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Sample records for spiritually based interventions

  1. The effect of need-based spiritual/religious intervention on spiritual well-being and anxiety of elderly people.

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    Elham, Hedayati; Hazrati, Maryam; Momennasab, Marzieh; Sareh, Keshavarzi

    2015-01-01

    Anxiety and spiritual distress are the most common problems among the patients admitted in intensive care units. The elderly are more vulnerable to this problem due to impairment of their adaptation mechanisms. Hence, helping to reduce anxiety is one of the most effective nursing interventions. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the effect of need-based spiritual/religious interventions on spiritual well-being (SWB) and anxiety of the elderly admitted to coronary care unit (CCU). This quasi-experimental study with pre- and posttest control group design was conducted on 66 patients admitted to CCU of Imam Reza hospital in Lar, southern Iran, in 2014. After obtaining informed consents, the data were collected using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the SWB Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. The questionnaires were completed through interviewing the patients before and after the intervention. The participants of the intervention group underwent 60- to 90-minute sessions of spiritual and religious need-based interventions for 3 consecutive days. The results showed a significant increase in the mean scores of SWB in the intervention group after the intervention (P = .001). Also, a significant decrease was found in mean scores of trait and state anxiety in the intervention group in comparing to control group (P Spiritual/religious interventions could enhance SWB and reduce anxiety in the elderly admitted to CCU.

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

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    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."

  3. Effect of an intervention based on basic Buddhist principles on the spiritual well-being of patients with terminal cancer.

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    Chimluang, Janya; Thanasilp, Sureeporn; Akkayagorn, Lanchasak; Upasen, Ratchaneekorn; Pudtong, Noppamat; Tantitrakul, Wilailuck

    2017-12-01

    To evaluate the effect of an intervention based on basic Buddhist principles on the spiritual well-being of patients with terminal cancer. This quasi-experimental research study had pre- and post-test control groups. The experimental group received conventional care and an intervention based on basic Buddhist principles for three consecutive days, including seven activities based on precept activities, concentration activities and wisdom activities. The control group received conventional care alone. Forty-eight patients participated in this study: 23 in the experimental group and 25 in the control group. Their mean age was 53 (standard deviation 10) years. The spiritual well-being of participants in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of participants in the control group at the second post-test (P principles improved the spiritual well-being of patients with terminal cancer. This result supports the beneficial effects of implementing this type of intervention for patients with terminal cancer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Spirituality Intervention and Outcomes: Corner stone of Holistic Nursing Practice

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    Mardiyono Mardiyono

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Holistic nursing results in healing the whole person as human being that has interconnectedness of body mind social cultural spiritual aspect.Objective: The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of Islamic spirituality interventions on health outcomes in nursing.Method: Databases searched for electronic journals and books that were published since 1994 to 2010 were included.Results: Spirituality intervention mainly composes of prayer, recitation of the holy Qur’an, remembrance of Allah, fasting, charity, prophets’ methods, and modified Islamic methods. Thirteen studies found that various outcomes have been highlighted when applied in several areas of nursing, such as stimulating baby’s cognitive ability in maternal nursing, promoting health during eating halal food, fasting, abstinence of alcohol and tobacco consumption, performing regular exercise, reducing anxiety, and pain in medical-surgical nursing. In mental health nursing, six studies explored effects of prayer and religious psychotherapy to enhance happiness and physical health and alleviate anxiety, and depression. Three studies reported Islamic cognitive therapy to alleviate the auditory hallucination, bereavement, and depression. In critical care nursing, three studies employed reciting the holy Qur’an and talqin in end of life care.Conclusion: Although the literature is limited in the amount and quality of spirituality interventions, some evidences have shown as integrative energy in nursing practice to promote health and minimize some symptoms. Spirituality interventions should be performed to acknowledge the high priority in holistic nursing and support interventions.Keywords: spirituality intervention, holistic nursing, Islam

  5. Spiritual interventions and the impact of a faith community nursing program.

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    Shores, Cynthia Ingram

    2014-04-01

    Faith community nursing had its formal beginnings in the Midwestern United States in 1984 when six nurses received financial support from a local hospital to work in churches. Over time, the churches assumed increasing responsibility for the nurses' salaries. The success of this initiative was associated with the understanding that faith communities are dedicated to keeping people well. The number of programs increased over the past 30 years and now there are thousands of faith community nurses serving populations around the world. Research for this specialty practice has not experienced comparable growth, and is needed to further develop faith community nursing science. This study, based on the Roy Adaptation Model, used a qualitative design to identify spiritual nursing interventions that faith community nurses use in their practice, and to examine the spiritual impact of a faith community nursing program. Data were collected from faith community members, clergy representatives, and faith community nurses with a researcher-developed demographic tool and a six-item open-ended questionnaire that were both mailed to participants (N = 112; n = 52; response rate = 46%) and analyzed through content analysis. A variety of spiritual nursing interventions were identified. Themes related to the spiritual impact included the physical, mental, and spiritual health connection, caring, hope, spiritual support and benefits, and religious concepts.

  6. [Spiritual Care of Patients With Depression].

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    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.

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

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    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.

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

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    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

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

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    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...

  10. Achieving Cultural Congruency in Weight Loss Interventions: Can a Spirituality-Based Program Attract and Retain an Inner-City Community Sample?

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    Davis, Chad; Dutton, William Blake; Durant, Taryn; Annunziato, Rachel A.; Marcotte, David

    2014-01-01

    Ethnic minorities continue to be disproportionately affected by obesity and are less likely to access healthcare than Caucasians. It is therefore imperative that researchers develop novel methods that will attract these difficult-to-reach groups. The purpose of the present study is to describe characteristics of an urban community sample attracted to a spiritually based, weight loss intervention. Methods. Thirteen participants enrolled in a pilot version of Spiritual Self-Schema Therapy (3S) applied to disordered eating behavior and obesity. Treatment consisted of 12 one-hour sessions in a group therapy format. At baseline, participants were measured for height and weight and completed a battery of self-report measures. Results. The sample was predominantly African-American and Hispanic and a large percentage of the sample was male. Mean baseline scores of the EDE-Q, YFAS, and the CES-D revealed clinically meaningful levels of eating disordered pathology and depression, respectively. The overall attrition rate was quite low for interventions targeting obesity. Discussion. This application of a spiritually centered intervention seemed to attract and retain a predominantly African-American and Hispanic sample. By incorporating a culturally congruent focus, this approach may have been acceptable to individuals who are traditionally more difficult to reach. PMID:24804086

  11. Achieving Cultural Congruency in Weight Loss Interventions: Can a Spirituality-Based Program Attract and Retain an Inner-City Community Sample?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chad Davis

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Ethnic minorities continue to be disproportionately affected by obesity and are less likely to access healthcare than Caucasians. It is therefore imperative that researchers develop novel methods that will attract these difficult-to-reach groups. The purpose of the present study is to describe characteristics of an urban community sample attracted to a spiritually based, weight loss intervention. Methods. Thirteen participants enrolled in a pilot version of Spiritual Self-Schema Therapy (3S applied to disordered eating behavior and obesity. Treatment consisted of 12 one-hour sessions in a group therapy format. At baseline, participants were measured for height and weight and completed a battery of self-report measures. Results. The sample was predominantly African-American and Hispanic and a large percentage of the sample was male. Mean baseline scores of the EDE-Q, YFAS, and the CES-D revealed clinically meaningful levels of eating disordered pathology and depression, respectively. The overall attrition rate was quite low for interventions targeting obesity. Discussion. This application of a spiritually centered intervention seemed to attract and retain a predominantly African-American and Hispanic sample. By incorporating a culturally congruent focus, this approach may have been acceptable to individuals who are traditionally more difficult to reach.

  12. Achieving cultural congruency in weight loss interventions: can a spirituality-based program attract and retain an inner-city community sample?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Chad; Dutton, William Blake; Durant, Taryn; Annunziato, Rachel A; Marcotte, David

    2014-01-01

    Ethnic minorities continue to be disproportionately affected by obesity and are less likely to access healthcare than Caucasians. It is therefore imperative that researchers develop novel methods that will attract these difficult-to-reach groups. The purpose of the present study is to describe characteristics of an urban community sample attracted to a spiritually based, weight loss intervention. METHODS. Thirteen participants enrolled in a pilot version of Spiritual Self-Schema Therapy (3S) applied to disordered eating behavior and obesity. Treatment consisted of 12 one-hour sessions in a group therapy format. At baseline, participants were measured for height and weight and completed a battery of self-report measures. The sample was predominantly African-American and Hispanic and a large percentage of the sample was male. Mean baseline scores of the EDE-Q, YFAS, and the CES-D revealed clinically meaningful levels of eating disordered pathology and depression, respectively. The overall attrition rate was quite low for interventions targeting obesity. This application of a spiritually centered intervention seemed to attract and retain a predominantly African-American and Hispanic sample. By incorporating a culturally congruent focus, this approach may have been acceptable to individuals who are traditionally more difficult to reach.

