in general or of its specific cultural expressions.

Spiritual and religious experiences of adolescent psychiatric inpatients versus healthy peers.

Science.gov (United States)

Grossoehme, Daniel H; Cotton, Sian; Leonard, Anthony

2007-01-01

One hundred twenty-two adolescent psychiatric inpatients with depressive disorders and 80 healthy peers were administered the INSPIRIT, a measure of core spiritual experiences. Healthy adolescents reported a greater frequency of spiritual experiences and a more positive impact of such experiences on their belief in God than did their inpatient peers. Adolescent inpatients reported higher frequencies of experiencing angels, demons, God or guiding spirits; feeling unity with the earth and other living things; and with near death or life after death as compared to healthy peers. Overall, females reported higher frequency of spiritual experiences and higher impact of the experience on their belief in God than did males. It was concluded that the INSPIRIT is a feasible spiritual assessment tool for adolescent populations and may be used by chaplains as a means for guiding clinical conversations with adolescents.

The spiritual brain: selective cortical lesions modulate human self-transcendence.

Science.gov (United States)

Urgesi, Cosimo; Aglioti, Salvatore M; Skrap, Miran; Fabbro, Franco

2010-02-11

The predisposition of human beings toward spiritual feeling, thinking, and behaviors is measured by a supposedly stable personality trait called self-transcendence. Although a few neuroimaging studies suggest that neural activation of a large fronto-parieto-temporal network may underpin a variety of spiritual experiences, information on the causative link between such a network and spirituality is lacking. Combining pre- and post-neurosurgery personality assessment with advanced brain-lesion mapping techniques, we found that selective damage to left and right inferior posterior parietal regions induced a specific increase of self-transcendence. Therefore, modifications of neural activity in temporoparietal areas may induce unusually fast modulations of a stable personality trait related to transcendental self-referential awareness. These results hint at the active, crucial role of left and right parietal systems in determining self-transcendence and cast new light on the neurobiological bases of altered spiritual and religious attitudes and behaviors in neurological and mental disorders. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Religion, spirituality, and health: a review and update.

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, Harold G

2015-01-01

This article summarizes research prior to 2010 and more recent research on religion, spirituality, and health, including some of the latest work being done by research teams at Columbia University, Harvard University, Duke University, and other academic medical centers. First, terms such as religion, humanism, and spirituality are defined. Second, based on his research team's previous systematic review of quantitative studies published in the peer-reviewed literature prior to 2010, the author discusses the findings from that research on the effects of religion and spirituality (R/S) on (1) mental health-well-being, purpose in life, hope, optimism, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, suicide, and substance abuse; (2) health behaviors-exercise, diet, cigarette smoking, and risky sexual activity; and (3) physical health-coronary artery disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality. Third, the author examines the latest research on the prevalence of spiritual needs among individuals with serious or terminal medical illnesses, the consequences of ignoring those needs, and the results of clinical trials that have examined the effects of spiritual assessments by physicians. Finally, the author reviews the research currently being conducted at Duke University on the efficacy of religious cognitive-behavioral therapies and on the effects of religious involvement on telomere length in stressed caregivers. Resources are provided that will assist seasoned researchers and clinicians who might be interested in doing research in this novel and expanding area of whole-person medicine.

On the epistemology of postmodern spirituality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dudley A. Schreiber

2012-02-01

Full Text Available At first glance, the postmodern spiritual �scene� appears �sociologically messy, experiential, multifaceted, ecological, provisional and collective� (Petrolle 2007 and of uncertain epistemic provenance. Here, I ask: can Roland Benedikter�s (2005 conception of postmodern dialectic and spiritual turn, help us understand postmodern spirituality and can it assist in a construction of a postmodern epistemology of spirituality? The current argument constitutes a meta-theoretical exploration of:� Deconstruction and neo-essentialism as representing the significant dialectic in philosophical postmodernism. Deconstruction is presented as an apophatic moment in Western thought about �knowing� and �being� whilst postmodern neo-essentialism, though contextualised by antirealism and ambiguity, palpably suggests itself. � Postmodern trends which derive from the dialectic. � How these epistemic trends influence methodology in the study of spirituality. � How a trans-traditional (anthropological spirituality might incorporate insights about transformation from a complex of epistemologies in which, theories of �self� abound.In the conclusion an attempt is made to describe how postmodern spirituality expresses itself in society.�

Spiritual and Affective Responses to a Physical Church and Corresponding Virtual Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Murdoch, Matt; Davies, Jim

2017-11-01

Architectural and psychological theories posit that built environments have the potential to elicit complex psychological responses. However, few researchers have seriously explored this potential. Given the increasing importance and fidelity of virtual worlds, such research should explore whether virtual models of built environments are also capable of eliciting complex psychological responses. The goal of this study was to test these hypotheses, using a church, a corresponding virtual model, and an inclusive measure of state spirituality ("spiritual feelings"). Participants (n = 33) explored a physical church and corresponding virtual model, completing a measure of spiritual feelings after exploring the outside and inside of each version of the church. Using spiritual feelings after exploring the outside of the church as a baseline measure, change in state spirituality was assessed by taking the difference between spiritual feelings after exploring the inside and outside of the church (inside-outside) for both models. Although this change was greater in response to the physical church, there was no significant difference between the two models in eliciting such change in spiritual feelings. Despite the limitations of this exploratory study, these findings indicate that both built environments and corresponding virtual models are capable of evoking complex psychological responses.

Evaluating the effectiveness of impact assessment instruments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cashmore, Matthew; Richardson, Tim; Hilding-Ryedvik, Tuija

2010-01-01

to sharpen effectiveness evaluation theory for impact assessment instruments this article critically examines the neglected issue of their political constitution. Analytical examples are used to concretely explore the nature and significance of the politicisation of impact assessment. It is argued......The central role of impact assessment instruments globally in policy integration initiatives has been cemented in recent years. Associated with this trend, but also reflecting political emphasis on greater accountability in certain policy sectors and a renewed focus on economic competitiveness...... that raising awareness about the political character of impact assessment instruments, in itself, is a vital step in advancing effectiveness evaluation theory. Broader theoretical lessons on the framing of evaluation research are also drawn from the political analysis. We conclude that, at least within...

Investigation Clinical Competence and Its Relationship with Professional Ethics and Spiritual Health in Nurses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elahe Ramezanzade Tabriz

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background and Objectives: Study of clinical competence in nursing helps determine the quality of health care delivered to patients. Given the priority of observance of principles over caretaking and necessity of spirituality existence at the core of health care provision, this study was conducted to investigate clinical competence and its relationship with professional ethics and spiritual health in nurses. Methods: In this cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational study, 281 nurses were enrolled by consensus sampling. Sampling was conducted from February, 2016 till June, 2016. The data were gathered by a demographics questionnaire, a self-assessment scale of clinical competence, a nursing ethics questionnaire, and a spiritual health questionnaire, and analyzed by descriptive statistics and t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, ANOVA, and linear regression analysis in SPSS 21. Results: The total scores for self-assessment scale of nurses' clinical competence, professional ethics, and spiritual health were moderate. In the light of the results of Spearman's correlation coefficient, there was a significant and positive correlation between clinical competence and spiritual health. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was observed between professional ethics and spiritual health but there was no correlation between professional ethics and clinical competence. Conclusion: Managers' and personnel's Knowledge about the level of nurses clinical competence, professional ethics, and spiritual health in teaching health care centers provides valuable information to develop in-service and efficacious education programs and ultimately to improve the quality of nursing services.

A Measure of Spiritual Sensitivity for Children

Science.gov (United States)

Stoyles, Gerard John; Stanford, Bonnie; Caputi, Peter; Keating, Alysha-Leigh; Hyde, Brendan

2012-01-01

Spirituality is an essential influence in a child's development. However, an age-appropriate measure of child's spiritual sensitivity is not currently available in the literature. This paper describes the development of a measure of children's spiritual sensitivity, the Spiritual Sensitivity Scale for Children (SSSC). Statistical analyses…

Spirituality in diaconia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zeitler, Ullrich Martin Rudenko

2014-01-01

The subject of this article is the role of spirituality in diaconal work. This raises two questions: first, what do we mean by spirituality, and second, what characterises the field of diaconia and diaconal practice?. To begin with, a few conceptual clarifications are necessary. C. Otto Scharmer......’s Theory U (TU) provides the conceptual and methodological framework for operationalising spirituality in diaconal work. It is argued that the concept of “presencing” is an adequate way to express “spirituality”, and that, overall TU is an appropriate model to describe and develop the essential features...... of diaconal social work and diaconal leadership. I shall use the Danish Blue Cross as an example of an organisation that can be interpreted as working on the basis of TU....

Spirituality for democracy: Spiritual resources for democratic participation in the 21st century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roderick R. Hewitt

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The topic invites us to explore spirituality for democracy and to identify and critique the spiritual resources that are needed for democratic participation in the 21st century. The statement specifically focused on for and not of democracy. Modern expressions of democracy are in crisis. Every context is teething with challenges and conflicts between government sand their citizens concerning how much influence through participation should be allowed in the decision-making process of governance. This topic is of extreme importance for academic discourse because the malaise that has crept into contemporary forms of democratic governance calls for urgent attention. Democratic forms of governance are not set in stone. Rather, they are formed as a result of human deliberation and praxis and cultural developments and must therefore remain open for further reformation. It is this intrinsic capacity for renewal that opens democracy to converse with spirituality. This article begins with identifying the key terms that constitute the academic building blocks of this study. The inherent contradictions in the use of these terms are noted in order to arrive at a theoretical construct to converse with the key concepts of spirituality, democracy, spiritual resources and democratic participation.Through the use of the post colonial lenses of Rastafari hermeneutics, a theoretical framework will be employed to map a life-giving path for contemporary expressions of spirituality for democracy and to identify the resources needed for democratic participation.

The effect of spiritual intelligence on quality of sleep and attention of skilled volleyball players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

sodabeh ghadami

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Spiritual intelligence is something more than mental ability and connects an individual to beyond. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of spiritual intelligence on sleep quality and attention of skilled volleyball players.  Therefore 116 (76 female, 40 male volleyball players of Mobarakeh county in Isfahan who had participated in regional competitions were selected. Abdollazadeh’s Spiritual Intelligence Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality, and Mari shook Test were used to measure the data.  Results of path analysis showed that spiritual intelligence affects both sleep quality and attention. Moreover, the quality of sleep mediated the effect of spiritual intelligence on attention, and the results showed the appropriateness of structural equation model fit.

Is failure to meet spiritual needs associated with cancer patients' perceptions of quality of care and their satisfaction with care?

Science.gov (United States)

Astrow, Alan B; Wexler, Ann; Texeira, Kenneth; He, M Kai; Sulmasy, Daniel P

2007-12-20

Few studies regarding patients' views about spirituality and health care have included patients with cancer who reside in the urban, northeastern United States. Even fewer have investigated the relationship between patients' spiritual needs and perceptions of quality and satisfaction with care. Outpatients (N = 369) completed a questionnaire at the Saint Vincent's Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York, NY. The instrument included the Quality of End-of-Life Care and Satisfaction with Treatment quality-of-care scale and questions about spiritual and religious beliefs and needs. The participants' mean age was 58 years; 65% were female; 67% were white; 65% were college educated; and 32% had breast cancer. Forty-seven percent were Catholic; 19% were Jewish; 16% were Protestant; and 6% were atheist or agnostic. Sixty-six percent reported that they were spiritual but not religious. Only 29% attended religious services at least once per week. Seventy-three percent reported at least one spiritual need; 58% thought it appropriate for physicians to inquire about their spiritual needs. Eighteen percent reported that their spiritual needs were not being met. Only 6% reported that any staff members had inquired about their spiritual needs (0.9% of inquiries by physicians). Patients who reported that their spiritual needs were not being met gave lower ratings of the quality of care (P = .009) and reported lower satisfaction with care (P = .006). Most patients had spiritual needs. A slight majority thought it appropriate to be asked about these needs, although fewer thought this compared with reports in other settings. Few had their spiritual needs addressed by the staff. Patients whose spiritual needs were not met reported lower ratings of quality and satisfaction with care.

Burnout, coping, and spirituality among internal medicine resident physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Doolittle, Benjamin R; Windish, Donna M; Seelig, Charles B

2013-06-01

Burnout in physicians is common, and studies show a prevalence of 30% to 78%. Identifying constructive coping strategies and personal characteristics that protect residents against burnout may be helpful for reducing errors and improving physician satisfaction. We explored the complex relationships between burnout, behaviors, emotional coping, and spirituality among internal medicine and internal medicine-pediatrics residents. We anonymously surveyed 173 internal medicine and medicine-pediatrics residents to explore burnout, coping, and spiritual attitudes. We used 3 validated survey instruments: the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Carver Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) Inventory, and the Hatch Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale (SIBS). A total of 108 (63%) residents participated, with 31 (28%) reporting burnout. Residents who employed strategies of acceptance, active coping, and positive reframing had lower emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (all, P < .03). Residents who reported denial or disengagement had higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scores. Personal accomplishment was positively correlated with the SIBS total score (r  =  +.28, P  =  .003), as well as the internal/fluid domain (r  =  +.32, P  =  .001), existential axes (r  =  +.32, P  =  .001), and humility/personal application domain (r  =  +.23, P  =  .02). The humility/personal application domain also was negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion (r  =  -.20, P  =  .04) and depersonalization (r  =  -.25, P  =  .009). No activity or demographic factor affected any burnout domain. Burnout is a heterogeneous syndrome that affects many residents. We identified a range of emotional and spiritual coping strategies that may have protective benefit.

Near-death experiences and spiritual well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Khanna, Surbhi; Greyson, Bruce

2014-12-01

People who have near-death experiences often report a subsequently increased sense of spirituality and a connection with their inner self and the world around them. In this study, we examined spiritual well-being, using Paloutzian and Ellison's Spiritual Well-Being Scale, among 224 persons who had come close to death. Participants who reported having near-death experiences reported greater spiritual well-being than those who did not, and depth of spiritual well-being was positively correlated with depth of near-death experience. We discussed the implications of these findings in light of other reported aftereffects of near-death experiences and of spiritual well-being among other populations.

The Spiritual Genogram in Training and Supervision.

Science.gov (United States)

Frame, Marsha Wiggins

2001-01-01

Describes the spiritual genogram, a blueprint of family members' multigenerational religious and spiritual affiliations, events, and conflicts. Used as a tool in both training and supervision, the spiritual genogram enables students and supervisees to make sense of their own religious and spiritual heritage and to explore the ways in which their…

Evaluating the interplay between spirituality, personality and stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Labbé, Elise E; Fobes, Ashley

2010-06-01

Spirituality and the big five personality traits may be risk or protective factors for coping with stress. We hypothesized young adults who reported higher spirituality ratings would demonstrate lower sympathetic nervous system arousal and better emotional coping when exposed to a laboratory stressor compared to those who rated themselves lower in spirituality. We also compared spirituality groups on trait anger, neuroticism, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and openness to experience. Eighty participants completed trait-state anger, personality and spirituality questionnaires and were grouped into low, average and high spirituality. Participants' physiological responses were monitored before and during a stressful event. Significant differences were found between low, average and high spirituality groups' respiration rate and emotional response to the stressor. Significant differences were also found between spirituality groups in extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, trait anger and neuroticism. Females reported higher levels of spirituality and conscientiousness than males.

Got spirit? The spiritual climate scale, psychometric properties, benchmarking data and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Doram, Keith; Chadwick, Whitney; Bokovoy, Joni; Profit, Jochen; Sexton, Janel D; Sexton, J Bryan

2017-02-11

Organizations that encourage the respectful expression of diverse spiritual views have higher productivity and performance, and support employees with greater organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Within healthcare, there is a paucity of studies which define or intervene on the spiritual needs of healthcare workers, or examine the effects of a pro-spirituality environment on teamwork and patient safety. Our objective was to describe a novel survey scale for evaluating spiritual climate in healthcare workers, evaluate its psychometric properties, provide benchmarking data from a large faith-based healthcare system, and investigate relationships between spiritual climate and other predictors of patient safety and job satisfaction. Cross-sectional survey study of US healthcare workers within a large, faith-based health system. Seven thousand nine hundred twenty three of 9199 eligible healthcare workers across 325 clinical areas within 16 hospitals completed our survey in 2009 (86% response rate). The spiritual climate scale exhibited good psychometric properties (internal consistency: Cronbach α = .863). On average 68% (SD 17.7) of respondents of a given clinical area expressed good spiritual climate, although assessments varied widely (14 to 100%). Spiritual climate correlated positively with teamwork climate (r = .434, p spiritual climate were less likely to have intentions to leave, to be burned out, or to experience disruptive behaviors in their unit and more likely to have participated in executive rounding (p spiritual climate scale exhibits good psychometric properties, elicits results that vary widely by clinical area, and aligns well with other culture constructs that have been found to correlate with clinical and organizational outcomes.

Embedding spiritual value through science learning

Science.gov (United States)

Johan, H.; Suhandi, A.; Wulan, A. R.; Widiasih; Ruyani, A.; Karyadi, B.; Sipriyadi

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study was to embed spiritual value through science learning program especially earth planet. Various phenomena in earth planet describe a divinity of super power. This study used quasi experimental method with one group pre-test-post-test design. Convenience sampling was conducted in this study. 23 pre-service physics teacher was involved. Pre-test and post-test used a questionnaire had been conducted to collected data of spiritual attitude. Open ended question had been utilized at post-test to collected data. A fourth indicators of spiritual value related to divinity of God was used to embed spiritual value. The results show a shifted of students’ awareness to divinity of God. Before implementing the earth planet learning, 85.8% of total students strongly agree that learning activity embed spiritual value while after learning process, it increased be 93.4%. After learning earth planet, it known that students’ spiritual value was influenced by character of earth planet concept which unobservable and media visual which display each incredible phenomena process in our earth planet. It can be concluded that spiritual value can be embedded through unobservable phenomena of during learning earth planet process.

Measurement of materialism and spiritualism in substance abuse research.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathew, R J; Mathew, V G; Wilson, W H; Georgi, J M

1995-07-01

A modified version of an instrument called the Mathew Materialism-Spiritualism Scale (MMSS), originally developed in India, was evaluated for possible use in substance abuse research in the U.S. The scale was administered to 62 individuals recovering from substance use, 20 clergy people and 61 general controls. Test-retest reliability for the MMSS was verified by administering it to 18 control subjects on two separate occasions, 7 days apart. The Pearson correlation for the MMSS total scores was 0.83 (p < .0001). Internal consistency was examined with Cronbach's alpha in the entire sample of 143 subjects; the result for the total score was .93. Factor analysis showed a factor structure compatible with the subscales proposed by the developer. Women, in general, obtained higher spirituality scores. Members of the recovering group obtained significantly higher scores on "character" and "mysticism" than the general controls. When general controls were divided into MAST positive and MAST negative individuals, the MAST positive group obtained lower scores than the recovering group for "God," "mysticism" and "character." MAST negative individuals had lower scores on "mysticism" than the recovering group. Christians had higher scores on "God" and "religion" subscales than did nonChristians and agnostics. The results of this study need confirmation using an improved methodology and larger sample sizes. However, they suggest that the scale may be useful for the study of spirituality in the U.S.