  13. Therapeutical Intervention, Relaxation, Mental Images, and Spirituality (RIME for Spiritual Pain in Terminal Patients. A Training Program

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    Ana Catarina de Araújo Elias

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Therapeutic intervention involving the technique of Relaxation, Mental Images, and Spirituality (RIME can foster the redefinition of spiritual pain in terminal patients. A training course was developed to instruct health care professionals in its use, and the results were followed up by evaluating reactions of professionals to its use in intervention with patients. Six subjects (a nurse, a doctor, three psychologists, and an alternative therapist, all skilled in palliative care, were invited to take part in the experience. They worked with 11 terminal patients in public hospitals of the cities of Campinas, Piracicaba, and São Paulo, located in Brazil. The theoretical basis for the study involves action research and phenomenology, and the results were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The analysis of the experience of the professionals revealed 5 categories and 15 subcategories. The analysis of the nature of spiritual pain revealed 6 categories and 11 subcategories. The administration of RIME revealed statistically significant differences (p < 0.0001, i.e., patients reported a greater level of well-being at the end than at the beginning of sessions, which suggests that RIME led to the redefinition of spiritual pain for these terminal patients. The training program proposed has shown itself to be effective in preparing health care professionals for the use of RIME intervention.

  14. Spirituality and religion among HIV-infected individuals.

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    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.

  15. Spirituality and optimism: a holistic approach to component-based, self-management treatment for HIV.

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    Brown, Jordan; Hanson, Jan E; Schmotzer, Brian; Webel, Allison R

    2014-10-01

    For people living with HIV (PLWH), spirituality and optimism have a positive influence on their health, can slow HIV disease progression, and can improve quality of life. Our aim was to describe longitudinal changes in spirituality and optimism after participation in the SystemCHANGE™-HIV intervention. Upon completion of the intervention, participants experienced an 11.5 point increase in overall spiritual well-being (p = 0.036), a 6.3 point increase in religious well-being (p = 0.030), a 4.8 point increase in existential well-being (p = 0.125), and a 0.8 point increase in total optimism (p = 0.268) relative to controls. Our data suggest a group-based self-management intervention increases spiritual well-being in PLWH.

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

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    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.

  17. The Islamic Perspective of Spiritual Intervention Effectiveness on Bio-Psychological Health Displayed by Gene Expression in Breast Cancer Patients.

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    Hosseini, Leili; Lotfi Kashani, Farah; Akbari, Somayeh; Akbari, Mohammad Esmaeil; Sarafraz Mehr, Saeedeh

    2016-04-01

    During the last two decades, there have been spiritual/religious interventions in cancer patients to prevent or treat a range of physical problems, including managing chronic pain, coping with the disease, boosting hope and mental health. Although societies are of different faiths and belief systems, what they all share is spirituality. Upon this we put forward the hypothesis of changes in gene receptor expressions as a result of spiritual intervention for the first time in the world. In this study, the spiritual intervention was conducted on 57 volunteer females with early breast cancer involvement. Blood samples were collected prior to and after the spiritual intervention to analyze the changes in dopamine gene receptor expressions as the main site of effect. In order to administer the spiritual intervention backed by Quran, Islam and international standards, issues, with emphasis on peace, human growth and perfection, accepting God as an eternal source of power and kindness to build trust and reduce stress, were selected. They included prayer, patience, reliance, self-sacrifice and forgiveness, altruism and kindness, remission and repentance, thankfulness, zikr (mantra), meditation, and death concept. Obtained results from peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples analyzed by real time-PCR showed significant reduction in dopamine gene receptor (DRD1-5) expressions in comparison with those of pre-test scores and the control group. Spiritual intervention based on Islamic principals can bring back mental health, increase hope and quality of life and eventually change dopamine gene receptor expressions resulting in reduction of cell proliferation, thus better prevention and management in breast cancer patients compared to other forms of treatment.

  18. Effect of Islam-based religious program on spiritual wellbeing in elderly with hypertension.

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    Moeini, Mahin; Sharifi, Somaye; Kajbaf, Mohamed Bagher

    2016-01-01

    Lack of spiritual health in patients with hypertension leads to many mental, social, and physical effects, On the other hand, considering the prevalence of hypertension among the elderly, interventions to enhance their spiritual wellbeing is essential. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effect of religious programs based on Islam on spiritual wellbeing in elderly patients with hypertension who referred to the health centers of Isfahan in 2014. This study was a randomized clinical trial. The participants (52 elderly patients with hypertension) were randomly divided in to experimental and control groups. Religious program was implemented for the experimental group in eight sessions in two Isfahan health centers. Spirituality wellbeing survey (SWB) questionnaire was completed in three steps, namely, pretest, posttest and follow-up (1 month) in two groups. In the study, Chi-square test, independent t -test, and repeated-measures analysis of variance were performed for analyzing the data. Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the mean scores of spiritual wellbeing, the religious dimension, and the existential aspect of spiritual wellbeing of the two groups. However in the posttest step and follow-up stage, the mean scores of spiritual wellbeing, the religious dimension, and the existential aspect of spiritual wellbeing in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the control group ( P < 0.001). The religious program based on Islam promoted the SWB of elderly patients with hypertension; further, nurses can use these programs to promote the SWB of elderly patients with hypertension.

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

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    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.

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

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    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

  1. Spiritual AIM and the work of the chaplain: a model for assessing spiritual needs and outcomes in relationship.

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    Shields, Michele; Kestenbaum, Allison; Dunn, Laura B

    2015-02-01

    Distinguishing the unique contributions and roles of chaplains as members of healthcare teams requires the fundamental step of articulating and critically evaluating conceptual models that guide practice. However, there is a paucity of well-described spiritual assessment models. Even fewer of the extant models prescribe interventions and describe desired outcomes corresponding to spiritual assessments. This article describes the development, theoretical underpinnings, and key components of one model, called the Spiritual Assessment and Intervention Model (Spiritual AIM). Three cases are presented that illustrate Spiritual AIM in practice. Spiritual AIM was developed over the past 20 years to address the limitations of existing models. The model evolved based in part on observing how different people respond to a health crisis and what kinds of spiritual needs appear to emerge most prominently during a health crisis. Spiritual AIM provides a conceptual framework for the chaplain to diagnose an individual's primary unmet spiritual need, devise and implement a plan for addressing this need through embodiment/relationship, and articulate and evaluate the desired and actual outcome of the intervention. Spiritual AIM's multidisciplinary theory is consistent with the goals of professional chaplaincy training and practice, which emphasize the integration of theology, recognition of interpersonal dynamics, cultural humility and competence, ethics, and theories of human development. Further conceptual and empirical work is needed to systematically refine, evaluate, and disseminate well-articulated spiritual assessment models such as Spiritual AIM. This foundational work is vital to advancing chaplaincy as a theoretically grounded and empirically rigorous healthcare profession.

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

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    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.

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

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    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.

  4. Psycho-Spiritual Integrative Therapy: Psychological Intervention for Women with Breast Cancer

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    Corwin, Diana; Wall, Kathleen; Koopman, Cheryl

    2012-01-01

    Women with breast cancer frequently report psychological distress throughout the treatment process. Patients have several empirically supported options for group psychotherapy while undergoing breast cancer treatment. However, few interventions have been developed that incorporate spirituality into psychotherapy, despite indications that patients…

  5. Spirituality and stress management in healthy adults.

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    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.

  6. Randomized controlled trial of a six-week spiritual reminiscence intervention on hope, life satisfaction, and spiritual well-being in elderly with mild and moderate dementia.