Notas sobre a versão em língua portuguesa da Escala de Bem-Estar Espiritual Notes on the Portuguese-language version of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edson Zangiacomi Martinez

2013-01-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Testar a Escala de Bem-Estar Espiritual (EBE, a versão em português da Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWB, em uma amostra de universitários matriculados em cursos de pós-graduação da área da saúde, avaliando suas qualidades psicométricas. Entre os diferentes instrumentos que objetivam mensurar a espiritualidade, encontra-se a SWB, adaptada recentemente para a língua portuguesa. Os 20 itens desse instrumento originalmente dividem-se em duas dimensões: bem-estar religioso (BER e bem-estar existencial (BEE. MÉTODOS: A consistência interna dessas dimensões foi avaliada pelo coeficiente alfa de Cronbach. Foi utilizada análise fatorial com rotação oblíqua para avaliar a estrutura fatorial latente. Quatrocentos e quarenta e um indivíduos responderam ao instrumento. RESULTADOS: O instrumento apresenta satisfatória consistência interna, mas a análise fatorial sugere que os itens da dimensão BEE distribuem-se em dois fatores distintos, o que chama a atenção para a complexidade da estrutura fatorial do instrumento. CONCLUSÃO: A estrutura fatorial da escala EBE não é clara, e a presença de um efeito teto em grupos religiosos específicos pode prejudicar os estudos que buscam associações entre espiritualidade e aspectos relacionados à saúde. O uso do instrumento exige cautela, e posteriores estudos de revisão da escala são necessários.OBJECTIVE: This study aims to test the factor structure of the Portuguese-language version of the Spiritual Well-being Scale (SWB in a sample of postgraduate students of courses in the health area, assessing its psychometric qualities. Among the different instruments used to measure the spirituality, the SWB was recently adapted into Portuguese language. The 20 items of this instrument are originally divided into two dimensions: Religious Well-Being (RWB and Existential Well-Being (EWB subscales. METHODS: The internal consistency of the subscales was assessed by the Cronbach's alpha

Developing Agreed and Accepted Understandings of Spirituality and Spiritual Care Concepts among Members of an Innovative Spirituality Interest Group in the Republic of Ireland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fiona Timmins

2016-03-01

Full Text Available A Spirituality Interest Group (SIG was set up in in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, Republic of Ireland (ROI, in March 2013. This paper reports on some of the journey and requirements involved in developing the group. It highlights the essential work of establishing agreed understandings in an objective way in order for the group to move forward with action. These agreed understandings have contributed to the group’s success. Outlining the group’s journey in arriving at agreements may be of use to others considering creating similar groups. One key action taken to determine the suitability of the group’s aims and terms of reference was the distribution of a Survey Monkey to group members (n = 28 in 2014. One early meeting of the group discussed future goals and direction using the responses of this anonymous survey. This paper reports on the results of the survey regarding the establishment of the SIG and the development of a shared understanding of spiritual care among the members. There is consensus in the group that the spiritual care required by clients receiving healthcare ought to be an integrated effort across the healthcare team. However, there is an acceptance that spirituality and spiritual care are not always clearly understood concepts in practice. By developing shared or at least accepted understandings of spirituality and spiritual care, SIG hopes to be able to underpin both research and practice with solid foundational conceptual understanding, and in the process also to meet essential prerequisites for achieving the group’s aims.

Assessment of the Relationship between Spiritual and Social Health and the Self-Care Ability of Elderly People Referred to Community Health Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadi, Mahboobeh; Alavi, Mousa; Bahrami, Masoud; Zandieh, Zahra

2017-01-01

Promotion of self-care ability among older people is an essential means to help maintain and improve their health. However, the role of spiritual and social health has not yet been considered in detail in the context of self-care ability among elderly. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between spiritual and social health and self-care ability of older people referred to community health centers in Isfahan. In this cross-sectional correlation study, 200 people, aged 60 years and older, referred to healthcare centers in 2016 were recruited through convenience sampling method. Data were collected by four-part tool comprising of: (a) demographics, (b) Ellison and Palotzin's spiritual well-being scale, (c) Kees's "social health" scale, and (d) self-care ability scale for the elderly by Soderhamn's; data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential (independent t -test, analysis of variance - ANOVA, Pearson's coefficient tests, and multiple regression analysis) statistics by SPSS16 software. Findings showed that the entered predictor variables were accounted for 41% of total variance ( R 2 ) of the two self-care ability in the model ( p well-being and social health, significantly predicted the self-care ability of older people. The results of this study emphasized on the relationship between spiritual and social health of the elderly people and their ability to self-care. Therefore, it would be recommended to keep the focus of the service resources towards improving social and spiritual health to improve self-care ability in elderly people.

The Spirituality of Prisoners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bartłomiej Skowroński

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Showing the specificity of the spiritual life of persons serving a penalty of imprisonment was a purpose of research. Analysis of findings confirmed that persons serving a penalty of imprisonment were characterized significantly more limited spiritual life, than the control group, consisted persons with no criminal record. And so sentenced persons in the significantly shorter rank are expanding the own awareness, more rarely seek the meaning of surrounding reality, are drawing fewer spiritual experiences indeed from doing good, are less sensitive for the art, are also less sensitive to the outside and internal beauty which are connected with moral elections.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as Spiritual Leader

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Pierce

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to explore Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s spiritual leadership through his “I Have a Dream” speech. The paper explores the three characteristics of spiritual leadership as posed by Fry’s (2003 spiritual leadership theory: vision, hope/faith and altruistic love. The research draws upon these characteristics through qualitative content analysis of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech to illustrate Dr. King’s leadership as that of a spiritual leader. The research advances the spiritual leadership theory by establishing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a spiritual leader. Through the illustration of Dr. King’s spiritual leadership, the characteristics of a spiritual leader are given tangible understanding.

What is spirituality? | Waaijman | Acta Theologica

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This essay provides, first of all, a historical perspective on the nature of spirituality by investigating its early forms, followed by a discussion of two approaches in the last century. It then investigates three basic forms of spirituality, concluding with an overview of elements of spirituality.

PENGARUH PENDEKATAN DISCOVERY YANG MENEKANKAN ASPEK ANALOGI TERHADAP PRESTASI BELAJAR, KEMAMPUAN PENALARAN, KECERDASAN EMOSIONAL SPIRITUAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nur Choiro Siregar

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan menyelidiki pengaruh pembelajaran segiempat dan segitiga dengan pendekatan discovery yang menekankan aspek analogi terhadap prestasi belajar, kemampuan penalaran, dan kecerdasan emosional spiritual siswa SMP Negeri 9 Yogyakarta. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian eksperimen semu.Instrumen yang digunakan adalah tes prestasi belajar, tes kemampuan penalaran, dan angket kecerdasan emosional spiritual. Data dianalisis menggunakan uji Multivariate Analysis of Variance (Manova dan Analysis of Variance (Anova. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan ada pengaruh pembelajaran segiempat dan segitiga dengan pendekatan discovery yang menekankan aspek analogi terhadap prestasi belajar, dan kemampuan penalaran siswa. Berdasarkan analisis, pembelajaran segiempat dan segitiga dengan pendekatan discovery yang menekankan aspek analogi lebih unggul daripada pembelajaran biasa dalam hal prestasi belajar dan kemampuan penalaran. Sebaliknya, dalam hal kecerdasan emosional spiritual siswa, pendekatan discovery yang menekankan aspek analogi tidak memberi pengaruh dan tidak lebih unggul daripada pembelajaran biasa. Kata Kunci: discovery, menekankan aspek analogi, prestasi belajar, kemampuan penalaran, kecerdasan emosional spiritual   THE EFFECT OF DISCOVERY APPROACH EMPHASING ON THE ANALOGY ASPECT ON ACHIEVEMENT, REASONING ABILITY, EMOTIONAL SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE Abstract This study aims to investigate the effect of quadrilateral and triangle teaching using the disco-very approach emphasing on the analogy aspect on achievement, reasoning ability, and emotional spiritual intelligenceof Grade VII students of SMPN 9 Yogyakarta. This study was a quasi-experimen-tal study. The instruments of the study were an achievement test, reasoning ability test, and emotional spiritual intelligence questionnaire. The data wereanalyzed using the Multivariate Analysis of Variance (Manova and Analysis of Variance(Anova tests. The results of the study are as follows. There

Utilization of Spirituality and Spiritual Care in Nursing Practice in Public Hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandhya Chandramohan

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This study explored the views of professional nurses in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa regarding the role of spirituality and spiritual care in nursing practice and investigated whether professional nurses utilize spiritually based care in nursing practice. A cross-sectional descriptive design using multistage random sampling was utilized. Five hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed to professional nurses between December 2012 and February 2013. A total of 385 participants completed the survey questionnaire, resulting in a 77% response rate. Data was analyzed using SSPS 0.20. The data revealed that nurses see spirituality and spiritual care as an important dimension of nursing practice but need greater preparedness. Nurses need to be effectively prepared to deal with the complexity of providing ethically based personalized spiritual care in an increasingly diverse society.

Hospice and the politics of spirituality.

Science.gov (United States)

Garces-Foley, Kathleen

2006-01-01

Within the hospice literature, spirituality and religion are usually defined in opposition to one another, with religion negatively associated with the external, authoritarian doctrines of Christianity and spirituality positively associated with the free search for truth, meaning, and authenticity. According to survey data, however, most Americans integrate spirituality and traditional religious commitments. The hospice literature is promoting spirituality to its own detriment by alienating potential patients and depriving religious patients of the resources that religious traditions and their affiliated religious communities have to offer.

Caregiving experiences predict changes in spiritual well-being among family caregivers of cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Rebecca N; Mosher, Catherine E; Cannady, Rachel S; Lucette, Aurelie; Kim, Youngmee

2014-10-01

Although enhanced spiritual well-being has been linked to positive mental health outcomes among family caregivers of cancer patients, little is known regarding predictors of spiritual well-being in this population. The current study aimed to examine caregiving experiences as predictors of change in family caregivers' spiritual well-being during the initial months following the patient's cancer diagnosis. Seventy family caregivers of newly diagnosed cancer patients (74% female, mean age = 59 years) participated in this longitudinal survey. Caregivers completed baseline questionnaires shortly before staying with the patient at an American Cancer Society Hope Lodge. Baseline questionnaires assessed caregiving experiences (i.e., self-esteem related to caregiving, family support for providing care, impact of caregiving on finances, and impact of caregiving on one's schedule). In addition, caregivers' spiritual well-being (i.e., meaning in life, peace, and faith) was assessed at baseline and 4-month follow-up. In univariate analyses, all caregiving experiences studied were associated with one or more aspects of spiritual well-being at 4-month follow-up. However, in the multivariate analysis, the only caregiving experience associated with aspects of spiritual well-being at 4-month follow-up was caregivers' perceptions of family support. Specifically, lack of family support was associated with lower levels of meaning and peace. Findings point to the importance of family support in facilitating the search for meaning and peace shortly after a loved one's cancer diagnosis and suggest that interventions targeting caregivers' support system may enhance their spiritual well-being. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Spiritual care may impact mental health and medication adherence in HIV+ populations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oji VU

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Valerie U Oji,1–3 Leslie C Hung,3 Reza Abbasgholizadeh,1,4 Flora Terrell Hamilton,5 E James Essien,6 Evaristus Nwulia7 1Lifefountain Center Ministries Inc, Houston, TX, USA; 2Feik School of Pharmacy, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX, USA; 3University of Texas, College of Pharmacy, Austin, TX, USA; 4University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA; 5Administration, Family & Medical Counseling Service, Inc. (FMCS, Washington, DC, USA; 6University of Houston Institute for Community Health, Houston, TX, USA; 7Psychiatry, Howard University Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA Objective: To explore a potential role for spirituality in medication-related needs assessment for integrated care in chronically ill populations. Method: A systematic literature review was conducted to explore the impact of faith beliefs on health and/or medication adherence in individuals with depression and/or HIV+/AIDS. Retrospective electronic medical record review of adult HIV+ patients of an urban primary care clinic with integrated mental health services was conducted, with Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Symptoms Screener (SAMISS, major depressive disorder (MDD incidence over the preceding year, and history of contact with a spiritual advisor. A convenience sample was interviewed to qualitatively assess potential medication therapy management needs and medication-related problems. Another sample was examined utilizing the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale. Results: The literature reports positive influence on health behaviors, coping and outcomes; and poor medication adherence and treatment decisions due to patient passivity or resistance. Spiritual advisor contact (not limited to a specific religion was significantly associated with MDD absence (1.7% vs. 15.3%, P<0.005 and inversely related to SAMISS, depression, and poor health behaviors. Patient interviews reflected significance of faith in terms of insight and acceptance of

Philosophical - Psychological 's Recognition of Concept of Spirituality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Solgi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In many of the contemporary writings, the scholars have talked about spirituality as a constant pursuit of humanity throughout history. Throughout history, the search for spirituality has found numerous cultural interpretations, but its critical and comparative study in the global and intercultural context is an emerging phenomenon of the twentieth century. Although many contemporary dictionaries and encyclopedias refer to spiritualism, spiritual associations, and spiritual experiences, or spiritual ways, they are not necessarily included an entry for spirituality in the true sense of the word. Some religions do not have a precise word for the term ‘spirituality’ which derives from the Christian tradition, but nevertheless the notion of spirituality has become popular today and is now used both inside and outside the religions as well as in the inter-faith and secular fields. The tendencies that are common in contemporary times to spirituality emphasize individuality and self-development and have been accompanied by a different understanding of human psychology.

Teaching spiritual care to nursing students:an integrated model.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Elizabeth Johnston; Testerman, Nancy; Hart, Dynnette

2014-01-01

Graduating nurses are required to know how to support patient spiritual well-being, yet there is scant literature about how spiritual care is taught in undergraduate programs. Typically spiritual content only is sporadically included; the authors recommend intergrating spiritual can thoughout the nursing curriculum. This article describes how one Christian nursing school integrates spiritual care content, supports student spiritual well-being throughout the program, and evaluates spiritual care instruction at graduation.

Development of assessment instruments to measure critical thinking skills

Science.gov (United States)

Sumarni, W.; Supardi, K. I.; Widiarti, N.

2018-04-01

Assessment instruments that is commonly used in the school generally have not been orientated on critical thinking skills. The purpose of this research is to develop assessment instruments to measure critical thinking skills, to test validity, reliability, and practicality. This type of research is Research and Development. There are two stages on the preface step, which are field study and literacy study. On the development steps, there some parts, which are 1) instrument construction, 2) expert validity, 3) limited scale tryout and 4) narrow scale try-out. The developed assessment instrument are analysis essay and problem solving. Instruments were declared valid, reliable and practical.

Arguments for a Spiritual Urbanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julio Bermudez

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The built environment may and should be utilized to address the extraordinary problems afflicting contemporary civilization. This speculation follows a fourfold logic. First, humanity is facing an unprecedented crisis in speed and scale. Second, a serious response demands a worldview depending on and advancing spirituality. Third, traditional faiths cannot effect the necessary spiritual shift at the pace or degree required. More intense and successful spiritual practices extracted from religions and scientifically validated offer better chances for wide deployment and therefore impact. Fourth, the built environment is well suited to induce and reinforce some of these ‘new’ spiritual practices given (a its shaping role in cultural affairs; (2 humanity being an urban phenomenon, and (3 the huge population growth of the next half century.

Spirituality and religion among HIV-infected individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Szaflarski, Magdalena

2013-12-01

Spirituality and religion are important to many people living with HIV (PLWH). Recent research has focused on special populations (ethnic-minorities, women, and youth), spirituality/religion measurement, mediating/moderating mechanisms, and individual and community-level interventions. Spirituality/religion in PLWH has been refined as a multidimensional phenomenon, which improves health/quality of life directly and through mediating factors (healthy behaviors, optimism, social support). Spirituality/religion helps people to cope with stressors, especially stigma/discrimination. Spiritual interventions utilizing the power of prayer and meditation and addressing spiritual struggle are under way. Faith-based community interventions have focused on stigma and could improve individual outcomes through access to spiritual/social support and care/treatment for PLWA. Community engagement is necessary to design/implement effective and sustainable programs. Future efforts should focus on vulnerable populations; utilize state-of-the-art methods (randomized clinical trials, community-based participatory research); and, address population-specific interventions at individual and community levels. Clinical and policy implications across geographic settings also need attention.

Psychometric Reanalysis of Happiness, Temperament, and Spirituality Scales with Children in Faith-Based Elementary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Cleveland, Richard E.

2014-01-01

This dissertation performed an investigation of the psychometric properties of six instruments used in the 2012 Happiness Project research study. The project revisited the 2010 study conducted by Holder, Coleman, and Wallace. Holder et al. (2010) investigated the relationships among variables relating to student happiness and spirituality while…

Spirituality in Contemporary Paradigms: An Integrative Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monir Ramezani

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background: As two of the most prominent cultural components, spirituality and religion give sense to our human values, conducts, and experiences. The spiritual dimension is one of the four significant aspects of holistic care. However, the diversity of views has resulted in different interpretations of the reality of spirituality and its origins and consequences. Aim: This study aimed to examine the available approaches and paradigms in the realm of spirituality. Method: In the present integrative review, the initial search was performed in national and international databases, including Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Sage, Medline, Wiley, SID, MagIran, IranMedex, and IranDoc, using the keyword, "spirituality", without considering any time limits. Articles relevant to the objectives of the study were then fully reviewed. Results: Since ancient times, spirituality has been sporadically discussed in human intellectual and artistic artifacts. This concept was expanded as an independent, systematic, and conscious movement since the second half of the 19th century in Europe, USA, and Canada. The three prominent approaches to spirituality include religious, secular, and holistic health perspectives. Implications for Practice: Despite the growing interest in research on spirituality, it is difficult to reach a unanimous decision about this concept. However, it should be noted that spiritual concerns cannot be disregarded, considering the holistic perspective to humanity as the building block of holistic nursing care. Overall, every patient is a unique human being whose spiritual needs are affected by his/her cultural beliefs and values.

Using Spiritual Intelligence to Transform Organisational Cultures

OpenAIRE

McGhee, Peter; Grant, Patricia

2017-01-01

Recently spirituality has become a viable topic of discussion for management scholars seeking a means to enhance work cultures and improve organisational effectiveness. However, the path from spirituality to transforming organisational culture is not immediately obvious. Fortunately,several authors have developed frameworks that provide connections. In particular, the notion of spiritual intelligence (SIhereafter) is helpful. This paper begins by describing spirituality and SI in the conte...

Mengembangkan Kecerdasan Spiritual Mahasiswa di Perguruan Tinggi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon M. Tampubolon

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The article discusses about how to develop spiritual intelligence of students in the college environment. This article describes pinciples of the application of the six ways of spiritual intelligence development into learning models, assignments, and campus life. The principles should be done by considering the meaning of the spiritual, developmental characteristics of students, and the characteristics of students’ spiritual development.  

Do you want some spiritual support? Different rates of positive response to chaplains' versus nurses' offer.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinuz, Marco; Dürst, Anne-Véronique; Faouzi, Mohamed; Pétremand, Daniel; Reichel, Virginie; Ortega, Barbara; Waeber, Gérard; Vollenweider, Peter

2013-01-01

Access to spiritual support appears to be important in the hospital setting. The offer of spiritual support can be done by different providers such as doctors, nurses or chaplains. Who should initiate or coordinate this spiritual care. This study addresses the following questions: 1) How many patients accept spiritual proposition? 2) What is the better mode of proposition? The study's objectives are the assessment and comparison of the rates of acceptance to an offer of spiritual support made by nurses and chaplains. Two hundred twenty-three consecutive hospitalized patients hospitalized received a proposal of spiritual support and were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. Results revealed that 85.8% of patients accepted the offer in the chaplains' group and 38.5% in the nurses' group. Acceptance of the offer of spiritual support was positively associated with the proposal being made by the chaplains by the frequency of meditation and age, and negatively related to physical well-being.

Religious Literacy or Spiritual Awareness? Comparative Critique of Andrew Wright's and David Hay's Approaches to Spiritual Education

Science.gov (United States)

Filipsone, Anta

2009-01-01

On the basis of a comparison of the educational approaches of Andrew Wright and David Hay this paper illustrates the persisting problem of dichotomising cognitive and trans-cognitive aspects of spiritual development and education. Even though both Wright and Hay speak of the same topic--spirituality and spiritual education--they define these terms…

Spiritual care perspectives of Danish Registered Nurses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Kirsten Haugaard; Turner, de Sales

2008-01-01

Spiritual care perspectives of Danish Nurses The purpose of this study was to explore how Danish registered nurses understand the phenomenon of spiritual care and how their understanding impacts on their interventions with their patients. Nurses are responsible for the provision of care which...... approach rooted in the philosophy of Gadamer was chosen as methodology. In-depth interviews were used as data collection tool, and six registered nurses who worked within hospital settings in Denmark were interviewed. The findings revealed that deep knowing of the patients were essential before nurses...... would engage in provision of spiritual care. The participants acknowledged that their understanding of spirituality influenced their provision of spiritual care, which was recognized as a challenge requiring the nurse’s initiative and courage. Spirituality was primarily understood as a patient’s private...

The effect of spiritual intelligence instruction on the increasing spiritual intelligence and two components in Maybod adult physical handicaps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L Movahedi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The purpose of this research was the effect of spiritual intelligence instruction on increasing spiritual intelligence’s Maybod adult handicaps in 2014. 28 female and male (7 men and 21 women adult handicaps participated in this research which was as done pretest quasi – experimental – intervention studing with control group. These people were chosen as purposeful sampling and set in two experimental and control group in equal numbers. After fulfilling pretest, two group were compared by T test and after ensuring of absence of significant difference between two group, In ten session (90 minutes, the experimental group were been taught spiritual intelligence and the control group didn’t have any teaching. Befor and after session, these two groups were been complete Abdollahzade spiritual intelligence test. The analysis of data did on one way covariance statistical analysis. The results showed the experimental group got significantly high scores in regard to control group of general spiritual intelligence, the underestsnding of the relation to universe sourceand spiritual life in emphasis of internal core. Regarding to findings, it results the spiritual intelligence instruction can on increase spiritual intelligence of handicaps.

The Effect of Music on the Spirituality of Patients: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarenga, Willyane de Andrade; Leite, Ana Carolina Andrade Biaggi; Oliveira, Marina Sanches; Nascimento, Lucila Castanheira; Silva-Rodrigues, Fernanda Machado; Nunes, Michelle Darezzo Rodrigues; Carvalho, Emilia Campos de

2018-06-01

Although some studies have suggested that music can positively affect physical and psychological variables, few have evaluated its effects on spirituality. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of musical interventions on the spirituality of patients, regardless of diagnoses. This was a systematic literature review that followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations conducted through a relevant search of terms in six databases (PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, and LILACS) without temporal delimitation. Experimental or quasi-experimental studies were included, involving participants regardless of diagnoses, to assess the effect of music on spirituality, either through musical intervention as music medicine or through music therapy. The methodological quality of included studies was evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. A total of 147 studies were identified; 7 met the inclusion criteria. Five studies were randomized controlled trials involving six music therapists leading the musical intervention with the active participation of patients. The interventions used were heterogeneous. Three studies were associated with improved spirituality after the intervention. Four studies used measurements to evaluate spiritual well-being. This review did not allow ascertaining the positive impact of music intervention on spirituality in patients, which motivates further research.

Nurse Religiosity and Spiritual Care: An Online Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Elizabeth Johnston; Gober-Park, Carla; Schoonover-Shoffner, Kathy; Mamier, Iris; Somaiya, Chintan K; Bahjri, Khaled

2017-08-01

This study measured the frequency of nurse-provided spiritual care and how it is associated with various facets of nurse religiosity. Data were collected using an online survey accessed from the home page of the Journal of Christian Nursing. The survey included the Nurse Spiritual Care Therapeutics Scale, six scales quantifying facets of religiosity, and demographic and work-related items. Respondents ( N = 358) indicated high religiosity yet reported neutral responses to items about sharing personal beliefs and tentativeness of belief. Findings suggested spiritual care was infrequent. Multivariate analysis showed prayer frequency, employer support of spiritual care, and non-White ethnicity were significantly associated with spiritual care frequency (adjusted R 2 = .10). Results not only provide an indication of spiritual care frequency but empirical encouragement for nurse managers to provide a supportive environment for spiritual care. Findings expose the reality that nurse religiosity is directly related, albeit weakly, to spiritual care frequency.

Assessment of the relationship between spiritual and social health and the self-care ability of elderly people referred to community health centers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahboobeh Mohammadi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Promotion of self-care ability among older people is an essential means to help maintain and improve their health. However, the role of spiritual and social health has not yet been considered in detail in the context of self-care ability among elderly. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between spiritual and social health and self-care ability of older people referred to community health centers in Isfahan. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional correlation study, 200 people, aged 60 years and older, referred to healthcare centers in 2016 were recruited through convenience sampling method. Data were collected by four-part tool comprising of: (a demographics, (b Ellison and Palotzin's spiritual well-being scale, (c Kees's “social health” scale, and (d self-care ability scale for the elderly by Soderhamn's; data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential (independent t-test, analysis of variance – ANOVA, Pearson's coefficient tests, and multiple regression analysis statistics by SPSS16 software. Results: Findings showed that the entered predictor variables were accounted for 41% of total variance (R2 of the two self-care ability in the model (p < 0.001, F3, 199 = 46.02. Two out of the three predictor variables including religious well-being and social health, significantly predicted the self-care ability of older people. Conclusions: The results of this study emphasized on the relationship between spiritual and social health of the elderly people and their ability to self-care. Therefore, it would be recommended to keep the focus of the service resources towards improving social and spiritual health to improve self-care ability in elderly people.

Spiritual gifts for biblical church growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian A. DeVries

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This article examines the use of spiritual gifts for church growth, particularly in relation to the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. The article begins with a definition of spiritual gifts and by highlighting their purpose for growing the church. This is followed by two practical considerations: How should Christian believers use spiritual gifts for church growth, and how should church leaders motivate gift use for this purpose? Since the Holy Spirit works though believers to build up the body of Christ, advocates of biblical church growth should seek to employ his means to motivate spiritual giftedness in the church.

Relationship Between Spiritual Well-Being and Self-Management Among Iranian People With Multiple Sclerosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zarei

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background Self-management is the cornerstone for controlling multiple sclerosis. As one’s sense of meaning in life and his/her relationship with a higher power, spiritual well-being is an important coping resource in some chronic diseases. However, little is known about the role of spiritual well-being in self-management of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Objectives This study was aimed to assess the relationship between spiritual well-being and self-management among Iranian people with multiple sclerosis. Patients and Methods Two hundred ninety-one people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis belonging to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Mashhad, Iran, participated in this cross-sectional analytical study conducted in 2014. Demographic information was collected by using a demographic form. The multiple sclerosis self-management scale-revised (2011, developed by Bishop and Frain, was used to evaluate self-management of multiple sclerosis symptoms. Spiritual well-being of participants was assessed by using the spiritual well-being questionnaire developed by Paloutzian and Ellison in 1983. Descriptive statistic and inferential statistical methods including Pearson and Spearman’s coefficient, stepwise multiple regression, independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, one-way ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis test were employed by using SPSS, version 16.0. The significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results Overall, the participants reported moderate levels of self-management and spiritual well-being as recorded on the multiple sclerosis self-management scale-revised and the spiritual well-being questionnaire. There was a significant correlation between the participants’ spiritual well-being and self-management scores (r = 0.59, P < 0.001. Furthermore, participants’ self-management was significantly correlated with existential health (r = 0.52, P < 0.001 and religious health (r = 0.57, P < 0.001. Finally, 40% of the variance of self

Pancreatitis Quality of Life Instrument: Development of a new instrument

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wahid Wassef

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The goal of this project was to develop the first disease-specific instrument for the evaluation of quality of life in chronic pancreatitis. Methods: Focus groups and interview sessions were conducted, with chronic pancreatitis patients, to identify items felt to impact quality of life which were subsequently formatted into a paper-and-pencil instrument. This instrument was used to conduct an online survey by an expert panel of pancreatologists to evaluate its content validity. Finally, the modified instrument was presented to patients during precognitive testing interviews to evaluate its clarity and appropriateness. Results: In total, 10 patients were enrolled in the focus groups and interview sessions where they identified 50 items. Once redundant items were removed, the 40 remaining items were made into a paper-and-pencil instrument referred to as the Pancreatitis Quality of Life Instrument. Through the processes of content validation and precognitive testing, the number of items in the instrument was reduced to 24. Conclusions: This marks the development of the first disease-specific instrument to evaluate quality of life in chronic pancreatitis. It includes unique features not found in generic instruments (economic factors, stigma, and spiritual factors. Although this marks a giant step forward, psychometric evaluation is still needed prior to its clinical use.

Spiritual Transcendence and Psychological Adjustment: The Moderating Role of Personality in Burn Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Jibeen, Tahira; Mahfooz, Musferah; Fatima, Shamem

2017-08-30

The current study examined the moderating role of personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion) on the relationship between spiritual transcendence and positive change, and spiritual transcendence and distress in burn patients. The sample (N = 98) comprised adult burn patients (age = 25-50) admitted to three hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. They were assessed according to a demographic information sheet, the NEO Personality Inventory (McCrae and Costa in J Personal Soc Psychol 52:81-90, 1987), the Spiritual Transcendence Index (Seidlitz et al. in J Sci Study Relig 41:439-453, 2002), the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales-21 (Lovibond and Lovibond in Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress scales, Psychology Foundation, Sydney, 1995), and the Perceived Benefit Scales (McMillen and Fisher in Soc Work Res 22(3):173-186, 1998). Stepwise moderated regression analysis showed that both personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion) played a moderating role in the relationship between spiritual transcendence and positive change, and spiritual transcendence and distress in burn patients. The findings highlight the potential role spiritual transcendence may have in understanding and improving the psychological adjustment of burn patients.

Psychometric testing of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale-Mandarin version in Taiwanese cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Woung-Ru; Kao, Chen-Yi

2017-06-01

The spiritual well-being of terminally ill cancer patients is an important indicator of the quality of their lives and of the quality of hospice care, but no validated tools are available for assessing this indicator in Taiwan. The present cross-sectional study validated the Spiritual Well-Being Scale-Mandarin version (SWBS-M) by testing its psychometric properties in 243 cancer patients from five teaching hospitals throughout Taiwan. Construct validity was tested by factor analysis and hypothesis testing. Patients' spiritual well-being and quality of life were assessed using the SWBS-M and the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQoL), respectively. Overall, the SWBS-M had an internal consistency/reliability of 0.89. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the SWBS-M had an underlying two-factor structure, explaining 46.94% of the variance. SWBS-M scores correlated moderately with MQoL scores (r = 0.48, p spiritual well-being was inversely related to their average pain level during the previous 24 hours (r = -0.183, p = 0.006). Cancer patients' spiritual well-being also differed significantly with their experience of pain (t = -3.67, p spiritual well-being than those without pain. Our findings support a two-factor model for the SWBS-M in terminally ill Taiwanese cancer patients. We recommend testing the psychometric properties of the SWBS-M in different patient populations to verify its factorial structure in other Asian countries.

Identifying the relationship between spiritual quotient and mental health in the students of Lorestan university of medical sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

sharareh khodabakhshi

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background: In recent years, the students' mental health has attracted a lot of attention. Many factors effect on the mental health. Nowadays, spirituality is considered as one of the important aspects of the humanistic action, which has a permanent relation with health and recovery, so the main goal of this investigation is to identify the relationship between spiritual Quotient and mental health of the students of Lorestan university of medical sciences. Materials and Methods: The descriptive correlation method was applied in this investigation. The statistical population of this research consistsed of all the students (2238 of Lorestan university of medical sciences. Cochran's formula was used to determine the sample size, and 330 students were selected by the arbitrary relative categorized method. The instruments for data gathering were Goldberg's GHa-23 (1972 and spiritual intelligence of Badie et al. The instruments credit was measured through content validty and the reliability of the questionnaires using Cronbach's alpha method. Besides the indexes of the descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation, inferential statistics tests such as Pearson's coefficient correlation and multiple regression analysis and independent T test were utilized to analyze the data and testing the research hypothesizes. Results: The results showed that there is a positive relationship between spiritual quotient and the dimensions of the mental health (community orientation and moral dimension. "The ability to confront and deal with the problem", "moral virtues", "self-consciousness, love and interest". The dimension of "self-consciousness, love and interest" and "community orientation" have a significant role in predicting the mental health. Conclusion: Spiritual quotient has a positive influence on the individuals' mental health. The results show that people with a moral life are more healthy from the viewpoint of phycology.

Spiritual Needs of Patients with Chronic Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harold G. Koenig

2010-11-01

Full Text Available For many patients confronted with chronic diseases, spirituality/religiosity is an important resource for coping. Patients often report unmet spiritual and existential needs, and spiritual support is also associated with better quality of life. Caring for spiritual, existential and psychosocial needs is not only relevant to patients at the end of their life but also to those suffering from long-term chronic illnesses. Spiritual needs may not always be associated with life satisfaction, but sometimes with anxiety, and can be interpreted as the patients’ longing for spiritual well-being. The needs for peace, health and social support are universal human needs and are of special importance to patients with long lasting courses of disease. The factor, Actively Giving, may be of particular importance because it can be interpreted as patients’ intention to leave the role of a `passive sufferer´ to become an active, self-actualizing, giving individual. One can identify four core dimensions of spiritual needs, i.e., Connection, Peace, Meaning/Purpose, and Transcendence, which can be attributed to underlying psychosocial, emotional, existential, and religious needs. The proposed model can provide a conceptual framework for further research and clinical practice. In fact, health care that addresses patients’ physical, emotional, social, existential and spiritual needs (referring to a bio-psychosocial-spiritual model of health care will contribute to patients’ improvement and recovery. Nevertheless, there are several barriers in the health care system that makes it difficult to adequately address these needs.

Spiritual practices of taoism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yulia L. Butko

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In the article the spiritual practices of Taoism. Established that the spiritual path in Taoism is the main ultimate goal - achieving eternal, indestructible personality transformation through meditation and the reduction of lower mental strength to their upper classes. To achieve this, the Taoist practices, special practices that include, along with the meditative contemplation technique classes and various gymnastics, breathing exercises and the like, and (for a significant period of its history - Laboratory (“foreign” alchemy. Among the spiritual practices of Taoism is the main meditation that has little to do with certain external techniques. Taoist meditation leads people to unity, the only person that connects with the cosmos and society. The author concluded that the path of self-improvement Taoist, under the guidance of a teacher, is a series of distinct stages, gaining purely individual instruction. Spiritual practices like Taoist, were widely known in other religious and philosophical systems. However, the semantics of Taoist practices are significantly different, as well as their function in the structure of religious practices in general.

Faith and Belief, Importance, Community, Address in Care spiritual history tool by C. M. Puchalski as an instrument for an interdisciplinary team in patient car

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krakowiak Piotr

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Being aware of the tradition of research on spirituality in theology and the existence of detailed publications and research concerning psychology of religion and religiosity in psychology as well as other sciences in Poland, the authors propose the recognition and adaptation of the FICA tool for spirituality research. The belief in the importance of deepening the knowledge and providing tools to research spirituality of human existence results from a long practice of the authors in palliative and hospital care. Understanding a difficulty in operationalizing the category of spirituality, they attempted at searching for a method that would be applicable to persons at the end of their lives as well as to all the suffering. Having analyzed the research tools built by Polish science as well as available ones on religiosity and spirituality the following paper aims at presenting the unknown FICA tool (F – Faith and Believe, I – Importance, C – Community, A – Address in Care in Poland by Prof. Dr. Christina M. Puchalski, USA, being adapted to Polish practice. The tool presented allows for the evaluation of spiritual experience of persons taken medical and social care of by every member of multidisciplinary team of professionals. Since the FICA tool is a qualitative scale it does not need a normalization and standardization methodology. However, a cultural adaptation is crucial in order to make the practical tool become help in answering spiritual and existential questions posed by patients to workers and voluntaries engaged in the process of Care.

Spiritual disclosure between older adolescents and their mothers.

Science.gov (United States)

Brelsford, Gina M; Mahoney, Annette

2008-02-01

This study examines the role of spiritual disclosure within older adolescent-mother relationships. Spiritual disclosure is defined as mutual disclosure of personal religious and spiritual beliefs and practices. Three hundred 18- to 20-year-old college students and 130 of their mothers reported on spiritual disclosure in their relationships. According to both parties, greater spiritual disclosure was related to higher relationship satisfaction, greater use of collaborative conflict resolution strategies, less dysfunctional communication patterns, less verbal aggression, and increased general disclosure in mother-adolescent relationships beyond global religiousness and demographics. Spiritual disclosure also predicted unique variance in collaborative conflict resolution strategies beyond these factors and general disclosure. The findings underscore the value of attending to the interpersonal dimension of religion/spirituality. More specifically, the results suggest that spiritual disclosure is an indicator of relationship quality, one that is tied to better relationship functioning, and one that merits further attention in studies of family dynamics.

Cultural and spiritual considerations in palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Carol O

2011-10-01

Culture is a fundamental part of one's being. Spirituality is integrated with culture and both play a significant role in a person's journey through life. Yet, culture and spirituality are often misunderstood and may not seem to be important in healthcare settings. For adults with cancer and their families, this cannot be ignored. This paper reviews The Purnell Model of Cultural Competence as a framework for considering culture and spirituality in healthcare and discusses the importance of acknowledging and incorporating practices that support culture and spirituality in healthcare settings. Examples of how to include cultural and spiritual care in palliative and end-of-life care in healthcare settings are provided.

Introduction: The effectiveness of impact assessment instruments

OpenAIRE

Cashmore, M; Bond, A; Sadler, B

2009-01-01

The global application of impact assessment instruments to achieve a variety of policy integration goals (e.g. the mainstreaming of environmental, gender or economic efficiency concerns) continues to proliferate. These instruments represent important components of contemporary political governance and hence are an important locus for applied research. This special issue of Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal critically examines 'state-of-the-art' knowledge and understanding of the effecti...

Spirituality as a Positive Youth Development Construct: A Conceptual Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel T. L. Shek

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The concept of spirituality as a positive youth development construct is reviewed in this paper. Both broad and narrow definitions of spirituality are examined and a working definition of spirituality is proposed. Regarding theories of spirituality, different models pertinent to spiritual development and the relationship between spirituality and positive youth development are highlighted. Different ecological factors, particularly family and peer influences, were found to influence spirituality. Research on the influence of spirituality on adolescent developmental outcomes is examined. Finally, ways to promote adolescent spirituality are discussed.