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    Wu, Li-Fen; Koo, Malcolm

    2016-02-01

    Reminiscence therapy has been reported to improve the well-being in patients with dementia. However, few studies have examined the effects of spiritual reminiscence, which emphasizes on reconnecting and enhancing the meaning of one's own experience, on patients with dementia. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of spiritual reminiscence on hope, life satisfaction, and spiritual well-being in elderly Taiwanese with mild or moderate dementia. A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 103 patients with mild or moderate dementia recruited from a medical center in central Taiwan. The patients were randomly assigned to either a 6-week spiritual reminiscence group (n = 53) or control group (n = 50). The Herth Hope Index, the Life Satisfaction Scale, the Spirituality Index of Well-Being were administered before and after the 6-week period. The interaction terms between group and time for the three outcome measures were found to be significant (P hope, life satisfaction, and spiritual well-being of elderly patients with mild or moderate dementia could significantly be improved with a 6-week spiritual reminiscence intervention. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. Addiction treatment intervention: an uncontrolled prospective pilot study of Spiritual Self-Schema therapy with Latina women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amaro, Hortensia; Magno-Gatmaytan, Cielo; Meléndez, Michael; Cortés, Dharma E; Arevalo, Sandra; Margolin, Arthur

    2010-04-01

    Spiritual Self-Schema (3-S) is a weekly 8-session, mindfulness-based, manual-guided, individual intervention targeting addiction and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors that integrates cognitive behavioral strategies with Buddhist principles and clients' religious/spiritual beliefs. 3-S is efficacious for reducing drug use and HIV risk behaviors among mixed-gender, methadone-maintained outpatients. The study goal was to conduct a preliminary evaluation of 3-S therapy among urban, low-income Latinas (n = 13) in residential addiction treatment. Data gathered via in-person interviews (baseline, 8 and 20 weeks postentry) showed high rates of 3-S acceptability and positive changes in a number of outcomes relevant to recovery from addiction and to HIV prevention, including impulsivity, spirituality, motivation for change, and HIV prevention knowledge. The study findings are promising; however, a controlled study with longer follow-up is needed to rigorously assess the efficacy of 3-S therapy with Latinas in substance abuse treatment.

  8. The Effectiveness of Group Spiritual Intervention on Self-esteem and Happiness among Men Undergoing Methadone Maintenance Treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jalali, Amir; Behrouzi, Mahvash Kashkouli; Salari, Nader; Bazrafshan, Mohammad-Rafi; Rahmati, Mahmoud

    2018-05-10

    Drug dependence or substance use disorder not only affects a person's life but also brings a lot of challenges for families and communities and imposes heavy burdens on them. There are various therapies in the domain of addiction whose main purposes are to reduce or to cut down substance abuse. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of group spiritual intervention on self-esteem and happiness among male clients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment. This study was an intervention study in which 60 clients affected with substance abuse and undergoing methadone maintenance treatment were recruited. The study samples were selected through convenience sampling method and then divided randomly into two groups of 30 individuals: intervention and control. The intervention group attended group spiritual interventions for 10 sessions. Self-esteem and happiness among the study participants were also measured through Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire before and after the intervention. The results showed a significant difference between both intervention and control groups in terms of self-esteem and happiness (P˂0.05); so that the participants in the intervention group demonstrated a significant improvement in their self-esteem and happiness. It was concluded that group spiritual intervention as a useful method could be effective in enhancing self-esteem and happiness among addicted individuals undergoing methadone maintenance treatment. The given treatment could be also used as a complementary therapy beside methadone maintenance treatment to reduce the likelihood of people returning to substance abuse. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  9. Patient Storytelling in the Classroom: A Memorable Way to Teach Spiritual Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garner, Shelby L

    2016-01-01

    Storytelling is an evidence-based teaching and learning strategy that engages students and promotes critical thinking. Although most nursing textbooks incorporate spiritual nursing care, the texts lack examples of how to tie evidence-based spiritual interventions to specific medical-suigical content. Stories told from the patient's perspective can communicate insights that nurses and students can use when planning spiritual carefor patients. Stories shared by patients with undergraduate nursing students were effective in promoting learning and offered concrete examples of supportive spiritual resources for patients.

  10. Spiritual-based Leadership

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pruzan, Peter

    2015-01-01

    Although far from mainstream, the concept of spiritual-based leadership is emerging as an inclusive and yet highly personal approach to leadership that integrates a leader’s inner perspectives on identity, purpose, responsibility and success with her or his decisions and actions in the outer world...... of business—and therefore it is also emerging as a significant framework for understanding, practicing, communicating and teaching the art and profession of leadership....

  11. Quality-of-life and spirituality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panzini, Raquel Gehrke; Mosqueiro, Bruno Paz; Zimpel, Rogério R; Bandeira, Denise Ruschel; Rocha, Neusa S; Fleck, Marcelo P

    2017-06-01

    Spirituality has been identified as an important dimension of quality-of-life. The objective of this study was to review the literature on quality-of-life and spirituality, their association, and assessment tools. A search was conducted of the keyterms 'quality-of-life' and 'spirituality' in abstract or title in the databases PsycINFO and PubMed/Medline between 1979-2005, complemented by a new search at PUBMED from 2006-2016. Quality-of-life is a new concept, which encompasses and transcends the concept of health, being composed of multiple domains: physical, psychological, environmental, among others. The missing measure in health has been defined as the individual's perception of their position in life in the context of culture and value system in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. There is consistent evidence of an association between quality-of-life and religiosity/spirituality (R/S), through studies with reasonable methodological rigour, using several variables to assess R/S (e.g. religious affiliation, religious coping, and prayer/spirituality). There are also several valid and reliable instruments to evaluate quality-of-life and spirituality. Further studies are needed, however, especially in Brazil. Such studies will provide empirical data to be used in planning health interventions based on spirituality, seeking a better quality-of-life. In the last 10 years, research is consistently growing about quality-of-life and spirituality in many countries, and also in many areas of health research.

  12. The effect of spiritual interventions addressing existential themes using a narrative approach on quality of life of cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kruizinga, Renske; Hartog, Iris D; Jacobs, Marc; Daams, Joost G; Scherer-Rath, Michael; Schilderman, Johannes B A M; Sprangers, Mirjam A G; Van Laarhoven, Hanneke W M

    2016-03-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the effect of spiritual interventions on quality of life of cancer patients. We conducted our search on June 6, 2014 in Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, and PubMed. All clinical trials were included that compared standard care with a spiritual intervention that addressed existential themes using a narrative approach. Study quality was evaluated by the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. A total of 4972 studies were identified, of which 14 clinical trials (2050 patients) met the inclusion criteria, and 12 trials (1878 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. The overall risk of bias was high. When combined, all studies showed a moderate effect (d) 0.50 (95% CI = 0.20-0.79) 0-2 weeks after the intervention on overall quality of life in favor of the spiritual interventions. Meta-analysis at 3-6 months after the intervention showed a small insignificant effect (0.14, 95% CI = -0.08 to 0.35). Subgroup analysis including only the western studies showed a small effect of 0.17 (95% CI = 0.05-0.29). Including only studies that met the allocation concealment criteria showed an insignificant effect of 0.14 (95% CI = -0.05 to 0.33). Directly after the intervention, spiritual interventions had a moderate beneficial effect in terms of improving quality of life of cancer patients compared with that of a control group. No evidence was found that the interventions maintained this effect up to 3-6 months after the intervention. Further research is needed to understand how spiritual interventions could contribute to a long-term effect of increasing or maintaining quality of life. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. 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.

  14. Pengaruh Metode Drill dalam Supervisi Klinis terhadap Spiritual Care Perawat

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    Nunung Rachmawati

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The holistic nursing service is based on the concept that humans are sick not only physically that cured by drug delivery, but also pay attention to other aspects of mental where the patient needs motivation and spirit to cope with illness, social where the patient wants to meet and gather with family/friends and spiritual where the patient wants to pray and pray for healing. Spiritual care is an important part of the overall care provided to improve the quality of life of patients. The role of nurses is now more involved on treatment measures. Proper methods in clinical supervision are necessary for the implementation of spiritual care to be as important as physical care, one of them using drill method. This study aims to analyze the influence of drill methods in the team leader's clinical supervision on the implementation of nurses spiritual care. The research method used is quasy experiment with pretest-posttest research design with control group design. The population of nurse research in inpatient room of PKU Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta and PKU Muhammadiyah Gamping Hospital. A total of 32 nurses were taken as samples through consecutive sampling technique. To see the implementation of spiritual care used observation sheet refers to the label Nursing Interventions Classification, spiritual care is observed before and after the application of drill methods in clinical supervision. Data were analyzed by paired t-test. The results showed the average of nurses' spiritual care before the drill method applied to the intervention group was 6,56 and 6,13 in the control group, after drill method applied in the intervention group was 17,44 and 6,50 in the control group. The results of statistical tests showed that there was a significant difference in nurse's spiritual care before and after the application of drill methods in the intervention group. It is recommended for the hospital to improve the implementation of clinical supervision to the nurses

  15. Creation of Illness Meaning: A Central Concept of Spiritual Health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatemeh Khorashadizadeh

    2016-07-01

    In general, it could be concluded that since the search for meaning and spiritual health are context-driven concepts, and significant differences have been observed in their conceptualization based on various cultures, it is recommended that the healthcare system pay especial attention to this crucial issue in order to effectively perform interventions and cares to promote spiritual health of patients.

  16. A spirituality teaching program for depression: qualitative findings on cognitive and emotional change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moritz, Sabine; Kelly, Mary T; Xu, Tracy J; Toews, John; Rickhi, Badri

    2011-08-01

    This study was conducted with participants from a trial evaluating an 8-week spirituality teaching program to treat unipolar major depression. The objectives of this study were to understand the nature of the observed mood following participation in the spirituality based intervention. This study used the methods of a naturalistic inquiry. A total of 15 interviewees were purposefully sampled from the trial population. The intervention consisted of audio CDs for home-based use that delivered lectures and stories about spirituality, suggested behavioural applications and included relaxation practices. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with each participant 6 months post program completion. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were coded for patterns of substantive core meaning in terms of the participants' subjective and behavioural experiences of the program materials. Participants described an expanded spiritual awareness, characterized by a sense of connection with self, others, the world and universal energy. The primary influences participants reported occurred as a result of practicing forgiveness, compassion, gratitude and acceptance in their daily lives and included reduced negative thinking patterns, being less judgmental, reduced ego-centricity, and improved self-esteem. Concurrent with these shifts, participants experienced an improved mood characterized by reduced anxiety and/or depression, mental clarity, calmness and improved relationships. Findings suggest that the spirituality teaching program impacts depression by expanding spiritual beliefs and shifting perspectives of life situations, oneself and others. Spiritual teachings and practices could be an innovative and valuable adjunct intervention to treat depression. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Alcoholics Anonymous and nursing. Lessons in holism and spiritual care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGee, E M

    2000-03-01

    Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) is a worldwide, million-member organization that has assisted countless alcoholics to achieve sobriety through a spiritual program of recovery from alcoholism. Based on spiritual principles known as the "Twelve Steps" and "Twelve Traditions," AA has provided a model for other recovery programs such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Gamblers Anonymous (GA), and Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA). Recovery in AA appears to involve a process of self-transcendence. In recent years, nursing scholars have increasingly explored the concepts of self-transcendence and spirituality as they apply to nursing theory and practice. This article explores the roots and spiritual dimensions of 12-step recovery programs. It further explores the ways in which theoretical and clinical knowledge about the delivery of spiritual care interventions may be gained from an understanding of AA's spiritual approach to recovery.

  18. A systematic review of psychoneuroimmunology-based interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moraes, Lucam J; Miranda, Márcia B; Loures, Liliany F; Mainieri, Alessandra G; Mármora, Cláudia Helena C

    2018-07-01

    Psychoneuroimmunology-based interventions are used to attenuated disease progression and/or side effects of pharmacological treatment. This systematic review evaluates the different therapeutic and/or clinical psychoneuroimmunology-based interventions associated to both psychological, neuroendocrine and immunological variables. The review was conducted for all English, Portuguese and Spanish language articles published between 2005 and 2015. Independent investigators analyzed 42 studies concerning human psychoneuroimmunology-based interventions. Decreased levels of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine (stress-related hormones) were associated to interventions like yoga, meditation, tai chi, acupuncture, mindfulness, religious/spiritual practices, cognitive behavior therapy, coping and physical exercises. Moreover, those interventions were also associated to reductions in inflammatory processes and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in cancer, HIV, depression, anxiety, wound healing, sleep disorder, cardiovascular diseases and fibromyalgia. Despite the associations between PNI variables and clinical/therapeutic interventions, only one study evidenced significant effects on a disease progression.

  19. 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.

  20. Spiritual Assessments in Occupational Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara Hemphill

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Spirituality is recognized as an important concept in the study and practice of medicine, including occupational therapy. This aligns with occupational therapy’s core value of treating people holistically—mind, body, and spirit. Currently, the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Hospital Organizations ( JCAHO requires that a spiritual assessment be given to patients on admission. To conduct effective spiritual assessments, occupational therapists must distinguish between religion and spirituality. They also must be aware of their own spiritual beliefs and practices and how those might influence their clinical interactions. This article presents spiritual assessment tools that occupational therapists can use in clinical practice; they range from history taking, to questionnaires, to observation scales. Guidelines are presented for selecting among several spiritual assessments. A case study is presented in which a patient’s faith tradition is being challenged, which could affect the outcome of therapy. Finally, treatment and intervention planning and ethical considerations are discussed.

  1. McDonaldizing Spirituality: Mindfulness, Education, and Consumerism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hyland, Terry

    2017-01-01

    The exponential growth of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in recent years has resulted in a marketisation and commodification of practice--popularly labeled "McMindfulness"--which divorces mindfulness from its spiritual and ethical origins in Buddhist traditions. Such commodification is criticized by utilising ideas and insights…

  2. 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.

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. Spiritual self-schema therapy, drug abuse, and HIV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcotte, David; Avants, S Kelly; Margolin, Arthur

    2003-01-01

    This case report describes the use of Spiritual Self-Schema (3-S) therapy in the treatment of an HIV-positive inner-city drug user maintained on methadone and referred for additional treatment due to unremitting cocaine use. 3-S therapy is a manual-guided intervention based on cognitive self-schema theory. Its goal is to help the patient create, elaborate, and make accessible a cognitive schema--the "spiritual" self-schema-that is incompatible with drug use and other HIV risk behaviors. 3-S therapy facilitates a cognitive shift from the habitual activation of the "addict" self-schema, with its drug-related cognitions, scripts and action plans, to the "spiritual" self-schema, with its associated repertoire of harm reduction beliefs and behaviors.

  6. Effectiveness of Cognitive Spirituality-Based Counseling of Demoralization in Elderlies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zahra Rahimi

    2015-06-01

    Results: The results of visual analysis of the data showed that cognitive spirituality-based counseling had a positive effective on two cases but not on the third one. Discussion: It seems that cognitive-spirituality counseling was significantly effective in demoralization in two-third of the participants.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. Impact of a Counseling Program on Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Spiritual Intelligence in Pregnant Women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Batul Khodakarami

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Background & aim: Recent studies showed that spirituality and spiritual intelligence in pregnant women are associated with mental reactions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of spiritual counseling on pregnant women's spiritual intelligence and common mental reactions during pregnancy. Methods: Inthis quasi-experimental study, 80 multiparous and nulliparous pregnant women were randomly selected from among pregnant women referring to our clinic. The patients were screened and then randomly assigned to intervention (n=40 and control (n=40 groups. The intervention group was divided into four groups of ten and then received spiritual counseling during eight sessions. The control group only received the routine care. The data was collected by using a demographic form, Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21, and King spiritual intelligence scale. Both groups were followed immediately and two months after the intervention. To analyze the data, descriptive and analytical statistics were used in SPSS, version 16. Results: Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in mean scores of depression, anxiety, stress, spiritual intelligence, and its components between the two groups (P>0.05. However, immediately and two month after the intervention, the results showed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of mean scores of depression, anxiety, stress, spiritual intelligence, and its components (P0.05. The mean scores of spiritual intelligence and its components significantly increased over time (before, immediately, and two months after the intervention in the intervention group (P

  13. 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...

  14. 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.

  15. 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...

  16. The Effects of Education on Spirituality through Virtual Social Media on the Spiritual Well-Being of the Public Health Students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2015

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Hasanshahi

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: The role and effects of people’s spiritual well-being have received more attention in recent years. Knowing the factors related to spiritual well-being, especially in students as the educated class and future builders of society, is too important. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of education on spirituality through social media in the spirituality well-being of public health students of Isfahan University of medical science. Methods: A semi-experimental, pre-test, post-test study was conducted on 50 under- graduate public health students (3 men, 47 women; age range 18-30 years of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences through convenience and purposive sampling. The educational content of spirituality education was used to promote and improve spiritual well-being, being sent by using one of the mobile phone applications. Using spiritual well-being questionnaire, the level of the individuals’ spiritual well-being before and after the educational was evaluated. To analyze the data in this study, descriptive statistics and t-test were use SPSS software was used to analyze the data and the significance level was considered lower than 0.05%. Result: In total, 50 students including 3 men and 47women participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 22.02±3.78. About 68% of the students were single and the remaining were married. The score of the participants’ spiritual well-being was 96.5 before the intervention and it promoted to 103.3 after the intervention. The result of the analysis by t-test on the two groups showed that spirituality education can cause a significant increase in peoples’ spiritual well-being (P<0.001. Conclusion: After the educational intervention, the level of people’s spiritual well-being increased significantly. As a result, spirituality education causes conditions to improve the peoples’ spiritual well-being.