The Factor Structure of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale in Veterans Experienced Chemical Weapon Exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharif Nia, Hamid; Pahlevan Sharif, Saeed; Boyle, Christopher; Yaghoobzadeh, Ameneh; Tahmasbi, Bahram; Rassool, G Hussein; Taebei, Mozhgan; Soleimani, Mohammad Ali

2018-04-01

This study aimed to determine the factor structure of the spiritual well-being among a sample of the Iranian veterans. In this methodological research, 211 male veterans of Iran-Iraq warfare completed the Paloutzian and Ellison spiritual well-being scale. Maximum likelihood (ML) with oblique rotation was used to assess domain structure of the spiritual well-being. The construct validity of the scale was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Reliability was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha, Theta (θ), and McDonald Omega (Ω) coefficients, intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), and construct reliability (CR). Results of ML and CFA suggested three factors which were labeled "relationship with God," "belief in fate and destiny," and "life optimism." The ICC, coefficients of the internal consistency, and CR were >.7 for the factors of the scale. Convergent validity and discriminant validity did not fulfill the requirements. The Persian version of spiritual well-being scale demonstrated suitable validity and reliability among the veterans of Iran-Iraq warfare.

Spirituality for democracy and social cohesion versus the spirituality of money

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulrich Duchrow

2014-08-01

Full Text Available We live in a life-killing global system, and thus, we are called by our own biblical basis � re-read in the spirit of other than Western traditions � to search for life-giving alternatives and to develop democracy accordingly. However, this is not a geographical exercise. We cannot count on South Africa as a place where Ubuntu is practiced or on South Korea living in communities according to Sangsaeng. The reason is that Western civilisation, with its own spirituality, has permeated all corners of the earth. My thesis is that this is the spirituality of money; biblically speaking, of Mammon. Before we can talk about a spirituality for democracy and social cohesion, we need to address the spirituality of the status quo in order to understand what the alternative could be. The issue gets complicated by the new insight that Western civilisation has deep roots in history; in fact a history of almost 3000 years. Only by looking at this history can we really understand how money did not only change socio-economic and political structures but also hearts, minds and the spirituality of people.Intradisciplinary and/or�interdisciplinary�implications: This article challenges the normal Western assumption that democracy is but a political issue of voting every 4 or 5 years. Instead it shows that real democracy is linked to economic and social justice, as well as to deep cultural and spiritual roots. Authors should carefully identify the contextual perspective they challenge, identifying the potential results of the proposed research and whether it calls for a change in traditional discourse as well as whether such a change is possible. Key insights into the research results and its future function should be revealed.Today we are faced with life-killing civilization, manifested in economic injustice, ecological destruction, the threat of Empire, and the escalation of religious conflicts. This compels us to urgently explore the possibility of life

High spirituality may be associated with right hemispheric lateralization in Korean adults living with epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sang-Ahm; Ko, Myung-Ah; Choi, Eun-Ju; Jeon, Ji-Ye; Ryu, Han Uk

2017-11-01

Although it is known that epilepsy and spirituality are related, spirituality in epilepsy has received relatively little clinical and scientific attention. Therefore, we investigated which epilepsy-related factors are associated with high spirituality in Korean adults living with epilepsy. This cross-sectional study was conducted in two university hospitals in Korea. Spirituality was assessed using the 6-item Spirituality Self-Rating Scale (SSRS). The participants were categorized into high and low spirituality groups according to the median SSRS score. The presumptive seizure onset zone was determined based on the clinical semiology, electroencephalography, and magnetic resonance imaging findings. Of the 180 participants, 61.7% declared that they had a religious affiliation. The median SSRS score was 15 (interquartile range: 7, 22). The high spirituality subgroup consisted of 92 (51.1%) participants. In the univariate analyses, the high spirituality group was significantly associated with female sex (p<0.05), older age (p<0.01), longer epilepsy duration (p<0.05), polytherapy (p<0.05), complex partial seizure (p<0.05), levetiracetam or topiramate usage (p<0.05), and a right-lateralized seizure onset zone. The multiple logistic regression analysis identified right hemispheric lateralization as the only independent factor associated with high spirituality (odds ratio: 2.410, 95% confidence interval: 1.051-5.528, p<0.05). High spirituality may be associated with right hemispheric lateralization but not with the temporal localization of the seizure onset zone in Korean adults with epilepsy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of Spiritual Group Therapy on Quality of Life and Spiritual Well-Being among Patients with Breast Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sakineh Zamaniyan

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Cancer is deemed the century’s major health problem, and its increasing growth during the last decades has made experts concerned more than ever. Of all types of cancer, breast cancer is regarded as the second most common disease among women. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of spiritual group therapy on quality of life and spiritual well-being among patients suffering from breast cancer. The present research was carried out between March and June 2011. The sample consisted of 24 participants randomly assigned to 2 groups: an experimental group (n, 12 and a control group (n, 12. All the subjects completed questionnaires on quality of life and spiritual well-being in pretest and posttest. The experimental group received 12 sessions of spiritual group therapy. The results demonstrated improvement in quality of life and spiritual well-being in the experimental group. In conclusion, spiritual group therapy can be used to improve quality of life and spiritual well-being (religious health and existential health among patients with breast cancer.

Effects of a spiritual care training for nurses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vlasblom, J.P.; Steen, van der J.T.; Knol, D.L.; Jochemsen, H.

2011-01-01

Despite the fact that spiritual care is an essential part of nursing care according to many nursing definitions, it appears to be quite different in practice. A spirituality training for nurses may be necessary to give spiritual care the attention it deserves. In a trial a pre-tested “spirituality

Existential Well-Being Spirituality or Well-Being?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visser, Anja; Garssen, Bert; Vingerhoets, Ad J. J. M.

Measures of spirituality often contain the dimension existential well-being (EWB). However, EWB has been found to overlap with emotional and psychological well-being. Using the Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List (SAIL), we have further investigated the overlap between aspects of spirituality

Relationships between breath ratios, spirituality and health ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this retrospective, quantitative study was to investigate relationships between breath ratios, spirituality perceptions and health perceptions, with special reference to breath ratios that best predict optimal health and spirituality. Significant negative correlations were found between breath ratios and spirituality ...

Spirituality in the Treatment of Drug Addictions

OpenAIRE

ZAHRADNÍKOVÁ, Kateřina

2015-01-01

The thesis deals with the spirituality of a drug addiction therapy. The first chapter classifies drugs and characterizes drug addictions and their therapies. To clear up the context and point of view, the second chapter explains the meaning of spirituality in relation to its development. First, it intorduces the ancient spirituality, based on heatheninsmas, a meaning of Sanctity in relation to our ethnic origin. Further on, it pictures the Christian spirituality with its practical aspects. Ne...

Assessment of Work Performance (AWP)--development of an instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandqvist, Jan L; Törnquist, Kristina B; Henriksson, Chris M

2006-01-01

Adequate work assessments are a matter of importance both for individuals and society [5,29,31,38,40,46,52]. However, there is a lack of adequate and reliable instruments for use in work rehabilitation [14,15,20,21,31,44]. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an observation instrument for assessing work performance, the AWP (Assessment of Work Performance). The purpose of the 14-item instrument is to assess the individual's observable working skills in three different areas: motor skills, process skills, and communication and interaction skills. This article describes the development and results of preliminary testing of the AWP. The testing indicates a satisfactory face validity and utility for the AWP and supports further research and testing of the instrument.

A Qur’anic Framework for Spiritual Intelligence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benaouda Bensaid

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the perspective of the Qur’an on spiritual intelligence in an attempt to understand its foundations, meaning and nature, as well as derive its indicators, in an effort to develop a competency-based criterion for it. This paper draws on some illustrations that effectively highlight the Qur’anic perspective on the subject of spiritual intelligence. The paper concludes that spiritual intelligence developed in accordance with a Qur’anic framework that incorporates spiritual consciousness into a system of belief, worship, morality and social responsibility. The understanding of the Qur’anic perspective helps uncover some of the broad underlying theoretical principles and values of Islamic spiritual intelligence which shapes much of Muslim spiritual undertaking with relation to a wider spectrum of interaction with faith-groups and society; effectively developing more inclusive models of evaluation and capacity-building in contemporary multi-religious societies.

Hidden Treasures in Theological Education: The Writing Tutor, the Spiritual Director, and Practices of Academic and Spiritual Mentoring

Science.gov (United States)

Yaghjian, Lucretia B.

2013-01-01

Mentoring is an important but often overlooked resource in theological education and students' academic and spiritual formation. This essay profiles the mentoring practices and postures of the writing tutor and the spiritual director as exemplars of academic and spiritual mentoring. An extended probe of this analogy affirms the integration of…

Nurses' Experiences of Spiritual Communication with Seriously III Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrell, Betty; Wittenberg, Elaine; Battista, Vanessa; Walker, Gay

2016-11-01

The goal of this study was to explore nurse experiences in communication with children about spiritual topics in order to develop training in this area. Although spiritual care is essential in pediatric palliative care, few providers receive training about communication with ill children about spirituality. Researchers developed a brief survey to prompt nurses to reflect on pediatric palliative care experiences that included spiritual discussions. Nurses attending training courses voluntarily submitted stories. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed by members of the research team, consisting of two researchers with expertise in palliative care, spirituality, and communication and two expert pediatric palliative care clinicians. Nurses' spiritual conversations with children revealed that children question God and the reason for their illness, have a desire to talk about the afterlife as a way of understanding their limited lifespan, and to share descriptions of an afterlife, in these cases described as heaven. Nurses conveyed the importance of being present and engaging in spiritual communication with children. Communication training is needed and should prepare providers to respond to a child's spiritual questioning, assist parents when the child initiates discussion about the afterlife, and help parent and child understand the spiritual meaning of their illness. Chaplains serve as spiritual care experts and can help train nurses to screen for spiritual distress, have greater competence in spiritual communication, and to collaborate with chaplains in care. Quality palliative care is incomplete without attention to spiritual care.

Treading lightly: spirituality issues in mental health nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilding, Clare; Muir-Cochrane, Eimear; May, Esther

2006-06-01

Spirituality has been recognized as an important part of nursing practice since its early beginnings. However, debate continues about whether and how nurses and other mental health professionals should include spirituality within their daily work. This paper aims to contribute to the discussion of spirituality within mental health nursing, through considering findings from a Heideggerian phenomenological study conducted with six people with mental illness living in regional Australia. This study aimed to provide a greater understanding of the phenomenon of spirituality by answering a primary research question, 'What does spirituality mean for people with a mental illness?' Participants were interviewed and data analysed using an iterative approach. Findings emerged through multiple readings and meanings were gradually constructed from the data into themes. The themes describe that spirituality is experienced uniquely for the participants, and that spirituality became vitally important to them when they became mentally unwell. In addition, issues of interest to mental health nurses were raised but not completely addressed by the study. The issues relate to potential interactions about spirituality between nurses and their patients. Although participants wanted to discuss their experiences of spirituality with others, they raised concerns about whether their mental health care providers would be accepting of their beliefs. Spirituality was deemed to be a highly individual phenomenon; it could be experienced as a journey and it was life-sustaining. For these reasons, it is proposed that mental health professionals must be prepared to discuss patients' spiritual needs in the context of their health concerns.

Hope and spirituality among patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis: a correlational study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Carolina Ottaviani

2014-04-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: to analyze the relationship between the hope and spirituality of patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis.METHOD: this is a cross-sectional, correlational study. The sample was composed of 127 patients of a Renal Replacement Unit. Data were collected through individual interviews guided by the following instruments: participant characterization, Herth Hope Index (HHI, and Pinto Pais-Ribeiro Spirituality Scale (PP-RSS.RESULTS: the average HHI score was 38.06 (±4.32 while the average PP-RSS score was 3.67 (±0.62 for "beliefs" and 3.21 (±0.53 for "hope/optimism". Spearman's coefficient indicated there was a moderate positive correlation between the HHI and PP-RSS dimensions of "beliefs" (r=0.430; p<0.001 and "hope/optimism" (r=0.376; p<0.001.CONCLUSION: Since a relationship between the sense of hope and spirituality of patients with chronic kidney disease was found, these constructs should be taken into account at the time health professionals deliver care to help patients coping with the disease and treatment.

Correlation of burnout syndrome with specific coping strategies, behaviors, and spiritual attitudes among interns at Yale University, New Haven, USA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin R. Doolittle

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose: This study aimed to determine the correlation of burnout syndrome with specific coping strategies, behaviors, and spiritual attitudes among interns in internal medicine, primary care, and internal medicine/pediatrics residency programs at two institutions. Methods: Intern physicians completed anonymous voluntary surveys prior to starting the internship in June 2009 and in the middle of the internship in February 2010. Three validated survey instruments were used to explore burnout, coping, and spiritual attitudes: the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the COPE Inventory, and the Hatch Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale. The interns were in programs at the Yale University School of Medicine and a Yale-affiliated community hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Results: The prevalence of self-identified burnout prior to starting the internship was 1/66 (1.5% in June 2009, increasing to 10/53 (18.9% in February 2010 (P<0.0001. From June 2009 to February 2010, the prevalence of high emotional exhaustion increased from 30/66 (45.5% to 45/53 (84.9% (P<0.0001, and that of high depersonalization increased from 42/66 (63.6% to 45/53 (84.9% (P=0.01. Interns who employed the strategies of acceptance and active coping were less likely to experience emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (P<0.05. Perceptions of high personal accomplishment was 75.5% and was positively correlated with total scores on the Hatch Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale, as well as the internal/fluid and existential/meditative domains of that instrument. Specific behaviors did not impact burnout. Conclusion: Burnout increased during the intern year. Acceptance, active coping, and spirituality were correlated with less burnout. Specific behaviors were not correlated with burnout domains.

Correlation of burnout syndrome with specific coping strategies, behaviors, and spiritual attitudes among interns at Yale University, New Haven, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Doolittle, Benjamin R; Windish, Donna M

2015-01-01

This study aimed to determine the correlation of burnout syndrome with specific coping strategies, behaviors, and spiritual attitudes among interns in internal medicine, primary care, and internal medicine/pediatrics residency programs at two institutions. Intern physicians completed anonymous voluntary surveys prior to starting the internship in June 2009 and in the middle of the internship in February 2010. Three validated survey instruments were used to explore burnout, coping, and spiritual attitudes: the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the COPE Inventory, and the Hatch Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale. The interns were in programs at the Yale University School of Medicine and a Yale-affiliated community hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. The prevalence of self-identified burnout prior to starting the internship was 1/66 (1.5%) in June 2009, increasing to 10/53 (18.9%) in February 2010 (P<0.0001). From June 2009 to February 2010, the prevalence of high emotional exhaustion increased from 30/66 (45.5%) to 45/53 (84.9%) (P<0.0001), and that of high depersonalization increased from 42/66 (63.6%) to 45/53 (84.9%) (P=0.01). Interns who employed the strategies of acceptance and active coping were less likely to experience emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (P<0.05). Perceptions of high personal accomplishment was 75.5% and was positively correlated with total scores on the Hatch Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale, as well as the internal/fluid and existential/meditative domains of that instrument. Specific behaviors did not impact burnout. Burnout increased during the intern year. Acceptance, active coping, and spirituality were correlated with less burnout. Specific behaviors were not correlated with burnout domains.

Positive Impact of Art as a Communication Instrument on Economical Productivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sedat Cereci

2013-08-01

Full Text Available There are many factors that affect economical productivity like climate, or like raw materials or like international relationships or like physchology of employers. Professional organisations or companies use different instruments to increase producticity on economy. Spiritual conditions of employers and employees are especially regarded for economical productivity recently. Though economy is mostly a concrete area, main component of economy is human and human need spiritual support and impacts in his life. It is known that spiritual support always feed human and provide him much energy. Employers or companies who are interested in art and who participate in artistic activities become more productive than others and attract people to their productions.

Emotional and Spiritual Quotient Approach Improve Biology Education Students’ Acceptance of Evolution Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Darussyamsu, R.; Fadilah, M.; Putri, D. H.

2018-04-01

Emotional and spiritual aspect is one of main factors that influence students’ acceptance of a theory. This study aim to measure university students’ acceptance of evolution by learns evolution using emotional and spiritual quotient (ESQ) approach. This is a quasi-experimental research using one shot case study design with the subject 36 biology educational students at Biology Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Negeri Padang. Data collected using the MATE instrument by Rutledge and Warden (2000) after the students learn evolution for eight meetings since January until March 2017. The result showed that by learning evolution theory combine with ESQ aspects increase students acceptance from very low become moderate acceptance. It concluded that ESQ aspects can improve students’ acceptance of evolution. Any criteria depend on it are discussed.

Development of the Sources of Spirituality Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Don E; Rice, Kenneth; Hook, Joshua N; Van Tongeren, Daryl R; DeBlaere, Cirleen; Choe, Elise; Worthington, Everett L

2015-07-01

Most measures of spirituality privilege religious spirituality, but people may experience spirituality in a variety of ways, including a sense of closeness, oneness, or connection with a theistic being, the transcendent (i.e., something outside space and time), oneself, humanity, or nature. The overall purpose of the present 4 studies was to develop the Sources of Spirituality (SOS) Scale to measure these different elements of spirituality. In Study 1, we created items, had them reviewed by experts, and used data from a sample of undergraduates (N = 218) to evaluate factor structure and inform initial measurement revisions. The factor structure replicated well in another sample of undergraduates (N = 200; Study 2), and in a sample of community adults (N = 140; Study 3). In a sample of undergraduates (N = 200; Study 4), we then evaluated evidence of construct validity by examining associations between SOS Scale scores and religious commitment, positive attitudes toward the Sacred, and dispositional connection with nature. Moreover, based on latent profile analyses results, we found 5 distinct patterns of spirituality based on SOS subscales. We consider implications for therapy and relevance of the findings for models of spirituality and future research. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of the effect of Spiritual care on patients with generalized anxiety and depression: a randomized controlled study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sankhe, A; Dalal, K; Save, D; Sarve, P

2017-12-01

The present study was conducted to assess the effect of spiritual care in patients with depression, anxiety or both in a randomized controlled design. The participants were randomized either to receive spiritual care or not and Hamilton anxiety rating scale-A (HAM-A), Hamilton depression rating scale-D (HAM-D), WHO-quality of life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) and Functional assessment of chronic illness therapy - Spiritual well-being (FACIT-Sp) were assessed before therapy and two follow-ups at 3 and 6 week. However, with regard to the spiritual care therapy group, statistically significant differences were observed in both HAM-A and HAM-D scales between the baseline and visit 2 (p scales during the follow-up periods for the control group of participants. When the scores were compared between the study groups, HAM-A, HAM-D and FACIT-Sp 12 scores were significantly lower in the interventional group as compared to the control group at both third and sixth weeks. This suggests a significant improvement in symptoms of anxiety and depression in the spiritual care therapy group than the control group; however, large randomized controlled trials with robust design are needed to confirm the same.

Influence of Spirituality and Religion on Adherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in Adult HIV/AIDS Patients in Calabar, Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agam Ebaji Ayuk

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The emergence of a chronic medical illness such as Human Immune Deficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS may be the time when people turn to the Sacred through spirituality and religion. HIV is a chronic illness that requires strict adherence to medication regimens that may be influenced by spirituality/religion. This study was aimed at finding the association between spirituality/religion and adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART in adult HIV/AIDS patients. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study of 370 patients. Adherence was measured using an adapted adult AIDS clinical trial group (AACTG and visual analogue scale (VAS tools. Spirituality was assessed using Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spirituality Expanded (FACIT-Sp-Ex scale, religiosity with Duke University Religion index (DUREL, and religious coping with Brief Religious Coping (RCOPE scale. Adherence rates were 86.2 and 43.8% using AACTG and VAS tools, respectively. Statistical significant correlation was found between spirituality and adherence to HAART (r = 0.265; p = 0.00. Also, significant correlation was found between positive religious coping and adherence (r = 0.15, p = 0.003. Odds ratio indicated that female respondents were 1.6 times more likely to be adherent, compared with males. Similarly, every unit rise in spirituality score yielded a 1.3 times increased likelihood of adherence to HAART on multiple logistic regression of adherence to HAART with relevant predictors. Both spirituality and positive religious coping have positive influence on optimal adherence. Therefore, the training of health care personnel to assess and provide spiritual care and involvement of chaplains/religious leaders is advocated for improved adherence.