  17. Pengaruh Bereavement Life Review terhadap Kesejahteraan Spiritual pada Keluarga Pasien Stroke

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    Muhamad Zulfatul A’la

    2017-08-01

    adalah melihat pengaruh bereavement life review untuk penyakit kronis yang lain, seperti diabetes melitus atau kanker. Selain itu, indikator psikologis pasien dan keluarga sebagai output intervensi perlu dikaji lebih mendalam. Kata kunci: Bereavement life review, keluarga pasien stroke, keperawatan spiritual, kesejahateraan paliatif. Influence of Bereavement Life Review on Spiritual Well-Being of Stroke Family Caregiver Abstract Spirituality is a protective factor of grieving process in patient and family with chronic illness. Bereavement life review is one of the interventions which is enhancing the spiritual well-being in cancer diseases. Cancer and Stroke are chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of bereavement life review of the spiritual well-being of stroke family. Quasi-experimental with pretest posttest control group used in study. Sample in this study are stroke family who caring the stroke patient in hospital which is 28 respondents. The intervention group was given bereavement life review with two sessions which given by expert in psychiatric nursing. Spiritual well-being was measured by SWBS (spiritual well-being scale. Data analysis were using a dependent t-test, Mann Whitney and Wilcoxon. Homogenity of respondent characteristics showed that it have not correlation between control and intervention group (p > 0,05. The study showed the difference in the mean posttest scores of spiritual well-being of the control group with the intervention group (98.71 ± 3.65 and 106.5 ± 1.83, p = 0.000. There were differences in the mean scores pretest to posttest spiritual well-being in the intervention group (99.07 ± 2.95 and 106.5 ± 1.83, p = 0.001. Bereavement life review is a process of enhancing spirituality through recontextualization, forgiveness, and reflection proccess that strengthening coping process. Bereavement life review has positive effect on the spiritual well-being of the stroke family which can be considered as an

  18. Effect of Islamic-based spiritual therapy on self-esteem and mental health of addicts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamad Khaledian

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available In Islamic teaching, the communication with God and remembering Him is considered a factor for mental unlocking and transcendence, which causes much psychological and health effects; religious and Islamic teachings particularly affect people's health. The present study was conducted with the aim to determine effect of Islamic-based spiritual therapy on mental health and self-esteem in addicts. This is an experimental pretest-posttest study with trial and control groups. This is an experimental pretest-posttest study with trial and control groups. Study population consisted of addicts from a methadone-therapy addiction treatment center. The sample size initially included 90 randomly selected addicts from the mentioned center, of whom 40 were chosen from those that scored the lowest in self-esteem questionnaire and highest in mental health questionnaire, and were then randomly divided into trial and control groups. The trial group received nine 2-hour sessions of spiritual therapy, but the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the goldberg's general health questionnaire-28 and coopersmith's self-esteem inventory, and analyzed using covariance analysis. The results obtained confirmed effectiveness of spiritual therapy with emphasis on Islamic teachings in improving self-esteem and mental health of addicts.

  19. SPIRITUAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP BERBASIS AL-QUR’AN

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    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.

  20. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. A spiritual audit of a retail branch in a South African Bank

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David P. J. Smith

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not employees in a branch of one of the leading South African banks are spiritually fulfilled at work, whilst living the values of the bank. The results indicate that employees in the branch are spiritually fulfilled at work, that they seem to be “living the values”, and that they believe the branch to be a spiritual workplace. The results are linked to certain interventions in the branch, and these interventions could be replicated across the branch network, reaping the advantages of a spiritual workplace.

  3. The Effect of Educational-Spiritual Intervention on The Burnout of The Parents of School Age Children with Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nooshin Beheshtipour

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Parents of children with cancer experience high levels of stress and discomfort. Religious beliefs are important sources of comfort and support for many cancer patients and their families. The present study aimed to assess the effect of educational-spiritual intervention on burnout of the parents of the children with cancer. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 135 parents of children with cancer were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. Data were collected through SMBQ (Shirom and Melamed Burnout Questionnaire from both groups, before, immediately after and one month after the intervention. Educational-spiritual programs were held for six weeks, one session every week. The data were analyzed by SPSS using independent t-test, and repeated measure ANOVA. Results: The results showed that the mean burnout score before the intervention in the intervention group was 4.28±0.61 and in the control group it was 4.23±0.50; most of the parents reported moderate to high burnout. But, there was a significant difference between the intervention and control groups immediately after and one month after the intervention (t=10.16, P<0.0001. The mean burnout score in the intervention group was less than the control group. Results also showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of parental burnout in three times of measurements (F=58.62, P<0.0001. Conclusion: This study indicated that educational-spiritual intervention was effective on reduction of the burnout of the parents of the children with cancer. Due to high burnout of most of the parents, offering such a program could be beneficial for them. More studies in this regard are recommended.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

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

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    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.

  8. Screening for Spiritual Struggle in an Adolescent Transgender Clinic: Feasibility and Acceptability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grossoehme, Daniel H; Teeters, Alexis; Jelinek, Sue; Dimitriou, Sophia M; Conard, Lee Ann E

    2016-01-01

    Spiritual struggles are associated with poorer health outcomes, including depression, which has higher prevalence among transgender individuals than the general population. This study's objective was to improve the quality of care in an outpatient transgender clinic by screening patients and caregivers for spiritual struggle and future intervention. The quality improvement questions addressed were whether screening for spiritual struggle was feasible and acceptable; and whether the sensitivity and specificity of the Rush Protocol were acceptable. Revision of the screening was based on cognitive interviews with the 115 adolescents and caregivers who were screened. Prevalence of spiritual struggle was 38-47%. Compared to the Negative R-COPE, the Rush Protocol screener had sensitivities of 44-80% and specificities of 60-74%. The Rush Protocol was acceptable to adolescents seen in a transgender clinic, caregivers, and clinic staff; was feasible to deliver during outpatient clinic visits, and offers a straightforward means of identifying transgender persons and caregivers experiencing spiritual struggle.

  9. Determinants of responsibility for health, spiritual health and interpersonal relationship based on theory of planned behavior in high school girl students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rezazadeh, Afsaneh; Solhi, Mahnaz; Azam, Kamal

    2015-01-01

    Adolescence is a sensitive period of acquiring normal and abnormal habits for all oflife. The study investigates determinants of responsibility for health, spiritual health and interpersonal relations and predictive factors based on the theory of planned behavior in high school girl students in Tabriz. In this Cross-sectional study, 340 students were selected thorough multi-stage sampling. An author-made questionnaire based on standard questionnaires of Health Promotion and Lifestyle II (HPLPII), spiritual health standards (Palutzian & Ellison) and components of the theory of planned behavior (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention) was used for data collection. The questionnaire was validated in a pilot study. Data were analyzed using SPSS v.15 and descriptive and analytical tests (Chi-square test, Pearson correlation co-efficient and liner regression test in backward method). Students' responsibility for health, spiritual health, interpersonal relationships, and concepts of theory of planned behavior was moderate. We found a significant positive correlation (ptheory of planned behavior. Attitude and perceived behavioral control predicted 35% of intention of behavioral change (pbehavioral control predicted 74% of behavioral change in accountability for health (pbehavioral change in spiritual health (pbehavioral change in interpersonal relationship (pbehavioral intention and its determinants such as perceived behavioral control should be noted in promoting intervention programs.

  10. Religiousness/Spirituality and anger management in community-dwelling older persons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mefford, Linda; Thomas, Sandra P; Callen, Bonnie; Groer, Maureen

    2014-04-01

    Mismanaged anger is associated with adverse health outcomes. This study examined whether dimensions of religiousness/spirituality could predict healthy anger management in a sample of 82 community-dwelling older Americans. A correlational research design was employed using the Deffenbacher Anger Scale and the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality. Higher scores on Forgiveness, Daily Spiritual Experiences, Religiousness/Spirituality as Coping, and Self-Ranking of Religiousness/Spirituality were correlated with healthier anger management; however forgiveness was the only significant predictor in the regression analysis. Interventions to facilitate forgiveness may promote healthy anger management and minimize the adverse health effects of mismanaged anger.

  11. The Relationship of Physiopsychosocial Factors and Spiritual Well-Being in Elderly Residents: Implications for Evidence-Based Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yi-Heng; Lin, Li-Chan; Chuang, Li-Lan; Chen, Mei-Li

    2017-12-01

    address the fact that the practice of spirituality is multidimensional and multileveled. Psychosocial interventions for institutionalized elders with disabilities should focus on increasing nurse-patient interaction and providing access to meaningful social activities to improve mental health and spiritual well-being. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

  12. The effect of spiritual healing on in vitro tumour cell proliferation and viability - an experimental study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zachariae, R.; Hojgaard, L.; Zachariae, C.

    2005-01-01

    Alternative treatments such as spiritual healing and prayer are increasingly popular, especially among patients with life-threatening diseases such as cancer. According to theories of spiritual healing, this intervention is thought to influence living cells and organisms independently of the reci......Alternative treatments such as spiritual healing and prayer are increasingly popular, especially among patients with life-threatening diseases such as cancer. According to theories of spiritual healing, this intervention is thought to influence living cells and organisms independently...