EARLY READING ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS: ABILITIES AND PROCESSES INVOLVED

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Cláudia de Souza

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the following early reading assessment instruments: “Bateria de Recepção e Produção da Linguagem Verbal” (SCLIAR-CABRAL, 2003a and “Teste de Competência de Leitura de Palavras e Pseudopalavras” (SEABRA; CAPOVILLA, 2010. The main research goal is to analyze in each one of these reading assessment instruments some of the multiple cognitive processes and basic low-level abilities involved in reading. In this sense, decoding, word recognition, lexical access, syntactic and textual processing, and comprehension are the cognitive processes taken into account. With regard to the basic reading abilities, accuracy and fluency (rhythm, prosody and speed are considered. The results indicate that each one of the analyzed reading assessment instruments assesses different aspects of the reading processes and abilities, mainly through off-line measures. ScliarCabral’s assessment battery allows the researcher or the teacher to evaluate the following processes: perception of the grapheme opposition in minimal pairs of words and in sentences, difficulties in sentence processing, skills in decoding the graphemic-phonemic relationship, and textual comprehension. In its turn, the reading assessment instrument proposed by Seabra e Capovilla allows one to evaluate student’s reading development level, by classifying the kind of processing as logographic, alphabetic or orthographic.

The significance of belief and expectancy within the spiritual healing encounter.

Science.gov (United States)

Wirth, D P

1995-07-01

Historically, traditional cultures recognized the importance of belief and expectancy within the healing encounter and created complex rituals and ceremonies designed to elicit or foster the expectancy and participation of both the healer and patient, as well as the community as a whole. This holistic approach to health care was a fundamental component in the spiritual healing rituals of virtually all traditional native cultures. The focus of the current study was to assess the impact of healer and patient expectations on mental and physical health parameters following a spiritual healing session. A pre-post methodological design which incorporated extensive psychophysiological health outcome measures along with independent medical diagnoses was utilized. The study was conducted in a northern California suburb of Marin County utilizing an American-born spiritual healer trained in the Philippines. The results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the pre-treatment and post-treatment scores for all fourteen dependent variables examined. The data also demonstrated a significant difference between the high versus low expectancy subjects for both patient and healer groups, as well as a significant relationship between high expectancy in patients and healer and the effectiveness of the spiritual healing encounter. The results of the study therefore suggest that high healer and patient expectancy may be important elements which can serve as both predictors as well as facilitators of the healing process. The degree of bonding or communication between the healer and patient was postulated as an important factor in this regard. Due to the fact that a majority of the conditions reported (75%) were organic disorders that would not commonly disappear within the 3 week time frame of the study, the significant results obtained suggest that spiritual healing in combination with traditional allopathic medicine may have the potential to be an

The Spiritual Well-Being Scale: Portuguese Translation and Suggestions for Use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raymond F. Paloutzian

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In recent years the study of the relationships between religion and health has expanded to include the study of the relationships between spirituality and health. “Spirituality” is typically thought of as the more inclusive of the two terms. Meanwhile, the concept of spiritual well-being (SWB has been invoked to reflect someone’s self-perception of well-being in terms that the person understands “spiritual” to mean – whether religious or existential in connotation. Thus, spirituality and SWB should not be confused with each other. Measures of each construct differ in psychological dimensions they are trying to tap and in the kind of assessments they are intended to yield. This paper explains each construct, presents the Portuguese translation of the SWBS, and notes suggestions for its use.

A framework for assessing Health Economic Evaluation (HEE) quality appraisal instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

Langer, Astrid

2012-08-16

Health economic evaluations support the health care decision-making process by providing information on costs and consequences of health interventions. The quality of such studies is assessed by health economic evaluation (HEE) quality appraisal instruments. At present, there is no instrument for measuring and improving the quality of such HEE quality appraisal instruments. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to establish a framework for assessing the quality of HEE quality appraisal instruments to support and improve their quality, and to apply this framework to those HEE quality appraisal instruments which have been subject to more scrutiny than others, in order to test the framework and to demonstrate the shortcomings of existing HEE quality appraisal instruments. To develop the quality assessment framework for HEE quality appraisal instruments, the experiences of using appraisal tools for clinical guidelines are used. Based on a deductive iterative process, clinical guideline appraisal instruments identified through literature search are reviewed, consolidated, and adapted to produce the final quality assessment framework for HEE quality appraisal instruments. The final quality assessment framework for HEE quality appraisal instruments consists of 36 items organized within 7 dimensions, each of which captures a specific domain of quality. Applying the quality assessment framework to four existing HEE quality appraisal instruments, it is found that these four quality appraisal instruments are of variable quality. The framework described in this study should be regarded as a starting point for appraising the quality of HEE quality appraisal instruments. This framework can be used by HEE quality appraisal instrument producers to support and improve the quality and acceptance of existing and future HEE quality appraisal instruments. By applying this framework, users of HEE quality appraisal instruments can become aware of methodological deficiencies

Capitalizing on Children's Spirituality: Parental Anxiety, Children as Consumers, and the Marketing of Spirituality

Science.gov (United States)

Mercer, Joyce Ann

2006-01-01

Children's spirituality has become a significant for-profit enterprise in North American consumer culture. This article explores the marketing of children's spirituality as an aspect of the larger construction of children as consumers in the context of late globalized capitalism. Playing off of parental anxieties over the need to avail their…

Impact of Spirituality/Religiousness on Cyber Bullying and Victimization in University Students: Mediating Effect of Emotional Intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Mohit; Yadav, Rohit

2018-05-22

The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between spirituality/religiousness with cyber bullying and victimization amongst Indian University students and whether emotional intelligence mediates the relationship. Data were collected from 490 University students studying in undergraduate and postgraduate courses across India. IBM AMOS was used to find reliability and validity of instruments and PROCESS macro for IBM SPSS by Preacher and Hayes (Behav Res Methods 36(4): 717-731, 2004) was used for conducting mediation analyses. Both spiritual and existential well-being were found negatively related with cyber bullying and victimization. As far as mediation goes, the negative relationships between spiritual and existential well-being with that of cyber bullying and victimization were significantly mediated by Appraisal of Self-Emotions, Appraisal of Other's Emotions and Regulation and control of Emotions dimensions of emotional intelligence. Implication and future directions are also discussed.

An Insight into Spiritual Health and Coping Tactics among Dental Students; A Gain or Blight: A Cross-sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhama, Kuldeep; Gupta, Ritu; Singla, Ashish; Patthi, Basavaraj; Ali, Irfan; Niraj, Lav Kumar; Kumar, Jishnu Krishna; Prasad, Monika

2017-08-01

Spiritual health is the youngest dimension of health which affects the coping skills of the individual and may help the dental students who are the caregivers of the future, to overcome crisis situation with time. To measure the association between spiritual health and coping skills among the dental students of private dental college. A questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the spiritual health status using Spiritual Health Assessment Scale (SHAS) and coping skills using Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences (ACOPE) scale among the 389 dental students of different academic years in a private dental college. The data obtained was subjected to descriptive statistics and means were compared using independent t-test and one-way ANOVA. The mean age of the study participants was 22.8±3.17 years. Majority of the students had fair spiritual health score (74.55%). Of the coping strategies dimension, highest mean score was observed in seeking diversions (3.60±1.40) and the least mean score was observed in engaging in demanding activities (2.67±1.41). Statistically significant association was seen between dimension of coping behaviour and spiritual health (p≤ 0.05). The present study highlights that spiritual health plays a central role and influences the coping strategies in human health. The spiritual health can continuously compensate with other health like mental, physical and social well-being.

Spirituality and job satisfaction among hospice interdisciplinary team members.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Leah; Leedy, Stephen; McDonald, Laurie; Muller, Barbara; Lamb, Cheryl; Mendez, Tracy; Kim, Sehwan; Schonwetter, Ronald

2007-12-01

As a continuing effort to enhance the quality of palliative care for the dying, this study examined (1) the prevalence of spirituality among hospice interdisciplinary team (IDT) members; (2) whether spirituality is related to job satisfaction; and (3) the structural path relationships among four variables: spiritual belief, integration of spirituality at work, self actualization and job satisfaction. The study surveyed 215 hospice IDT members who completed the Jarel Spiritual Well-Being Scale, the Chamiec-Case Spirituality Integration and Job Satisfaction Scales. Multiple regression and structural path modeling methods were applied to explain the path relationships involving all four variables. The IDT members surveyed were: nurses, 46.4%; home health aids, 24.9%; social workers, 17.4%; chaplains, 4.2%; physicians, 2.3%; and other, 4.8%. Ninety-eight percent of the respondents viewed themselves as having spiritual well-being. On a 0-100 scale, IDT staff reported high spiritual belief (mean = 89.4) and they were self-actualizing (mean = 82.6). Most reported high job satisfaction (mean = 79.3) and spiritual integration (mean = 67.9). In multiple regression, spirituality, integration and self-actualization explained 22% of the variation in job satisfaction (R = 0.48; adjusted R(2) = 0.218; df = 3,175; F = 17.2; p = 0.001). Structural path models revealed that job satisfaction is more likely to be realized by a model that transforms one's spirituality into processes of integrating spirituality at work and self actualization (chi(2) = 0.614; df = 1; p = 0.433) than a model that establishes a direct path from spirituality to job satisfaction (chi(2) = 1.65; df = 1; p = 0.199). Hospice IDT member's integration of their spirituality at work and greater self actualization significantly improve job satisfaction.

Celtic spirituality and the environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham Duncan

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Celtic spirituality has a long and distinguished ancestry with its origins in pre-Christian times. It was inculturated amongst peoples in the far west of Europe, particularly in Ireland, Scotland and the north and south west of England. It was different from Roman Christianity in distinct ways until the mid-7th century CE when Roman Christianity became the norm in Britain. It has experienced various revivals during the history of Christianity, with two contemporary expressions in New Age spirituality and Christian spirituality. From its inception, it has been closely linked to the environment.

BEING DELIVERED: SPIRITUALITY IN SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Science.gov (United States)

Knapik, Gregory P.; Martsolf, Donna S.; Draucker, Claire B.

2011-01-01

A theoretical framework explaining how survivors of sexual violence use spirituality to respond to or recover from sexual violence is presented. Data were drawn from open-ended interviews of 27 women and 23 men who participated in a larger, ongoing study of women’s and men’s responses to sexual violence. Grounded theory methodology was used to develop the core category of Being Delivered, reflecting the participants’ experiences of being rescued, saved, or set free from the effects of sexual violence by a spiritual being or power. The theoretical framework describing Being Delivered is composed of three dimensions: Spiritual Connection, Spiritual Journey, and Spiritual Transformation. The framework can be used by clinicians to guide discussions of spirituality and healing with survivors of sexual violence. PMID:18382913

The Pediatrics Milestones Assessment Pilot: Development of Workplace-Based Assessment Content, Instruments, and Processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hicks, Patricia J; Margolis, Melissa; Poynter, Sue E; Chaffinch, Christa; Tenney-Soeiro, Rebecca; Turner, Teri L; Waggoner-Fountain, Linda; Lockridge, Robin; Clyman, Stephen G; Schwartz, Alan

2016-05-01

To report on the development of content and user feedback regarding the assessment process and utility of the workplace-based assessment instruments of the Pediatrics Milestones Assessment Pilot (PMAP). One multisource feedback instrument and two structured clinical observation instruments were developed and refined by experts in pediatrics and assessment to provide evidence for nine competencies based on the Pediatrics Milestones (PMs) and chosen to inform residency program faculty decisions about learners' readiness to serve as pediatric interns in the inpatient setting. During the 2012-2013 PMAP study, 18 U.S. pediatric residency programs enrolled interns and subinterns. Faculty, residents, nurses, and other observers used the instruments to assess learner performance through direct observation during a one-month rotation. At the end of the rotation, data were aggregated for each learner, milestone levels were assigned using a milestone classification form, and feedback was provided to learners. Learners and site leads were surveyed and/or interviewed about their experience as participants. Across the sites, 2,338 instruments assessing 239 learners were completed by 630 unique observers. Regarding end-of-rotation feedback, 93% of learners (128/137) agreed the assessments and feedback "helped me understand how those with whom I work perceive my performance," and 85% (117/137) agreed they were "useful for constructing future goals or identifying a developmental path." Site leads identified several benefits and challenges to the assessment process. PM-based instruments used in workplace-based assessment provide a meaningful and acceptable approach to collecting evidence of learner competency development. Learners valued feedback provided by PM-based assessment.

Spiritual meaning culturocentric education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. H. Rohova

2014-06-01

The spiritually­values educational sense of culture consists in changes that take place in personality during the process of culture­centering education that offers «modernisation» of civilizations component of its maintenance due to the opening of its spiritually­values essence where the symphony of secular and religious cultures acquires a value that assists providing of firmness of personality in conditions of Postmodern.

Lessons in Spiritual Leadership from Kenyan Women

Science.gov (United States)

Ngunjiri, Faith Wambura

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explicate spiritual leadership lessons of beneficence, courage, hope and ubuntu/humanness that are derived from the experiences of women leaders in Kenya. The paper seeks to connect African data with existing literature on spiritual leadership, to demonstrate where African spiritual leadership is similar…

Do religious or spiritual beliefs influence bereavement? A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Gerhild; Xander, Carola J; Blum, Hubert E; Lutterbach, Johannes; Momm, Felix; Gysels, Marjolein; Higginson, Irene J

2007-04-01

Responses to bereavement may be influenced by characteristics such as age or gender, but also by factors like culture and religion. A systematic review was undertaken to assess whether spiritual or religious beliefs alter the process of grief and/or bereavement. Fifteen computerized databases were searched. Thirty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Evidence was graded according to the standard grading system of the Clinical Outcomes Group and by the SIGNAL score. In total, 5715 persons were examined: 69% women, 87% white, 83% protestant. Ninety-four percent of studies show some positive effects of religious/spiritual beliefs on bereavement, but there was a great heterogeneity regarding included populations and outcome measurements. Available data do not allow for a definite answer on whether religious/spiritual beliefs effectively influence bereavement as most studies suffer from weaknesses in design and methodological flaws. Further research is needed. Recommendations for further research are given.

A Spiritually-based approach to breast cancer awareness: Cognitive response analysis of communication effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, Cheryl L.; Lee, Crystal; Wright, Katrina

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the communication effectiveness of a spiritually-based approach to breast cancer early detection education with a secular approach, among African American women, by conducting a cognitive response analysis. A total of 108 women from six Alabama churches were randomly assigned by church to receive a spiritually-based or secular educational booklet discussing breast cancer early detection. Based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty & Cacioppo, 1981), after reading the booklets participants were asked to complete a thought-listing task writing down any thoughts they experienced and rating them as positive, negative, or neutral. Two independent coders then used five dimensions to code participants thoughts. Compared with the secular booklet, the spiritually-based booklet resulted in significantly more thoughts involving personal connection, self-assessment, and spiritually-based responses. These results suggest that a spiritually-based approach to breast cancer awareness may be more effective than the secular because it caused women to more actively process the message, stimulating central route processing. The incorporation of spiritually-based content into church-based breast cancer education could be a promising health communication approach for African American women. PMID:18443989

The Relationship between Spiritual Well-Being and Health-Related Quality of Life in College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Anye, Ernest Tamanji; Gallien, Tara L.; Bian, Hui; Moulton, Michael

2013-01-01

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between spiritual well-being (SWB) and various aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQL) of college students. Participants and Methods: Two hundred twenty-five participants were surveyed during October 2010 to assess SWB and HRQL using the Spiritual Well-Being Scale and questions from the…

Occupational Therapy Students' Perceptions of Spirituality in Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Mthembu, Thuli Godfrey; Ahmed, Firdous; Nkuna, Thembi; Yaca, Khalipha

2015-12-01

Spirituality is recognized as an essential and integral component of a holistic approach in occupational therapy practice. However, little is known about occupational therapy students' perceptions regarding spirituality in learning context. This study used qualitative exploratory, descriptive design to explore the occupational therapy students' perceptions about spirituality in training. Using purposive sampling, four semi-structured interviews were conducted with two students, a lecturer and an occupational therapist. In addition, two focus groups were conducted with students in order to collect data. Data collected were audio-taped; transcribed and thematic analysis was used to identify themes. The analysis resulted in emergence of four themes: "Unique to every individual," "Spirituality in occupational therapy," "To be or not to be taught," and "The Real world." Participants perceived spirituality as an individually experienced. The study contributes to the body of knowledge base of occupational therapy education regarding spirituality. However, there is a need for guidelines to integrate spirituality in occupational therapy training.

The use of spiritual resources to cope with trauma in daily existence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vhumani Magezi

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The article explores the link between trauma and spirituality, and investigates whether and how spirituality can be used as a resource to address the needs of people in traumatic situations. The authors address the following questions: Why is it that spirituality and God himself may seem to make little or no sense to people who are experiencing trauma? Is spirituality an abstract concept that lacks practical relevance in crisis situations? Do peoples’ understanding of God and what they believe about his nature and power affect their spirituality and determine how they understand God’s intervention in coping with trauma? To answer these questions, the authors make use of the life history research method to analyse the case of Nokwazi Chiya, a Zulu woman who abandoned God and all spiritual support systems after the traumatic death of her fiancé. The findings demonstrate how traumatic events destroy not only the psychosocial aspects, but also the survivor’s faith in a natural or divine order and cast the survivor into a state of existential crisis. The findings further show the role spirituality plays in enhancing the healing, recovery and developing resilience of trauma survivors. The study subsequently argues for an integrated approach to working through trauma, which brings spirituality into the psychotherapeutic dialogue – particularly in the South African context, where the majority of the population is exposed to various types of trauma. This integrated psychotherapy approach will have implications for the disciplines of practical theology and psychology or psychiatry, especially with regard to how we understand, assess and treat the needs of different people exposed to trauma and other existential crises.

Self-transcendence, spiritual well-being, and spiritual practices of women with breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Jeani C; Burton, Mattie; Griffin, Mary T Quinn; Fitzpatrick, Joyce J

2010-06-01

As women recover from the experience of breast cancer and its treatment, it is important for them to find meaning in their lives and to understand their experiences from a holistic perspective. This study was designed to provide additional information about how women and their experiences recovering from breast cancer. The specific purpose was to describe the relationship between self-transcendence and spiritual well-being, and to identify the spiritual practices used by older women recovering from breast cancer. The theoretical framework for this study was Reed's theory of self-transcendence. A total of 87 community-residing women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer within the past 5 years participated in the study. There was a significant positive relationship between self-transcendence and spiritual well-being. The women used a mean of 9.72 spiritual practices with the most frequent being exercise, visiting a house of worship, and praying alone. The study results provide further support for the theory of self-transcendence. Future research recommendations are to expand the research to include a larger, more diverse group of women of all ages and backgrounds who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Mental Health: A Case for Spiritual Education in Public Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Dennis, Dixie L.; Dennis, Brent G.

2002-01-01

Suggests a unique mental health prevention strategy that focuses on spiritual education in public schools, defining spirituality, describing the spirituality-mental health connection, highlighting educators' responsibility toward spiritual education, and offering specific activities and strategies for enhancing students' spirituality suitable for…

Spirituality, Religion, and Peace Education

Science.gov (United States)

Brantmeier, Edward J., Ed.; Lin, Jing, Ed.; Miller, John P., Ed.

2010-01-01

"Spirituality, Religion, and Peace Education" attempts to deeply explore the universal and particular dimensions of education for inner and communal peace. This co-edited book contains fifteen chapters on world spiritual traditions, religions, and their connections and relevance to peacebuilding and peacemaking. This book examines the…

Spiritual beliefs and barriers among managed care practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

McCauley, Jeanne; Jenckes, Mollie W; Tarpley, Margaret J; Koenig, Harold G; Yanek, Lisa R; Becker, Diane M

2005-01-01

Ninety percent of American adults believe in God and 82% pray weekly. A majority wants their physicians to address spirituality during their health care visit. However, clinicians incorporate spiritual discussion in less than 20% of visits. Our objectives were to measure clinician beliefs and identify perceived barriers to integrating spirituality into patient care in a statewide, primary care, managed care group. Practitioners completed a 30-item survey including demographics and religious involvement (DUREL), spirituality in patient care (SPC), and barriers (BAR). We analyzed data using frequencies, means, standard deviations, and ANOVA. Clinicians had a range of religious denominations (67% Christian, 14% Jewish, 11% Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist, 8% agnostic), were 57% female and 24% had training in spirituality. Sixty-six percent reported experiencing the divine. Ninety-five percent felt that a patient's spiritual outlook was important to handling health difficulties and 68% percent agreed that addressing spirituality was part of the physician's role. Ninety-five percent of our managed care group noted 'lack of time' as an important barrier, 'lack of training' was indicated by 69%, and 21% cited 'fear of response from administration'. Managed care practitioners in a time constrained setting were spiritual themselves and believed this to be important to patients. Respondents indicated barriers of time and training to implementing these beliefs. Comparing responses from our group to those in other published surveys on clinician spirituality, we find similar concerns. Clinician education may overcome these barriers and improve ability to more fully meet their patients' expressed needs regarding spirituality and beliefs.

The relationship between spirituality and burnout among medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Wachholtz, Amy; Rogoff, MaiLan

2013-01-01

Medical student burnout has been associated with depression, loss of empathy, and suicidal ideation. Spirituality has been identified in previous studies as a protective factor in coping with the stress but has not been examined as a factor in medical student burnout. An internet link to an anonymous survey was sent via email to medical students at a public northeastern medical school; 259/469 (55.2%) completed it. The survey included measures of spirituality, burnout, psychological distress, coping, and general happiness. A Pearson-r correlation showed significant inverse correlations between measures of spirituality and measures of psychological distress/burnout (r's ranging from -.62 to -.14; p's burnout remained significantly related to lower scores on both spirituality measures (FACIT-SP pStudents having higher levels of spiritual well being and daily spiritual experiences described themselves as more satisfied with their life in general, while students with low scores on spiritual well being and daily spiritual experiences had higher levels of psychological distress and burnout. Spirituality may therefore be a protective factor against burnout in medical students and future studies should explore potential causal relationships.

Spiritual diversity: multifaith perspectives in family therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Froma

2010-09-01

This paper addresses the growing diversity and complexity of spirituality in society and within families. This requires a broadly inclusive, multifaith approach in clinical training and practice. Increasingly, individuals, couples, and families seek, combine, and reshape spiritual beliefs and practices--within and among faiths and outside organized religion--to fit their lives and relationships. With rising faith conversion and interfaith marriages, the paper examines challenges in multifaith families, particularly with marriage, childrearing, and the death of a loved one. Clinical guidelines, cautions, and case examples are offered to explore the role and significance of spiritual beliefs and practices in couple and family relationships; to identify spiritual sources of distress and relational conflict; and to draw potential spiritual resources for healing, well-being, and resilience, fitting client values and preferences. 2010 © FPI, Inc.

Individual belief and practice in neopagan spirituality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Britta Rensing

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This article deals with Neopaganism, which is one of the fastest growing spiritual practices today. Neopagans are often placed in the field of new religions and new religious movements. When focussing on the world-view shared by these groups, this classification is correct, but no neopagan practitioner believes and practices like another. Neopagan spirituality is flexible and personal, which is often expressed in the art of poetry. Practitioners of this way of spirituality, where there are no texts or other sources telling them what to believe and how, turn to producing art for their personal spiritual development. While dogma is strictly rejected in postmodern spirituality, art obviously has become a very important element on the individual’s way to find her or his place in life and in the world.

Investigation of Mathematics Teachers Conceptualisation of the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Role of Mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Agashi, Pius P.; Enemali, I. A.

2015-01-01

The study sought to investigate mathematics teachers' conceptualization of the spiritual, moral social and cultural (SMSC) role of mathematics in Ankpa Education Zone of Kogi State. It used a purposive sample of all the 82 mathematics teachers in the zone comprising of 64 male and 18 female. The instrument used for the study was SMSC Role of…

Terrorism, post-traumatic stress, coping strategies, and spiritual outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Meisenhelder, Janice Bell; Marcum, John P

2009-03-01

This mail survey measured post-traumatic stress symptoms, spiritual and non-spiritual coping strategies, and positive spiritual outcomes following the tragedies of 9/11/01 in a national, random sample of 1,056 Presbyterians. Respondents reported mild to moderate degrees of re-experiencing and hyper-arousal symptoms of post-traumatic stress, unrelated to location or knowing someone involved. People experiencing high stress used greater frequency and variety of both spiritual and non-spiritual types of coping strategies. Positive spiritual outcomes were remarkably related to positive spiritual coping strategies, in contrast to no association with negative coping. This study illustrates the significant degree of post-traumatic stress experienced with vicarious exposure and a wide spectrum of coping strategies used following the major terrorist attacks.

Instruments to assess stigmatization in dermatology.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitrov, Dimitre; Szepietowski, Jacek C

2017-11-03

Stigmatization is the assignment of negative perceptions to an individual because of a perceived difference from the population at large. Skin conditions are frequently the reason of social rejection with a consequent negative influence on the personal and social life of patients. The aim of the current study was to review the available instruments that can be successfully utilized to measure the stigmatization level among dermatological patients. We performed our search on PubMed up to November 2016 and utilized combinations of key phrases containing such words as stigmatization, skin, dermatology, names of various skin conditions (psoriasis, vitiligo, acne, etc.), measurement. The search found a considerable number of articles - 548. After filtering them through a precise selection process, 58 articles remained. We concentrated only on the methodological aspects to assess stigmatization in various dermatoses. The review ascertained that there exist numerous instruments in the form of questionnaires. They were utilized in various researches in order to assess the stigmatization level in patients with skin problems. We divided them into two main groups: dermatology specific instruments (6 questionnaires) and dermatosis/disease specific ones (8 questionnaires). It is recommended to use dermatology-specific instruments to compare the stigmatization level in various skin conditions. They can be utilized as well as a first line tools to study the feeling of stigmatization in specific skin diseases; however, where it is possible, they should be supplemented with the disease-specific instrument for deeper analysis of both qualities of life and stigmatization.

Drug Resistance versus Spiritual Resistance: A Comparative Analysis from the Perspective of Spiritual Health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Baqer Mohammadi Laini

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Taking into account a few principles concerning human being, it becomes plausible that the human spirit would also have a similar reaction to spiritual “medicine” provided to it. In order to better understand how this is possible, we must consider the means by which the human spirit becomes resistant to spiritual remedies and compare them with the resistance developed by the body against physical drugs. As such, this research aimed at creating a comparative analysis between the elements that cause the human spirit to become resistant against spiritual remedies in comparison to the body’s resistance against physical treatments (e.g. drugs and other physical treatment. Methods: The research at hand highlights the conclusions of an overall study of the Holy Quran, books of Islamic narration, and extensive Internet research concerning this subject. With these resources, the various aspects of the spirit’s resistance against spiritual remedies were discussed in detail. Results: According to Holy Quran and Islamic narrations: Based on the expectations which God has of man, his heart (i.e. spirit has the potential to fall under one of two categories – positive or negative. An afflicted heart may at times, like an afflicted body, become resistant against a remedy designed to cure it. In both cases of physical or metaphysical resistance, the underlying element that causes this resistance as well as the symptoms which accompany it are similar to one another. Having considered the teachings found in religious texts, this research discovered the underlying causes of spiritual resistance, and outlined some solutions which can prevent this issue from arising in the first place. Conclusion: Based on the standards of health and spiritual wellbeing as outlined in Holy Quran, it is said that some hearts are unhealthy and require treatment and healing. In Holy Quran, there is also no doubt in it, guidance to the God wary

Relationship between Spiritual Health with Marital Satisfaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Salehi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Spiritual health is the basis of family and community health. In marital relationships, several factors led to the satisfaction of wives from each other. In the meantime, the role of spirituality is crucial from surrounded on all aspects of human life. This study was performed with aim of analyzing the relationship between spiritual health with marital satisfaction and Comparison of them between men and women. METHODS: The sectional study was conducted on 341 married students of Medical Sciences in Azad University, Sari branch.  Criterion variable (spiritual health and predictor variable (marital satisfaction were measured by standard questionnaires including Paloutzian & Ellison (1982 and Enrich(2000  with 5-item Likert scale with a minimum score of 1 (very low to maximum score of 5 (very high and also two groups of men and women were compared. FINDINGS: Spiritual health had direct and meaningful relationship with marital satisfaction (CI-95% R= 0.009.There was no difference of marital satisfaction in men with average of 3.36±0.35 and women with average of 3.44±0.43 (p=0.342 but, the spiritual health in men with average of 2.7±0.25 was more than women with average of 2.6±0.14 (p=0.000. CONCLUSION: According the results, there was no difference of marital satisfaction in man and woman but, the spiritual health in men was more than women. Marital satisfaction had increased by increasing spiritual health in men and women students. 

Anthropocentric and theocentric spirituality as an object of psychological research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaworski Romuald

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The characteristic direction of psychological and theological interpretations of spirituality is very important. The traditional psychological approach to the spiritual sphere is characterised by reductionism, which consists in reducing spiritual experiences to mental experiences, or even biological processes. The studies in the field of religion psychology led to distinguish between two types of spirituality. The first one is theocentric spirituality, where human being places God in the centre of his interest and life in general. The second type of spirituality is anthropocentric spirituality, focused on human being, his own aspirations, preferences and needs. Both types of spirituality have certain value. Their close characteristics includes sources of inspiration, purpose, presented image of God, as well as understanding of spirituality and manner of realizing spiritual life. In order to distinguish between two types of spirituality, anthropocentric and theocentric, in practice, a proper research method – Range of Theocentric and Anthropocentric Spirituality (SDT – DA had to be developed. The individuals with theocentric spirituality displayed a higher level of stability and emotional balance, better social adjustment, higher sense of duty and attachment to acceptable social standards, deeper and more satisfactory contacts with other human beings, more trust and openness towards others, as well as higher trust to themselves and to God. Such individuals are better at handling difficulties and have optimistic attitude to life.

Study of Association between Social Adjustment and Spiritual Health in Qom University of Medical Sciences Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

zahra Aliakbarzade arani

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Admission to university is considered an opportunity to learn more and mentally grow further. At the same time, it is considered a stressor by some students and causes maladaptive reactions in them. This study was conducted to investigate the association between social adjustment and spiritual health in university students. Methods: Two hundred and fifty students were enrolled in this descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study according to random, systematic sampling. The used instruments were Bell Adjustment Inventory, consisting of 32 items, with 89% reliability coefficient and Paloutzian & Ellison Spiritual Well-Being Scale, consisting of 20 items, with validity and reliability of 79% and 82%, respectively. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and univariate and multivariate linear regression in SPSS 16. Results: Women comprised 50.2% of the participants. The mean (SD age of the participants was 21.72 (5.02 and only 18.4% were married. Social adjustment was significantly correlated with total score of spiritual health and scores of the subscales religious health and existential health (P<0.001. Conclusion: Because social adjustment was moderate among Qom University of Medical Sciences students, and in the light of the association between spiritual health and social adjustment, group and individual counseling services can be delivered to students with low levels of social adjustment in universities to help them improve their social and spiritual health. Keywords:

Midlife Transition and Women's Spirituality Groups: A Preliminary Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Geertsma, Elisabeth J.; Cummings, Anne L.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this preliminary study was to describe midlife transition, spirituality, and healing of relationships for members of women's spirituality groups. Ten women completed the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (R. Paloutzian & C. Ellison, 1982) and a 45-minute interview about spirituality, religion, life transitions, relationships, and…

A study on impact of workplace spirituality on customer–oriented organizational citizenship behavior by considering the role of spiritual intelligence: A case study of an insurance company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaber Moghaddampour

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Present study investigates the effect of workplace spirituality on customer–oriented organizational citizenship behavior by considering the role of spiritual intelligence. To measure the concepts of workplace spirituality, customer–oriented organizational citizenship behavior (CO-OCB and spiritual intelligence, the conceptualizations are applied on 282 employees of an insurance company in Tehran during the fiscal year of 2011 and the results are analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that spiritual intelligence and workplace spirituality have positive impact on customer–oriented organizational citizenship behavior. However, when spiritual intelligence is considered as a moderating factor, spirituality development in workplace cannot alone influence on customer–oriented organizational citizenship behavior since including spiritual intelligence hedges the effect of workplace spirituality on customer–oriented organizational citizenship behavior though workplace spirituality can improve customer–oriented organizational citizenship behavior through impacting on spiritual intelligence.

Developing and testing a spiritual care questionnaire in the Iranian context.

Science.gov (United States)

Iranmanesh, Sedigheh; Tirgari, Batool; Cheraghi, Mohammad Ali

2012-12-01

As most research exploring nurses' perceptions on the topic of spiritual care was conducted in Western countries, these findings may not be applicable in Iran because of cultural and health system differences. Therefore, a new survey instrument was developed for the Iranian context. The study was conducted in two steps: (1) development and validation of items for perception scale and (2) distribution of the questionnaire among nursing students to determine scale reliability and construct validity. The preliminary scale consisted of 50 items designed to measure the participants' perception of spiritual care. Construct validity of the scale was examined on the remaining 33 items. On interpretation of the items, the following four components were identified: (1) meeting patient as a being in meaning and hope, (2) meeting patient as a being in relationship, (3) meeting patient as a religious being, and (4) meeting patients as a being with autonomy. The results in this paper showed that preserving dignity in the nurses' practice meant getting involved in interpersonal caring relationships, with respect for the involved peoples' religious beliefs and their autonomy. Proper education and professionally led supervision with reflection on past and recent experiences may develop student nurses' and nurses' perceptions as well as their attitudes toward spiritual care and to achieve a realistic view of the profession.

The essence of spirituality of terminally ill patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Co-Shi Chantal; Chen, Ching-Huey; Yen, Miaofen

2002-12-01

The purpose of this hermeneutic study was to investigate the essence of spirituality of terminally ill patients. In-depth unstructured interviews were used as the method for data collection. In the six-month period of data collection, the researcher was in the role of a hospice palliative care consultant who directly took care of the subject patients in a hospice ward of a teaching hospital. The six subjects were selected purposively according to various demographic backgrounds. Interview transcripts provided the data for analysis. The results were composed of four constitutive patterns and ten themes. The first constitutive pattern was "Communion with Self" which included three themes: (1) Self-identity--spirituality is the discovery of the authentic self. (2) Wholeness--a human being is full of contradictions but still in wholeness. (3) Inner peace--spirituality is negotiating conflicts for self-reconciliation. The second constitutive pattern was "Communion with others" which included two themes: (1) Love--spirituality is a caring relationship but not an over-attachment to others. (2) Reconciliation--spirituality is to forgive and to be forgiven. The third constitutive pattern was "Communion with Nature" which included two themes: (1) Inspiration from the nature--spirituality is the resonance of the marvelous beauty of nature. (2) Creativity--spirituality is conceiving imaginatively. The fourth constitutive pattern was "Communion with Higher Being" which included three themes: (1) Faithfulness--spirituality is keeping the trust dependably. (2) Hope--spirituality is claiming possibilities. (3) Gratitude--spirituality is giving thanks and embracing grace. The scientific rigor of this qualitative research as well as the strength and limitations of the study are reported. Implications for hospice palliative care and future research are recommended.

Does yoga shape body, mind and spiritual health and happiness: Differences between yoga practitioners and college students.

Science.gov (United States)

Monk-Turner, Elizabeth; Turner, Charlie

2010-07-01

To assess the body, mind and spirit differences between yoga students compared with college students. Mind, body and spirit survey instruments administered to the two groups. Five indicators to measure mental wellness were significantly different between yoga practitioners and college students. On three of these five measures, college students reported more mental wellness than yoga practitioners - in other words, the relationship was the inverse of what was expected. College students reported maintaining stability in their life more often than yoga practitioners as well as more often experiencing satisfying interpersonal relationships. College students were also more likely than yoga practitioners to report being tolerant of others, whether or not they approved of their behavior or beliefs. Yoga practitioners were more likely than college students to report having strong morals and healthy values as well as the ability to express their feelings and consider the feelings of others. We found differences between yoga practitioners and college students on more than half of our spirit items (five of nine). Yoga practitioners were more likely than college students to report expressing their spirituality appropriately and in healthy ways, recognizing the positive contribution faith could make to the quality of life (significant at the 0.07 level), routinely undertaking new experiences to enhance spiritual health and having a positive outlook on life. Further, we found support for the proposition that yoga practitioners were more likely to report experiencing happiness within. Significant differences between yoga and college students were found on the body, mind and spirit measurement instrument. Further work needs to address the complexities of these relationships.

[Development and validation of an instrument for initial nursing assessment].

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Sola, Cayetano; Granero-Molina, José; Mollinedo-Mallea, Judith; de Gonzales, María Hilda Peredo; Aguilera-Manrique, Gabriel; Ponce, Mara Luna

2012-12-01

The objective of this study, conducted in Bolivia from April to July of 2008, is the design and validation of an initial nursing assessment instrument to be used in clinical and educational environments in Santa Cruz (Bolivia). Twelve Bolivian nurses participated; both document analysis as well as consensus techniques were used to determine the categories and criteria to be assessed. Categories included in the nursing assessment instrument are a physical assessment and the eleven Gordon's Functional Health Patterns. The nursing assessment instrument stands out as being concise, easy to complete and utilizing a nursing approach. It does not include items for advanced nursing assessment. However, it incorporates items regarding lifestyle and the patient's autonomy. The nursing assessment instrument contributes to improving the quality of clinical records, supports the nursing diagnosis and implementation of the nursing process, promotes the nurse's role and helps to standardize practice.

Life perceptions of patients receiving palliative care and experiencing psycho-social-spiritual healing.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lingsheng; Sloan, Danetta H; Mehta, Ambereen K; Willis, Gordon; Weaver, Meaghann S; Berger, Ann C

2017-07-01

It is important to identify, from the patients' perspectives, the different factors that contribute toward psycho-social-spiritual healing. This was a qualitative study that took place at a large research center, an underserved clinic, and a community hospital. We used a needs assessment questionnaire and open-ended questions to assess the constituents of psycho-social-spiritual healing: (I) how previous life experiences affected patients' present situations in dealing with their illnesses; (II) barriers to palliative care, and (III) benefits of palliative care. Of a total of 30 participants from 3 different study sites, 24 (80%) were receiving inpatient or outpatient palliative care at a research center. Thirteen (43%) participants were female, 10 (33%) were Black/African American, and 16 (53%) reported being on disability. While the initial shock of the diagnosis made participants feel unprepared for their illnesses, many looked to role models, previous work experiences, and spiritual as well as religious support as sources of strength and coping mechanisms. Barriers to palliative care were identified as either external (lack of proper resources) or internal (symptom barriers and perceived self-limitations). The feeling of "being seen/being heard" was perceived by many participants as the most beneficial aspect of palliative care. The needs assessment questionnaire and open-ended questions presented in this study may be used in clinical settings to better help patients achieve psycho-social-spiritual healing through palliative care and to help clinicians learn about the person behind the patient.