  13. Bio-Psycho-Spiritual Modeling in Drug Dependents and Compiling of Intervention Program for Promotion of Resiliency Based on Cognitive Narratology and Positive Psychology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ezat ollah Kordmirza Nikoozadeh

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Since the past few decades, the concentration of researches on drug abuse and drugs dependency have shift from risk factor to protective factors. In the past two decades, the concept of resiliency was increasingly considered by developmental psychology. The concentration shifted from risk to resiliency originates from disadvantage in emphasizing on identification of risk factors. Method: Target population was all volunteer addicts who referred to clinics in Tehran city. The group selected based on random cluster sampling. In total 319 persons (male composed of two groups, dependent to drug (150 persons and independent to drug (169 persons were participated in research and in general, 108 questionnaires of non-addicts and 126 of addicts were analyzed. In order to determine the fit model based on assumed variables in the research, by utilizing LISREL softwar99e, initially the relation between primary fundamental variables and final endogenous variables were reviewed. In continuation, the - relations between intermediary and endogenous variables were determined. Results: The results showed the fitting of predicted model of resiliency. Conclusion: In this research the program based on bio-psycho-spiritual model for instructional intervention in order to enhance of resiliency of addict people provided.

  14. Surveying the Extent of, and Attitudes Towards, the Use of Prayer as a Spiritual Intervention among British Mainstream Counsellors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gubi, Peter M.

    2004-01-01

    A questionnaire was sent to 578 BACP Accredited Counsellors and 122 CMCS Approved Counsellors to survey the use, and attitudes to the use, of prayer as a spiritual intervention in British mainstream counselling. The data reveal that prayer influences the practice of a significant number of mainstream counsellors at a philosophical, a covert and an…

  15. 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.

  16. Comparative efficacy of spirituality, cognitive, and emotional support groups for treating eating disorder inpatients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richards, P Scott; Berrett, Michael E; Hardman, Randy K; Eggett, Dennis L

    2006-01-01

    Spiritual interventions are rarely used in contemporary treatment programs and little empirical evidence is available concerning their effectiveness. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a spiritual group intervention for eating disorder inpatients. We compared the effectiveness of a Spirituality group with Cognitive and Emotional Support groups using a randomized, control group design. Participants were 122 women receiving inpatient eating disorder treatment. Patients in the Spirituality group tended to score significantly lower on psychological disturbance and eating disorder symptoms at the conclusion of treatment compared to patients in the other groups, and higher on spiritual well-being. On weekly outcome measures, patients in the Spirituality group improved significantly more quickly during the first four weeks of treatment. This study provides preliminary evidence that attending to eating disorder patients' spiritual growth and well-being during inpatient treatment may help reduce depression and anxiety, relationship distress, social role conflict, and eating disorder symptoms.

  17. 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.

  18. Training hospital staff on spiritual care in palliative care influences patient-reported outcomes: Results of a quasi-experimental study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van de Geer, Joep; Groot, Marieke; Andela, Richtsje; Leget, Carlo; Prins, Jelle; Vissers, Kris; Zock, Hetty

    2017-09-01

    Spiritual care is reported to be important to palliative patients. There is an increasing need for education in spiritual care. To measure the effects of a specific spiritual care training on patients' reports of their perceived care and treatment. A pragmatic controlled trial conducted between February 2014 and March 2015. The intervention was a specific spiritual care training implemented by healthcare chaplains to eight multidisciplinary teams in six hospitals on regular wards in which patients resided in both curative and palliative trajectories. In total, 85 patients were included based on the Dutch translation of the Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool. Data were collected in the intervention and control wards pre- and post-training using questionnaires on physical symptoms, spiritual distress, involvement and attitudes (Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List) and on the perceived focus of healthcare professionals on patients' spiritual needs. All 85 patients had high scores on spiritual themes and involvement. Patients reported that attention to their spiritual needs was very important. We found a significant ( p = 0.008) effect on healthcare professionals' attention to patients' spiritual and existential needs and a significant ( p = 0.020) effect in favour of patients' sleep. No effect on the spiritual distress of patients or their proxies was found. The effects of spiritual care training can be measured using patient-reported outcomes and seemed to indicate a positive effect on the quality of care. Future research should focus on optimizing the spiritual care training to identify the most effective elements and developing strategies to ensure long-term positive effects. This study was registered at the Dutch Trial Register: NTR4559.

  19. Development of cultural tourism area based on the spiritual space of Cirebon Keraton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosmalia, D.; Prasetya, L. E.

    2018-03-01

    Cirebon is a city laden with spiritual activities. These are held almost every month in a year, by palace (keraton) disciples from surrounding Cirebon region and Indonesia. The spiritual events are located in almost of sacred places of keratons around Cirebon, and make an imaginary sacred space from the south to the north of Cirebon city. Sacred spiritual space is potential to be developed into tourism area destination, especially for religious tourist. Therefore, this study aims to explore an attractiveness of tourism, based on the spiritual area of keraton disciples, as a part of the cultural tourism space of Cirebon. To explore tourism potential, this research used survey and observation method in the palace, and in-depth interview with seven key persons, i.e., palace informants. After that, this potential was developed for the planning of tourist areas based on spiritual tourism destinations, divided by the core and the supporting areas, formed by sacred places and major tourist attractions. The core area is located in two locations, i.e., (1) the area of Cirebon keratons, and (2) complexes of graves on Gunung Jati. Meanwhile, the supporting area is formed by other supporting tourist objects and the ritual route of tourism.

  20. Gender Differences in the Association Between Religion/Spirituality and Simultaneous Polysubstance Use (SPU).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acheampong, Abenaa B; Lasopa, Sonam; Striley, Catherine W; Cottler, Linda B

    2016-10-01

    While religion/spirituality strongly protects against drug use (Cheney et al. in J Drug Issues 44(1):94-113, 2014), little is known about gender differences in the association of religion/spirituality on simultaneous polysubstance use (SPU) among those who use prescription opioids. Data come from a community-based study that recruited community members from the St Louis area (N = 632). Participants were asked whether they used prescription opioids when not prescribed for them or in ways other than prescribed in the past 12 months. Religion/spirituality was categorized as high, medium, or low based on personal views on the importance of religion and spirituality, attendance at religious services, and advice seeking from religious leaders. SPU was defined as non-medical use of opioids simultaneously with use of cocaine, alcohol, ecstasy, or marijuana. Multivariate logistic regression determined the association between religion/spirituality, demographic variables, and SPU. Men with high levels of religion/spirituality had 63 % decreased odds of SPU compared with men with low levels. Other variables associated with SPU in men were four or more arrests (AOR 2.21), multiple sex partners (AOR 2.11), and opioid use without a prescription (AOR 3.04). Women with high or medium levels of religion/spirituality had 58 and 62 % decreased odds of SPU compared with women with low levels. Variables that predicted SPU in women also included 4+ arrests (AOR 5.00) and never being married (AOR 2.13). Being African-American was associated with decreased odds of SPU in women (AOR 0.32). Overall, a high level of religion/spirituality was associated with lower odds of SPU. Gender differences in this association were evident, whereas women with even a medium level of religion/spirituality had significantly decreased odds of SPU. Future drug prevention and interventions should consider the relevance of religion/spirituality in SPU.

  1. 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.

  2. An exploration of how spiritual nursing care is applied in clinical nursing practice

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    Lydia V. Monareng

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Spiritual nursing care is a significant concept for nurses as they are expected to provide holistic care to patients. Many nurses have difficulty to understand and integrate it into practice and consequently neglect this aspect of care. The study was conducted to explore and describe how professional nurses provide spiritual care to patients. A generic qualitative, explorative and descriptive study was conducted based on Symbolic Interactionism as the philosophical base. The population comprised professional nurses from a public hospital. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling methods. Data were collected through the use of individual, focus group interviews and observation. Data analysis methods utilised included the NUD*ISTcomputer program, coding, constant comparison method and Tesch’s guidelines on data analysis. Findings revealed that nurses struggled to conceptualise spiritual nursing care and to differentiate it from emotional, social or psychological care. However, prayer with or for patients and singing spiritual songs had the highest count of interventions perceived to be effective. Recommendations suggest that the scope of practice and curriculum of training of nurses be reviewed to consider how spiritual nursing care can be evidenced and realised both in the classroom and in the clinical setting. Spiritual nursing care is still a neglected and seemingly complex component of patient care. However, the scientific worldview practices, beliefs and insufficient statutory endorsement of such care hamper its realisation in practice.

  3. Spiritual Distress in Bereavement: Evolution of a Research Program

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    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.

  4. Evaluation of a spirituality informed e-mental health tool as an intervention for major depressive disorder in adolescents and young adults - a randomized controlled pilot trial.