Women scientists' scientific and spiritual ways of knowing

Science.gov (United States)

Buffington, Angela Cunningham

While science education aims for literacy regarding scientific knowledge and the work of scientists, the separation of scientific knowing from other knowing may misrepresent the knowing of scientists. The majority of science educators K-university are women. Many of these women are spiritual and integrate their scientific and spiritual ways of knowing. Understanding spiritual women of science would inform science education and serve to advance the scientific reason and spirituality debate. Using interviews and grounded theory, this study explores scientific and spiritual ways of knowing in six women of science who hold strong spiritual commitments and portray science to non-scientists. From various lived experiences, each woman comes to know through a Passive knowing of exposure and attendance, an Engaged knowing of choice, commitment and action, an Mindful/Inner knowing of prayer and meaning, a Relational knowing with others, and an Integrated lifeworld knowing where scientific knowing, spiritual knowing, and other ways of knowing are integrated. Consequences of separating ways of knowing are discussed, as are connections to current research, implications to science education, and ideas for future research. Understanding women scientists' scientific/ spiritual ways of knowing may aid science educators in linking academic science to the life-worlds of students.

Spiritual needs of cancer patients: A qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khadijeh Hatamipour

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Diagnosis of cancer can cause huge spiritual crisis in a person and affect different aspects of life. At this stage, patients have certain spiritual needs. Aim: This study was conducted to explain spiritual needs of cancer patients in Iran. Materials and Methods: In this qualitative study, 18 cancer patients, referred to the Cancer Institute of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran were selected using purposive sampling method, and their spiritual needs emerged out of conventional content analysis of interviews conducted with them. Results: From 1850 initial codes, 4 themes (connection, peace, meaning and purpose, and transcendence were identified that contained categories of social support, normal behavior, inner peace, seeking forgiveness, hope, acceptance of reality, seeking meaning, ending well, change of life meaning, strengthening spiritual belief, communication with God, and prayer. Conclusions: Spiritual needs of cancer patients should be recognized, realized, and considered in care of patients by the medical team. An all-out support of health system policy makers to meet patients′ spiritual needs is particularly important.

Christian Spirituality in Eating Disorder Recovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cora Grant

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Eating disorders are some of the most severe and destructive of all psychological conditions. They are associated with restricted capacities in cognitive, emotional, physical, and spiritual development. This paper provides an examination of the practical application of Christian spirituality as a force for recovery from an eating disorder. Specifically, it expounds the transformative potential in the spiritual qualities of hope, trust, acceptance, surrender, and courage underpinning engagement with evidence-based therapeutic models of care in eating disorder recovery.

Building a Middle-Range Theory of Adaptive Spirituality.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobratz, Marjorie C

2016-04-01

The purpose of this article is to describe a Roy adaptation model based- research abstraction, the findings of which were synthesized into a middle-range theory (MRT) of adaptive spirituality. The published literature yielded 21 empirical studies that investigated religion/spirituality. Quantitative results supported the influence of spirituality on quality of life, psychosocial adjustment, well-being, adaptive coping, and the self-concept mode. Qualitative findings showed the importance of spiritual expressions, values, and beliefs in adapting to chronic illness, bereavement, death, and other life transitions. These findings were abstracted into six theoretical statements, a conceptual definition of adaptive spirituality, and three hypotheses for future testing. © The Author(s) 2016.

The Boundaries of Woman's Spirituality in the Beliefs-Spirituality-Religiousness (B-S-R) Model: A Third Perspective-Beliefs as a Cognitive Basis.

Science.gov (United States)

Skrzypińska, Katarzyna

2017-10-01

The real nature of the phenomenon of woman's Spirituality is the main contemporary challenge for empirical research. The literature needs many more examples of the cognitive genesis of worldviews, Spirituality and Religiousness. The first aim of this article is to present the central tenet of the Threefold Nature of Spirituality model which theoretically explains the nature of Spirituality and the theoretical relationship between beliefs (worldviews), Spirituality and Religiousness (B-S-R model). The second aim is the empirical verification of this relationship through the application of an analysis of mediation. The 308 participants were women aged 18-50 years (M = 25.25, SD = 9.42). The results obtained indicate that is a good mediator between an individual's worldview and Religiousness. Presented analysis of mediation allows us to describe the basic functioning mechanism of the spiritual sphere and the relationship between the three elements: worldview, Spirituality and Religiousness.

A critical analysis of scales to measure the attitude of nurses toward spiritual care and the frequency of spiritual nursing care activities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Garssen, Bert; Ebenau, Anne Frederieke; Visser, Anja; Uwland, Nicoline; Groot, Marieke

Quantitative studies have assessed nurses' attitudes toward and frequency of spiritual care [SC] and which factors are of influence on this attitude and frequency. However, we had doubts about the construct validity of the scales used in these studies. Our objective was to evaluate scales measuring

Correlates of self-perceptions of spirituality in American adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahabi, Leila; Powell, Lynda H; Musick, Marc A; Pargament, Kenneth I; Thoresen, Carl E; Williams, David; Underwood, Lynn; Ory, Marcia A

2002-01-01

To advance knowledge in the study of spirituality and physical health, we examined sociodemographic, behavioral, and attitudinal correlates of self-perceptions of spirituality. Participants were a nationally representative sample of 1,422 adult respondents to the 1998 General Social Survey. They were asked, among other things, to rate themselves on the depth of their spirituality and the depth of their religiousness. Results indicated that, after adjustment for religiousness, self-perceptions of spirituality were positively correlated with being female (r = .07, p religious or spiritual activities (range in correlations = .12-.38, all p religiousness. The spiritual and religious group had a higherfrequency of attending services, praying, meditating, reading the Bible, and daily spiritual experience than any of the other 3 groups (all differences p religious-only group (p intolerant than either of the nonreligious groups (p intolerance to the religious-only group. We conclude that sociodemographicfactors could confound any observed association between spirituality and health and should be controlled. Moreover, individuals who perceive themselves to be both spiritual and religious may be at particularly low risk for morbidity and mortality based on their good psychological status and ongoing restorative activities.

Role of religion and spirituality in medical patients: Confirmatory results with the SpREUK questionnaire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ostermann Thomas

2005-02-01

-item sub-scale 5: "Support of the Internality through SpR" which explains 58.8% of variance. Generally, women had significantly higher SpREUK scores than male patients. Univariate variance analyses revealed significant associations between the sub-scales and SpR attitude and the educational level. Conclusions The current re-evaluation of the SpREUK 1.1 questionnaire indicates that it is a reliable, valid measure of distinct topics of SpR that may be especially useful of assessing the role of SpR in health related research. The instrument appears to be a good choice for assessing a patients interest in spiritual concerns which is not biased for or against a particular religious commitment. Moreover it addresses the topic of "positive reinterpretation of disease" which seems to be of outstanding importance for patients with life-changing diseases.

The Four Domains Model: Connecting Spirituality, Health and Well-Being

OpenAIRE

John Fisher

2011-01-01

At our core, or coeur, we humans are spiritual beings. Spirituality can be viewed in a variety of ways from a traditional understanding of spirituality as an expression of religiosity, in search of the sacred, through to a humanistic view of spirituality devoid of religion. Health is also multi-faceted, with increasing evidence reporting the relationship of spirituality with physical, mental, emotional, social and vocational well-being. This paper presents spiritual health as a, if not THE, f...

PERAN KECERDASAN SPIRITUAL DALAM PENCAPAIAN KEBERMAKNAAN HIDUP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatma Laili Khoirun Nida

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Kehendak untuk maksud kehidupan adalah motivasi fundamental hadir dalam setiap individu. Pemenuhan kebutuhan ini berpunca dari tiga nilai-nilai  which termasuk: nilai- nilai  kreatif,  nilai- nilai experiental, dan nilai-nilai sikap. Sumber makna nilai-nilai hidup akan actualized dengan bantuan peran kualitas spiritual yang berpotensi hadir dalam setiap individu sebagai quetion shape spiritual. Dengan mengadopsi  logoanalisis dasar teoretis dikembangkan oleh Victor E.  Frankl  dalam metode terapis meaningfulness  kehidupan, di  mana  Frankl  percaya bahwa semua aspek-aspek  arti hidup menyimpan.  Arti hidup untuk dapat dicapai akan diwujudkan dengan bantuan quetion rohani yang melekat pada setiap individu. Justru itu, quetion rohani berkontribusi terhadap pencapaian meaningfulness  kehidupan, dalam peran yang dia dapat menjadi media, control dan petunjuk bagi individu dalam dinamika kehidupan, sehingga masing- masing dalam keadaan apa pun dengan tetap menjaga kualitas keberadaan manusia sebagai intelektual, emosi dan rohani agar ia dapat mencapai maksud kehidupan.   Kata Kunci: Peran, Kecerdasan Spiritual, Kebermaknaan  Hidup THE ROLE OF THE SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE ACHIEVEMENT OF MEANINGFULLNESS. The will to meaning of life is the fundamental  motivation  present in every individual. The fulfillment of these need system from the three valueswhich include: the creative values, experiental values, and attitudinal  values. The source of the meaning of life values that will be actualized with the help of the role of spiritual qualities that are potentially present in every individual as a shaper of spiritual quetion. By adopting the theoretical basic logo analysis developed by Victor E. Franklin therapeutic methods meaning fulness of life, where Frankl  believes that all aspects of the meaning of life saving. Meaning of life to be achieved will be realized with the help of spiritual quetion inherent in each individual. Thus

Validity and Reliability of the Hebrew Version of the SpREUK Questionnaire for Religiosity, Spirituality and Health: An Application for Oral Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harold D. Sgan-Cohen

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Research has examined the connection between religiosity, spirituality (SpR and health, and the potential of these variables to prevent, heal and cope with disease. Research indicated that participation in religious meetings or services was associated with a lower risk of developing oral disease. We intended to test a Hebrew version of the SpREUK 1.1 questionnaire, which is reported to be a reliable and valid measure of distinctive issues of SpR, and to test its relevance in the context of oral illness among a Jewish population. Methods: In order to validate the SpREUK-Hebrew instrument, minor translational and cultural/religious adaptations were applied. Reliability and factor analyses were performed, using standard procedures, among 134 Jewish Israeli subjects (mean age 38.4 years. Results: Analysis of reliability for internal consistency demonstrated an intra-class correlation of Cronbach's alpha = 0.90 for the intrinsic religiosity/spiritual and the appraisal scales, and of 0.90 for the support through spirituality/religiosity scales. Inter reliability agreement by kappa ranged between 0.7 and 0.9. We were able to approve the previously described factorial structure, albeit with some unique characteristics in the Jewish population. Individuals´ time spent on spiritual activity correlated with the SpREUK scales. The instrument discriminated well between religious subgroups (i.e., ultra Orthodox, conventional religious and less-religious. Preliminary results indicate an association between measures of spirituality and oral health. Conclusions: The traditional and cultural adaptation of the tool was found to be appropriate. SpREUK-Hebrew was reliable and valid among a Jewish population. This method could therefore be employed in comparative studies among different cultural and religious backgrounds.

THE TRANSLATION, VALIDATION AND CULTURAL ADAPTATION OF FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CHRONIC ILLNESS THERAPY - SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING 12 (FACIT-SP12) SCALE IN GREEK LANGUAGE.

Science.gov (United States)

Fradelos, Evangelos C; Tzavella, Foteini; Koukia, Evmorfia; Tsaras, Konstantinos; Papathanasiou, Ioanna V; Aroni, Adamantia; Alikari, Victoria; Ralli, Maria; Bredle, Jason; Zyga, Sofia

2016-06-01

According to World Health Organization (WHO), spirituality is an important domain of quality of life especially in terminal, life threatens chronic diseases. For many people spirituality and religion are not just very important dimensions of their existence, but also a source of support that contributes to wellbeing and coping with everyday difficulties of life. Aim of the study was the translation of the Facit Spiritual Well Being Scale (Facit-Sp12) in Greek language and the validation of the scale for the Greek population. The Facit-Sp12 questionnaire is an anonymous self-administered questionnaire that contains twelve, four point Likert scale, closed questions (0=Not at all, 1=A little bit, 2=Some-what, 3=Quite a bit, 4=Very Much). The questionnaire was translated into Greek language and then back translated in the English in order to be checked for any inconsistencies. The sample of the study was 183 chronic kidney disease patients, undergoing hemodialysis. Exploratory factor analysis, with principal components analysis with Varimax rotation was performed for checking the construct validity of the questionnaire. The test-retest reliability and the internal consistency were also examined. Statistical analysis performed by the use of SPSS 21.0. Statistical significance level was set at p=0.05. The final Greek version of the questionnaire includes all of the twelve questions. The mean age of the participants was 61.81±13.9. Three factors were exported from the statistical analysis. The Cronbach-α coefficient was 0.77 for the total questionnaire and for each subscale was 0.70 for "meaning", 0.73 for "peace" and 0.87 for "faith". Between the three subscales "meaning" had the highest score (mean 12.49, SD=2.865). The Facit Spiritual Wellbeing Scale-Facit-Sp12, is a valuable and reliable questionnaire of three dimensions that can be used for assessing spirituality and spiritual wellbeing in Greek population.

The Spiritual Life of Children

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Ruth A.

2010-01-01

A misconception about spirituality is that it is tied to religion (i.e., belief in and reverence for a supernatural power). Yet, the term "spirituality" is derived from the word "spirit"--often defined as the vital principle or animating force within living things. This definition may reflect some overlap with what is generally covered in…

Phenotypic Dimensions of Spirituality: Implications for Mental Health in China, India, and the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

McClintock, Clayton H; Lau, Elsa; Miller, Lisa

2016-01-01

While the field of empirical study on religion and spirituality in relation to mental health has rapidly expanded over the past decade, little is known about underlying dimensions of spirituality cross-culturally conceived. We aimed to bridge this gap by inductively deriving potential universal dimensions of spirituality through a large-scale, multi-national data collection, and examining the relationships of these dimensions with common psychiatric conditions. Five-thousand five-hundred and twelve participants from China, India, and the United States completed a two-hour online survey consisting of wide-ranging measures of the lived experience of spirituality, as well as clinical assessments. A series of inductive Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and cross-validating Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) were conducted to derive common underlying dimensions of spirituality. Logistic regression analyses were then conducted with each dimension to predict depression, suicidal ideation, generalized anxiety, and substance-related disorders. Preliminary EFA results were consistently supported by ESEM findings. Analyses of 40 spirituality measures revealed five invariant factors across countries which were interpreted as five dimensions of universal spiritual experience, specifically: love, in the fabric of relationships and as a sacred reality; unifying interconnectedness, as a sense of energetic oneness with other beings in the universe; altruism, as a commitment beyond the self with care and service; contemplative practice, such as meditation, prayer, yoga, or qigong; and religious and spiritual reflection and commitment, as a life well-examined. Love, interconnectedness, and altruism were associated with less risk of psychopathology for all countries. Religious and spiritual reflection and commitment and contemplative practice were associated with less risk in India and the United States but associated with greater risk in China. Education was directly

Phenotypic Dimensions of Spirituality: Implications for Mental Health in China, India, and the United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clayton Hoi-Yun McClintock

2016-10-01

Full Text Available While the field of empirical study on religion and spirituality in relation to mental health has rapidly expanded over the past decade, little is known about underlying dimensions of spirituality cross-culturally conceived. We aimed to bridge this gap by inductively deriving potential universal dimensions of spirituality through a large-scale, multi-national data collection and examining the relationships of these dimensions with common psychiatric conditions. Five-thousand five-hundred twelve participants from China, India, and the United States completed a two-hour online survey consisting of wide-ranging measures of the lived experience of spirituality, as well as clinical assessments. A series of inductive Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA and cross-validating Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM were conducted to derive common underlying dimensions of spirituality. Logistic regression analyses were then conducted with each dimension to predict depression, suicidal ideation, generalized anxiety, and substance-related disorders. Preliminary EFA results were consistently supported by ESEM findings. Analyses of forty spirituality measures revealed five invariant factors across countries which were interpreted as five dimensions of universal spiritual experience, specifically: love, in the fabric of relationships and as a sacred reality; unifying interconnectedness, as a sense of energetic oneness with other beings in the universe; altruism, as a commitment beyond the self with care and service; contemplative practice, such as meditation, prayer, yoga, or qigong; and religious and spiritual reflection and commitment, as a life well-examined. Love, interconnectedness, and altruism were associated with less risk of psychopathology for all countries. Religious and spiritual reflection and commitment and contemplative practice were associated with less risk in India and the United States but associated with greater risk in China. Education

Nurse education and willingness to provide spiritual care.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Li-Fen; Tseng, Hui-Chen; Liao, Yu-Chen

2016-03-01

Spiritual care is a critical part of holistic care, and nurses require adequate preparation to address the spiritual needs of patients. However, nurses' willingness to provide such care has rarely been reported. Hence, nurses' education, and knowledge of spiritual care, as well as their willingness to provide it require further study. A convenience sample of 200 nurses participated in the study. Quantitative data were collected using a 21-item Spiritual Care Needs Inventory (content validity index=.87; Cronbach's alpha=.96). The majority of participants were female (96.5%, n=193) between 21 and 59years old (mean=35.1years). Moreover, the majority of participants had a Bachelor's degree (74.0%, n=148) and 1-36years of clinical experience (mean=12.13years). Regarding religious beliefs, 63 (31.5%) had no religious belief, and 93 (46.5%) did not engage in any religious activity. Overall, the nurses were willing to provide spiritual care, although only 25 (12.5%) felt that they had received adequate education. The findings of this study indicate the need for further educational preparation in spiritual care for nurses. Specifically, additional teaching materials are required that are more directly related to spiritual care. Greater emphasis should be placed on different subject areas in school-based education, continuing education, and self-learning education according to the needs of nurses. Since spiritual care education needs policy support, in-depth discussions should take place regarding the approach and cultural environment for providing spiritual care in future nursing courses. Moreover, further studies should investigate barriers in providing spiritual nursing care to patients and whether they are the results of a lack of relevant knowledge or other factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spirituality and secularization: nursing and the sociology of religion.

Science.gov (United States)

Paley, John

2008-01-01

The concept of spirituality is much discussed in the UK nursing literature, despite the fact that Britain is one of the most secular countries in the world, and steadily becoming more so. Here, I pose the following question: given this increasing secularization, what accounts for the current interest in spirituality among UK nurses? The literature on spirituality in nursing has blossomed in the last 10 years, and various attempts have been made to define 'spirituality', 'spiritual need' and 'spiritual care'. Most definitions distinguish between 'spirituality' and 'religion', acknowledging that the latter is more institutional, and theologically more restrictive, than the former; and they suggest that spirituality is universal, something which (unlike religion) all human beings share. I draw on the sociology of religion - neglected, for the most part, in the nursing literature - to establish two main points. Firstly, that the UK and the USA are at opposite ends of the religion/secularity spectrum, implying that it is a mistake to assimilate USA and UK sources. Secondly, that the concept of spirituality, as currently understood, is of very recent origin, and is still 'under construction', having become separated from its associations with Christian piety and mysticism only since the 1980s. The extension of spirituality into secular domains is part of a professionalization project in nursing, a claim to jurisdiction over a newly invented sphere of work. For the time being, it remains an academic project (in the UK) as it is not one with which many clinicians identify. Relevance to clinical practice. What counts as 'spiritual need' or 'spiritual care' may not be the same in both countries, and UK clinicians are unlikely to welcome the role of surrogate chaplain, which their USA colleagues are apparently willing to embrace.