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    Rickhi, Badri; Kania-Richmond, Ania; Moritz, Sabine; Cohen, Jordan; Paccagnan, Patricia; Dennis, Charlotte; Liu, Mingfu; Malhotra, Sonya; Steele, Patricia; Toews, John

    2015-12-24

    Depression in adolescents and young adults is a major mental health condition that requires attention. Research suggests that approaches that include spiritual concepts and are delivered through an online platform are a potentially beneficial approach to treating/managing depression in this population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week online spirituality informed e-mental health intervention (the LEAP Project) on depression severity, and secondary outcomes of spiritual well-being and self-concept, in adolescents and young adults with major depressive disorder of mild to moderate severity. A parallel group, randomized, waitlist controlled, assessor-blinded clinical pilot trial was conducted in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The sample of 62 participants with major depressive disorder (DSM-IV-TR) was defined by two age subgroups: adolescents (ages 13 to 18 years; n = 31) and young adults (ages 19 to 24 years; n = 31). Participants in each age subgroup were randomized into the study arm (intervention initiated upon enrolment) or the waitlist control arm (intervention initiated after an 8-week wait period). Comparisons were made between the study and waitlist control arms at week 8 (the point where study arm had completed the intervention and the waitlist control arm had not) and within each arm at four time points over 24-week follow-up period. At baseline, there was no statistical difference between study and waitlist participants for both age subgroups for all three outcomes of interest. After the intervention, depression severity was significantly reduced; comparison across arms at week 8 and over time within each arm and both age subgroups. Spiritual well-being changes were not significant, with the exception of an improvement over time for the younger participants in the study arm (p = 0.01 at week 16 and p = 0.0305 at week 24). Self-concept improved significantly for younger participants immediately after the

  5. Kesejahteraan Spiritual Keluarga Pasien Stroke dan Kaitannya dengan Depresi

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    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.

  6. Empathy in Medical Students Is Moderated by Openness to Spirituality.

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    Damiano, Rodolfo F; DiLalla, Lisabeth F; Lucchetti, Giancarlo; Dorsey, J Kevin

    2017-01-01

    Empathy is one component of medical student education that may be important to nurture, but there are many potential psychological barriers to empathy, such as student depression, burnout, and low quality of life or wellness behaviors. However, few studies have addressed how positive behaviors such as wellness and spirituality, in combination with these barriers, might affect empathy. We hypothesized a negative relationship between psychological distress and empathy, and a positive relationship between empathy and wellness behaviors. We also hypothesized that openness to others' spirituality would moderate the effects of psychological distress on empathy in medical students. This cross-sectional study included 106 medical students in a public medical school in the U.S. Midwest. Mailed questionnaires collected student information on specialty choice and sociodemographics, empathy, spirituality openness, religiosity, wellness, burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted, with empathy as the dependent variable, psychological distress and all wellness behaviors as predictors, and spirituality openness as a moderator. Specialty choice, burnout, wellness behaviors, spirituality openness, and religiosity were significant independent predictors of empathy. In addition, when added singly, one interaction was significant: Spirituality Openness × Depression. Spirituality openness was related to empathy only in nondepressed students. Empathy of students with higher levels of depression was generally lower and not affected by spirituality openness. Nondepressed students who reported lower openness to spirituality might benefit most from empathy training, because these students reported the lowest empathy. Highly depressed or disengaged students may require interventions before empathy can be addressed. In addition, burnout was related to lower levels of empathy and wellness was related to higher levels. These provide

  7. Authority of Spiritual Leadership at Pesantren Temboro Based on Jamaah Tabligh Ideology

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    Zainal Arifin

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Kiai is a charismatic figure who has influence for the existence of pesantren. Spiritualleadership is a typology of kiai based on the values of Islamic spirituality. This studyexamines the source of authority of the spiritual leadership of the kiai using perspectiveof Weber's authority theory. Using the approach of religious phenomenology, this studyobserves phenomenologically the spiritual leadership of kiai at Pesantren al-Fatah (orknown as Pesantren Temboro, which became the center of the biggest ideology ofJamaah Tabligh in Southeast Asia. Research data was obtained through in-depthinterviews, active participation, documentation, and open questionnaires. This researchfound the three authorities of spiritual leadership at Pesantren Temboro, namelytraditional, charismatic, and rational. First, traditional authority derives from threetraditions: (1 pesantren education, (2 Jamaah Tabligh, and (3 the NaqsyabandiyahKhalidiyahcongregation. Second, charismatic authority derives from the spiritualqualities of the kiai and is reinforced by karomah. Third, rational authority derives fromthe rational efforts of kiai in opening formal madrasah as a form of modernization inIslamic educational institutions.

  8. Religion and Spirituality in Group Counseling: Beliefs and Practices of University Counseling Center Counselors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Post, Brian C.; Cornish, Marilyn A.; Wade, Nathaniel G.; Tucker, Jeritt R.

    2013-01-01

    Fifty-four counselors at 9 university counseling centers participated in a study regarding religion and spirituality (R/S) in group counseling. The majority indicated that R/S is an appropriate topic for group counseling and that some religious and spiritual interventions are appropriate to use. However, counselors rarely use these interventions.…

  9. Effects of Participation in Support Groups on Alzheimer’s Family Caregivers’ Strain and Spiritual Wellbeing

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    Farahnaz Mohammadi

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Since support for family caregivers is crucial in providing care for elderly, this study was conducted to examine the effects of participation in support groups on Alzheimer’s family caregivers’ strain and spiritual wellbeing. Materials and Methods & Materials: In this semi-experimental study, 32 accessible family caregivers of elderly patients with Alzheimer who had at least one year of experience participated. The intervention consisted of a 4-month active participation in educational and emotional supportive sessions related to patient and caregivers care management. At the end of the intervention, the leadership of the groups was transferred to members of the groups. These sessions were conducted in 3 public centers in the community. Caregivers were assessed by caregiving strain and spiritual wellbeing questionnaires at the beginning, at the end of the intervention and 2 months later. Data was analyzed by ANOVA with repeated measurement. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In general, 32 accessible family caregivers of elderly Alzheimer patients with at least one year of experience participated in this study. The mean of spiritual wellbeing through three mentioned measurements showed an improvement (26.029, 34.029, 34.471, whereas the care giving strain showed a decreasing trend (40.118, 32.706, 31.265. Findings based on ANOVA-repeated measurement revealed a significantly decrease in care giving strain (P=0.001 and an improvement in spiritual wellbeing (P=0.005. Conclusion: Participation in the support groups as a manifest of empowering helps family caregivers to deal effectively with care giving difficulties. Psychoeducational programs lead to a decreased care giving strain and improve the spiritual wellbeing of the caregivers. Hence, supportive interventions should be considered by policy makers and professional health care providers for elderly people.

  10. 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.

  11. Predicting Couples’ Happiness Based on Spiritual Intelligence and Lovemaking Styles: The Mediating Role of Marital adjustment

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    ZAHRA KERMANI MAMAZANDI

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to predict couples’ happiness based on spiritual intelligence and lovemaking styles with the mediating role of marital adjustment. Therefore 360 male and female, married students living in Tehran University dormitory were randomly selected and were asked to answer the items of Sternberg’s Love Questionnaire, King’s Spiritual Intelligence Scale, Oxford’s Happiness Questionnaire and Spanier’s Marital Adjustment Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (path analysis was used for data analysis. The results  of path analysis showed  that spiritual intelligence and lovemaking styles have direct effects on couples’ happiness, and the spiritual intelligence did not have an indirect effect on couples’ happiness whereas lovemaking styles had indirect effects on couples’ happiness through martial satisfaction. Altogether the results of this research show that marital adjustment has a mediating role in predicting couples’ happiness based on spiritual intelligence and lovemaking styles.

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

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

    2015-12-01

    This study aimed to explore the perception of Iranian nurses concerning spiritual care and to reveal any confronted barriers. Although the context of spiritual care is a substantial aspect of holistic care, the delivery of spiritual care has been problematic due to lack of nurses' understanding of this concept. Nurses' perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care directly influence their performance as well as their relationships with patients. This cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2013 with 259 nurses working in hospitals affiliated with Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Data were collected using the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale alongside qualitative open-ended questions. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the quantitative data and content analysis for the qualitative data. The overall average for spirituality and spiritual care was 2.84 (score range: 1-4), indicating a moderate mean score. A significant relationship was found between education level and spiritual care. The majority of participants believed that they did not receive enough training in this aspect of care. The main obstacles regarding delivering spiritual care included busy working schedules, insufficient knowledge regarding spiritual care, low motivation, diversity of patients' spiritual needs and feeling 'unqualified' to provide spiritual cares. Consistent with the previous studies, this study has demonstrated that nurses had low confidence to meet the spiritual needs of patients due to lack of knowledge and training in this regard. Iranian nurses' perception of spirituality and spiritual care is moderate, reflecting that they do not receive sufficient training regarding spiritual care. Despite the attention focused on spiritual care in clinical settings in Iran, there remains a significant gap in terms of meeting the spiritual needs of patients in nursing practice. This finding assists nursing clinicians, educators and policy makers to more

  13. Filipino Nurses' Spirituality and Provision of Spiritual Nursing Care.

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    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.