Self-reported frequency of nurse-provided spiritual care.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Elizabeth Johnston; Mamier, Iris; Ricci-Allegra, Patricia; Foith, Joanne

2017-06-01

To describe how frequently RNs provide 17 spiritual care therapeutics (or interventions) during a 72-80h timeframe. Plagued by conceptual muddiness as well as weak methods, research quantifying the frequency of spiritual care is not only methodologically limited, but also sparse. Secondary analysis of data from four studies that used the Nurse Spiritual Care Therapeutics Scale (NSCTS). Data from US American RNs who responded to online surveys about spiritual care were analyzed. The four studies included intensive care unit nurses in Ohio (n=93), hospice and palliative care nurses across the US (n=104), nurses employed in a Christian health care system (n=554), and nurses responding to an invitation to participate found on a journal website (n=279). The NSCTS mean of 38 (with a range from 17 to 79 [of 85 possible]) suggested respondents include spiritual care therapeutics infrequently in their nursing care. Particularly concerning is the finding that 17-33% (depending on NSCTS item) never completed a spiritual screening during the timeframe. "Remaining present just to show caring" was the most frequent therapeutic (3.4 on a 5-point scale); those who practiced presence at least 12 times during the timeframe provided other spiritual care therapeutics more frequently than those who offered presence less frequently. Findings affirm previous research that suggests nurses provide spiritual care infrequently. These findings likely provide the strongest evidence yet for the need to improve spiritual care education and support for nurses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spiritual Nursing Care Education An Integrated Strategy for Teaching Students.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Donna M; Hand, Mikel

The failure of nursing schools to integrate spiritual nursing care education into the curriculum has contributed to a lack in nurses' spiritual care ability. Developing, integrating, and testing a Spiritual Care Nursing Education strategy in an Associates of Science nursing program significantly increased the perceived spiritual care competence of student nurses. Utilizing a faculty team to develop learning activities to address critical spiritual care attributes offers a method to integrate spiritual nursing care content throughout the curriculum in ASN and BSN programs.

Fostering Spiritual Formation of Millennials in Christian Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Horan, Anne Puidk

2017-01-01

Christian education seeks to foster millennials' spiritual formation to equip them for future challenges and to benefit society. Using nonexperimental mixed methods, 504 secondary educators revealed what spiritual formation programs their schools implement and their perceptions about millennial spiritual formation. Descriptive analysis showed that…

Spirituality in Nursing: An Overview of Research Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helga Martins

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Spirituality has been widely considered important for patients’ health and for healthcare practice and is related to connectedness, meaning in life, and transcendence. Research concerning spirituality is growing rapidly, and the implementation of spiritual care should be based on evidence. This literature review aims to describe the methods that have been used in nursing research focusing on spirituality. The electronic search on databases through EBSCOhost identified 2091 citations, and a total of 231 studies were included. The methods used in research on spirituality in nursing are mostly quantitative (52.4%, but some are qualitative (42.8% and mixed (4.8%. Regarding the quantitative research, most studies are observational (90.9%, and these are mainly descriptive (82.7% and correlational (17.3%. Most studies used a cross-sectional design (98.7%, and few used longitudinal design (1.3%. The qualitative research is descriptive (39.4%, phenomenological (26.3%, and grounded theory (14.1%. Research on spirituality in nursing is based on both main paradigms (quantitative and qualitative, but also on mixed methods. Studies have mainly been conducted using cross-sectional designs when compared to longitudinal designs. The latter seem to constitute a gap in nursing knowledge and evidence regarding the changes of spirituality over time, which is particularly important for nurses’ delivery of spiritual care.

Risk Assessment Stability: A Revalidation Study of the Arizona Risk/Needs Assessment Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Schwalbe, Craig S.

2009-01-01

The actuarial method is the gold standard for risk assessment in child welfare, juvenile justice, and criminal justice. It produces risk classifications that are highly predictive and that may be robust to sampling error. This article reports a revalidation study of the Arizona Risk/Needs Assessment instrument, an actuarial instrument for juvenile…

Measuring spirituality as a universal human experience: development of the Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List (SAIL).

Science.gov (United States)

de Jager Meezenbroek, Eltica; Garssen, Bert; Van den Berg, Machteld; Tuytel, Gerwi; Van Dierendonck, Dirk; Visser, Adriaan; Schaufeli, Wilmar B

2012-01-01

Many cancer patients experience spirituality as highly supportive while coping with their disease. Most research as well as most questionnaires in this field is religious orientated. The Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List was developed to enable research on spirituality among religious and nonreligious people. It consists of seven subscales that measure connectedness with oneself, with others and nature, and with the transcendent. Among a student, a healthy population, a healthy interested, a curative cancer, and a palliative cancer sample factorial, convergent and discriminant validity were demonstrated, as well as adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability.

Business leadership as a spiritual discipline.

Science.gov (United States)

Leigh-Taylor, C

2000-01-01

What motivates organizational leaders in their search for spirituality? They seek to integrate their inner journey with their day-to-day professional roles. This article describes how a course in spirituality for executives has provided tools to analyze and clarify intentions, avoid the traps of excessive greed and power, and make decisions that are both compassionate and effective. André L. Delbecq, DBA, the Thomas J. and Kathleen L. McCarthy Professor at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University in California, offers seminars in spirituality for organizational leadership through the MBA program and the Center for Executive Development. Delbecq is the first to admit his surprise at the number of executives who have repeatedly asked for courses in spirituality. He talks about how his seminars have helped CEOs and other top executives achieve greater effectiveness in leading organizations.

Exploring prayer as a spiritual modality.

Science.gov (United States)

Farah, Jennifer; McColl, Mary Ann

2008-02-01

What does it mean to focus on the spiritual in occupational therapy? What interventions would qualify as spiritual modalities? This paper attempts to define the boundaries of what may be considered legitimate uses of spirituality in occupational therapy by using the example of prayer. The purpose of this paper was to provide an in-depth analysis of the use of prayer in practice. Medical and allied health journals were searched using the terms spirituality, spirit, religion, and prayer. Identified articles were synthesized to identify potential advantages and disadvantages of using prayer in therapy. Prayer can be considered an appropriate occupational therapy intervention so long as four questions can be answered positively. To answer these questions, guidelines are provided that will lead the therapist through a decision making process to determine the appropriateness of incorporating prayer into any clinical situation.

WORKPLACE SPIRITUALITY FOR IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY:A GENDERED PERSPECTIVE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad

2017-01-01

Full Text Available There are a very few studies available to gain insight into the impact ofyoga andalternative therapies1on stress management, conflict resolution and workproductivity. In previous studies the focus fell on the gendered perspective,exploring the impact of spiritual modalities on the physical and mental wellness ofmale and female employees.Spiritual practices such as yogaandother alternativetherapies have been found to be significant to enhance work productivity, hence bepart of organisational wellness programmes. However, this aspect is not fullyimplemented due to various reasons including a lack of spiritual understanding,religious preferences and organisational cultures.The aim of this article is to expandupon and enhance this analysis by aligning spiritual practices to workplaceproductivity.Books, journal articles, dissertations, and conference proceedingsdealing with spirituality at the workplacewere reviewed. Based on the literatureavailable, two hypotheses are explored, namely(a that workplace spiritualityenhances employee wellness and has a positive impact on improved productivity;and(b that workplace spirituality impacts differently on male and femaleemployees (gendered perspective and leads to improved productivity. The articleformulates a model called Workplace Spirituality for Gender-based Productivity(WSG-bP for consideration under the umbrella of existing Employee WorkWellness programmes

Association of Sociodemographic Factors with Spirituality and Hope in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

Science.gov (United States)

Salomé, Geraldo Magela; de Almeida, Sergio Aguinaldo; Mendes, Bruno; de Carvalho, Maiume Roana Ferreira; Bueno, José Carlos; Massahud, Marcelo Renato; Ferreira, Lydia Masako

2017-01-01

To evaluate levels of spirituality and hope in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) according to sociodemographic factors. This was a primary, prospective, descriptive, analytical, and clinical study. Questionnaires assessing sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, the Spirituality Self-rating Scale (SSRS), and the Herth Hope Index (HHI) were administered to all participants. University-affiliated skilled nursing center and outpatient wound care clinic in Pouso Alegre, Brazil. Fifty adult patients with DFUs participated in the study. Patients with ischemic diabetic foot and mixed ulcers were excluded from the study. On average, patients with DFUs had low levels of spirituality (mean SSRS score, 12.6) and low hope for cure (mean HHI, 16.5). Patients younger than 60 years reported significantly lower levels of spirituality (mean SSRS scores, 11.0), and those older than 70 years had significantly lower hope for cure (mean HHI, 12.5) than other age groups (P = .040). Level of spirituality was significantly lower among women (P = .015) and those living with an ulcer for more than 2 years, who also reported significantly lower hope for cure (P = .029) compared with patients having an ulcer for less than 2 years. On average, patients with DFUs, especially women and older adults, had a low sense of hope and spirituality. Except for gender, age, and ulcer duration, other sociodemographic and ulcer characteristics had no significant effect on the study population's spirituality and hope.

Spiritual pain among patients with advanced cancer in palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Mako, Caterina; Galek, Kathleen; Poppito, Shannon R

2006-10-01

The large body of empirical research suggesting that patients' spiritual and existential experiences influence the disease process has raised the need for health care professionals to understand the complexity of patients' spiritual pain and distress. The current study explores the multidimensional nature of spiritual pain, in patients with end-stage cancer, in relation to physical pain, symptom severity, and emotional distress. The study combines a quantitative evaluation of participants' intensity of spiritual pain, physical pain, depression, and intensity of illness, with a qualitative focus on the nature of patients' spiritual pain and the kinds of interventions patients believed would ameliorate their spiritual pain. Fifty-seven patients with advanced stage cancer in a palliative care hospital were interviewed by chaplains. Overall, 96% of the patients reported experiencing spiritual pain, but they expressed it in different ways: (1) as an intrapsychic conflict, (2) as interpersonal loss or conflict, or (3) in relation to the divine. Intensity of spiritual pain was correlated with depression (r = 0.43, p spiritual pain did not vary by age, gender, disease course or religious affiliation. Given both the universality of spiritual pain and the multifaceted nature of pain, we propose that when patients report the experience of pain, more consideration be given to the complexity of the phenomena and that spiritual pain be considered a contributing factor. The authors maintain that spiritual pain left unaddressed both impedes recovery and contributes to the overall suffering of the patient.

Quality of life and religious-spiritual coping in palliative cancer care patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Matos, Ticiane Dionizio de Sousa; Meneguin, Silmara; Ferreira, Maria de Lourdes da Silva; Miot, Helio Amante

2017-07-10

to compare the quality of life and religious-spiritual coping of palliative cancer care patients with a group of healthy participants; assess whether the perceived quality of life is associated with the religious-spiritual coping strategies; identify the clinical and sociodemographic variables related to quality of life and religious-spiritual coping. cross-sectional study involving 96 palliative outpatient care patient at a public hospital in the interior of the state of São Paulo and 96 healthy volunteers, using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Brief Religious-Spiritual Coping scale. 192 participants were interviewed who presented good quality of life and high use of Religious-Spiritual Coping. Greater use of negative Religious-Spiritual Coping was found in Group A, as well as lesser physical and psychological wellbeing and quality of life. An association was observed between quality of life scores and Religious-Spiritual Coping (pestrategias de coping religioso-espiritual; identificar las variables clínicas y sociodemográficas relacionadas a la calidad de vida y al coping religioso-espiritual. estudio transversal, desarrollado con 96 pacientes de ambulatorio de cuidados paliativos en un hospital público en el interior del Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, y 96 voluntarios sanos, mediante cuestionario utilizando datos sociodemográficos, el McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire y el Coping Religioso-Espiritual-Breve. fueron entrevistados 192 participantes que presentaron buena calidad de vida y alta utilización del Coping Religioso-Espiritual. Fue encontrado mayor uso de Coping Religioso-Espiritual negativo en el Grupo A, y también menor bienestar físico, psicológico y de calidad de vida. Fue observada asociación entre los scores de calidad de vida y Coping Religioso-Espiritual (pestrategia de enfrentamiento en pacientes bajo cuidados paliativos.

OA35 Shared humanity, shared mortality - spiritual care in care homes.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Mark

2015-04-01

Currently a fifth of the population die in care homes and most residents are in the final year of life. Spiritual care is recognised as important (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE] Quality Standards, Leadership Alliance) yet there is little teaching for care homes' staff in this vital area. Spiritual care is intrinsic in the Gold Standards Framework (GSF) programmes, it is one of the standards for GSF accreditation, yet often health and social care professionals are unaware or unconfident in this area, with a tendency to confuse spirituality with religion. To develop a Spiritual Care course to supplement the range of GSF programmes, especially for care homes, to increase confidence and ability of staff caring for people nearing the end of life. While we need to bring professional expertise to bear in our caring, we must also bring our humanity, our lack of answers and our ability to listen with mindfulness and compassion. Working in collaboration with Staffordshire University, blending academic and practical expertise, we developed a one day workshop and filmed a four-module distance-learning course. Evaluations have shown a broadening of awareness and perspective, increased confidence in assessing and meeting spiritual needs, greater self-care and resilience amongst staff and a more creative interpretation of spiritual care helping to meet the needs of care homes' residents. Early use of this spiritual care workshop and course for care homes' staff has been well received and encouraging. Sharing our common human experience of loss and mortality leads to greater resilience through inner transformation. © 2015, Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

'Spiritual care is not the hospital's business': a qualitative study on the perspectives of patients about the integration of spirituality in healthcare settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Pujol, Nicolas; Jobin, Guy; Beloucif, Sadek

2016-08-24

Several studies have investigated the relationship between spirituality and health. They claim the need to develop spiritual care to answer patients' spiritual suffering and to promote spiritual well-being. However, the present study critically analyses the following idea: we ought to take care of the spiritual dimension of patients. Does this interest for spirituality not come from healthcare professionals' desire more than from the patients themselves? To answer this question, we explored the perspectives of individuals with cancer regarding the integration of spirituality in the healthcare setting. Qualitative design using semistructured interviews to focus on subjective experience. One of the major public hospitals of Paris, France. 20 participants (n=11 men and n=9 women) with advanced cancer (stage IV). Age ranges from 37 to 80 years with a mean age of 58.7 years. Findings demonstrated that participants do not expect help from the hospital to handle spiritual issues but they wish for their spiritual dimension to be simply recognised as a part of their identity and dignity. Findings invite us to view the question of spirituality not as a new dimension of care but as a new challenge for healthcare institutions to recognise that the persons they are working for are not just 'patients' but human beings with a precious interior life. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Hope for the future: intensifying spirituality in the workplace.

Science.gov (United States)

Batcheller, Joyce; Davis, James; Yoder-Wise, Patricia S

2013-01-01

Healthy workplaces address various issues. Work focused on ergonomics addresses physical issues, satisfaction surveys reveal psychosocial issues; and other approaches address spirituality issues. Spirituality in the workplace contributes to holistic care and to the worth of the individual. Incorporating the concept of spirituality, in its broad sense, into the workplace enriches leadership practice and contributes to a holistic work environment. Spirituality is core to the servant leader approach to leadership and beneficial to other approaches. Followers benefit from a holistic approach to leadership; and some specific practices can exhibit the belief an organization holds related to the worth of the individual. Incorporating spirituality into an organization reflects the same values nursing holds for person-centered care, a view of integration of physical, psychological, and spiritual needs.

Spirituality in Sport – Athletes’ Experiences and Reflections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ronkainen, Noora; Nesti, Mark; Tikkanen, Olli

Northern European countries, England and Finland. Our inquiry was grounded on existential-narrative framework and a broad existentialist definition of spirituality (Webster, 2004). The empirical data was collected through essay writing. Eight elite athletes were invited to write a reflective story about...... mainly, but not exclusively, humanistic dimensions of spirituality. The emerging themes included transcendence, movement as a way of being and experiencing, love for the sport, wonder and awe. We suggest that although many people in Northern European countries may not identify their experiences......-cognitive theorizing. References Parry, J., Robinson, S., Watson, N. and Nesti, M. (2007). Sport and Spirituality: An Introduction. London: Routledge. Webster, R. (2004). An Existential Framework of Spirituality. International Journal of Children’s Spirituality 9: 7–19....

One-Year Linear Trajectories of Symptoms, Physical Functioning, Cognitive Functioning, Emotional Well-being, and Spiritual Well-being Among Patients Receiving Dialysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Mi-Kyung; Paul, Sudeshna; Ward, Sandra E; Gilet, Constance A; Hladik, Gerald A

2018-01-25

This study evaluated 1-year linear trajectories of patient-reported dimensions of quality of life among patients receiving dialysis. Longitudinal observational study. 227 patients recruited from 12 dialysis centers. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Participants completed an hour-long interview monthly for 12 months. Each interview included patient-reported outcome measures of overall symptoms (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System), physical functioning (Activities of Daily Living/Instrumental Activities of Daily Living), cognitive functioning (Patient's Assessment of Own Functioning Inventory), emotional well-being (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, State Anxiety Inventory, and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule), and spiritual well-being (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale). For each dimension, linear and generalized linear mixed-effects models were used. Linear trajectories of the 5 dimensions were jointly modeled as a multivariate outcome over time. Although dimension scores fluctuated greatly from month to month, overall symptoms, cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, and spiritual well-being improved over time. Older compared with younger participants reported higher scores across all dimensions (all Pspiritual well-being compared with their white counterparts (P<0.01). Clustering analysis of dimension scores revealed 2 distinctive clusters. Cluster 1 was characterized by better scores than those of cluster 2 in nearly all dimensions at baseline and by gradual improvement over time. Study was conducted in a single region of the United States and included mostly patients with high levels of function across the dimensions of quality of life studied. Multidimensional patient-reported quality of life varies widely from month to month regardless of whether overall trajectories improve or worsen over time. Additional research is needed to identify the best approaches to incorporate

Conflicting Values: Spirituality and Wilderness at Mt. Shasta

Science.gov (United States)

Maria Fernandez-Gimenez; Lynn Huntsinger; Catherine Phillips; Barbara Allen-Diaz

1992-01-01

Many people from a variety of backgrounds believe that Mt. Shasta is a major spiritual center. Although these "spiritual users" value the area's natural features, their spiritual and social activities, including construction of sweat lodges, medicine wheels, altars, meditation pads, trails, and campsites, are leading to rapid ecological degradation. This...

Autobiography as a spiritual practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Staude, John-Raphael

2005-01-01

In this article autobiography is defined as a dialogue of the self with itself in the present about the past for the sake of self-understanding. Spirituality involves connectedness to oneself, others, nature and to a larger meaning. It is associated with creativity, play, wisdom, faith, and a sense of oneness. Writing and reflecting on one's autobiography enhances spiritual growth and can be therapeutic freeing people from outlived roles and self-imposed images. After discussing the history of spiritual autobiography as a genre, the author compares and contrasts four approaches to autobiography: the structured life review, the guided autobiography, the intensive journal workbook, and autobiographical work in twelve step programs. For those who work with older persons these techniques should prove very useful.