  14. [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

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

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    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.

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

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    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

  17. Underlying spirituality and mental health: the role of burnout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Rainbow Tin Hung; Sing, Cheuk Yan; Fong, Ted Chun Tat; Au-Yeung, Friendly So Wah; Law, Kit Ying; Lee, Lai Fan; Ng, Siu Man

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of burnout on the relationship between spirituality and mental health among healthcare workers in Hong Kong. Using a cross-sectional design, 312 healthcare workers (mean age=38.6, SD=9.9; 77.7% females) in a mental rehabilitation institution completed a self-administered questionnaire on anxiety, depression, burnout, and daily spiritual experiences. Multivariate regressions were used to test the effects of burnout on the relationships between daily spiritual experiences and anxiety and depression. After adjusting for age, education level, marital status, and staff ranking, higher levels of daily spiritual experience were associated with lower levels of burnout (β=-0.22, pBurnout was found to have a significant partial mediating effect on the relationship between daily spiritual experiences and depression (z=-2.99, paccounting for 37.8% of the variation in depression. Burnout also completely mediated the relationship between daily spiritual experiences and anxiety (z=-3.06, paccounting for 73.9% of the variation in anxiety. The results suggested that the association between spirituality and mental health is influenced by the level of burnout, thereby supporting the role of burnout as a potential mediator. Moreover, day-to-day spiritual practice was found to be potentially protective against burnout and mental health problems. Future interventions could incorporate spirituality training to reduce burnout so as to improve the well-being of healthcare workers.

  18. Recovery Spirituality

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    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.

  19. The Effect of Spiritual Intelligence Training on Job Satisfaction of Psychiatric Nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heydari, Abbas; Meshkinyazd, Ali; Soudmand, Parvaneh

    2017-04-01

    Objective: Nurses are the most important staff in the health care system, thus, their job satisfaction is important in nursing management. The present study aimed at determining the impact of teaching spiritual intelligence on the job satisfaction of psychiatric nurses. Method: The participants were divided into 2 groups by random allocation. Data were collected in 3 stages of before intervention, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks post intervention using Brayfield & Rother Job Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results: The results of this study revealed that the mean score of job satisfaction in the experimental group was 65.5±9.9 in the pre intervention stage, which increased to 69.8±6.3 one month after the intervention and to 72.5±8.9 in 2 months after the intervention, and it was significantly more than that of the control group. Conclusion: The job satisfaction rate of the control group decreased admirably in both 1 month and 2 months after the intervention stage. Thus, spiritual intelligence training is an effective method to increase job satisfaction, and it is suggested that managers consider spiritual intelligence training to increase job satisfaction in nurses.

  20. The Effect of Spiritual Intelligence Training on Job Satisfaction of Psychiatric Nurses

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    Abbas Heydari

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Nurses are the most important staff in the health care system, thus, their job satisfaction is important in nursing management. The present study aimed at determining the impact of teaching spiritual intelligence on the job satisfaction of psychiatric nurses.Methods: The participants were divided into 2 groups by random allocation. Data were collected in 3 stages of before intervention, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks post intervention using Brayfield & Rother Job Satisfaction Questionnaire.Results:  The results of this study revealed that the mean score of job satisfaction in the experimental group was 65.5±9.9 in the pre intervention stage, which increased to 69.8±6.3 one month after the intervention and to 72.5±8.9 in 2 months after the intervention, and it was significantly more than that of the control group.Conclusions: The job satisfaction rate of the control group decreased admirably in both 1 month and 2 months after the intervention stage. Thus, spiritual intelligence training is an effective method to increase job satisfaction, and it is suggested that managers consider spiritual intelligence training to increase job satisfaction in nurses. 

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Nursing students' spiritual talks with patients - evaluation of a partnership learning programme in clinical practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strand, Kari; Carlsen, Liv B; Tveit, Bodil

    2017-07-01

    To evaluate the impact of a partnership learning programme designed to support undergraduate nursing students' competence in speaking with patients about spiritual issues. Spiritual care is an oft-neglected and underexposed area of nursing practice. Despite the increasing amount of research on spiritual care in educational programmes, little is known about nursing students' experiences with existential/spiritual talks and the process of learning about spiritual care in the clinical placement. The project used a qualitative evaluation design to evaluate the impact of a partnership-initiated intervention focusing on student learning of spiritual care in a hospital ward. Data were collected through three focus group interviews with bachelor of nursing students from one Norwegian university college and supplemented with notes. Data were analysed by means of qualitative interpretative content analysis. The intervention was found to enhance students' competence in spiritual talks. The students developed an extended understanding of spirituality, became more confident in speaking with patients about spiritual issues and more active in grasping opportunities to provide spiritual care. Participating nurses significantly contributed to the students' learning process by being role models, mentoring the students and challenging them to overcome barriers in speaking with patients about spiritual issues. The partnership learning programme proved to be a useful model in terms of enhancing students' confidence in speaking with patients about spiritual concerns. Collaboration between nursing university colleges and clinical placements could help nursing students and clinical nurses to develop competencies in spiritual care and bridge the gap between academic education and clinical education, to the benefit of both. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. 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.

  5. Screening Patient Spirituality and Spiritual Needs in Oncology Nursing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Leeuwen, René; Schep-Akkerman, Annemiek; van Laarhoven, Hanneke W. M.

    2013-01-01

    Aim. To select 2 appropriate spiritual assessment tools and evaluate these by involving oncology nurses. Background. Spirituality is recognized as an important domain of cancer care. At admission, integration of spiritual assessment seems necessary. It is unclear what kind of spiritual assessment

  6. Screening patient spirituality and spiritual needs in oncology nursing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leeuwen, R. van; Schep-Akkerman, A.E.; Laarhoven, H.W.M. van

    2013-01-01

    AIM.: To select 2 appropriate spiritual assessment tools and evaluate these by involving oncology nurses. BACKGROUND.: Spirituality is recognized as an important domain of cancer care. At admission, integration of spiritual assessment seems necessary. It is unclear what kind of spiritual assessment

  7. The Role of Religiousness/Spirituality in Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adolescents with HIV: A Latent Profile Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyon, Maureen E; Kimmel, Allison L; Cheng, Yao Iris; Wang, Jichuan

    2016-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether distinct latent profiles of religiousness/spirituality exist for ALWH, and if so, are latent profile memberships associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Latent profile analysis of religiosity identified four profiles/groups. Compared to the other three groups, higher levels of emotional well-being were found among young perinatally infected adolescents who attended religious services, but who did not pray privately, feel God's presence or identify as religious or spiritual. Social HRQoL was significantly higher among the highest overall religious/spiritual group. Understanding adolescent profiles of religiousness/spirituality on HRQoL could inform faith-based interventions. Trial registration NCT01289444.

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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.

  11. Religious and Spiritual Dimensions of the Vietnamese Dementia Caregiving Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinton, Ladson; Tran, Jane NhaUyen; Tran, Cindy; Hinton, Devon

    2010-01-01

    This paper focuses on the role of religion and spirituality in dementia caregiving among Vietnamese refugee families. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with nine Vietnamese caregivers of persons with dementia, then tape-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for emergent themes. Caregivers related their spirituality/religion to three aspects of caregiving: (1) their own suffering, (2) their motivations for providing care, and (3) their understanding of the nature of the illness. Key terms or idioms were used to articulate spiritual/religious dimensions of the caregivers’ experience, which included sacrifice, compassion, karma, blessings, grace and peace of mind. In their narratives, the caregivers often combined multiple strands of different religions and/or spiritualities: Animism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Catholicism. Case studies are presented to illustrate the relationship between religion/spirituality and the domains of caregiving. These findings have relevance for psychotherapeutic interventions with ethnically diverse populations. PMID:20930949

  12. The Influence of Skill Development Training Program for Spiritual Care of Elderly Individual on Elderly Care Technician Students' Perception of Spiritual Support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bulduk, Serap; Usta, Esra; Dinçer, Yeliz

    2017-06-01

    Spiritual care means helping an individual protect, maintain and gain all the dimensions of his/her existence. Elderly care technicians face numerous cases or crisis situations in which elderly individuals from different backgrounds question the meaning and value of life. Elderly care technicians must acknowledge that the spirituality is an important element in the way an elderly individual receives healthcare and they must be equipped for this matter. This study was conducted in order to examine the influence of "Skill Development Training Program for Spiritual Care of Elderly Individual," which was carried out with students from elderly care program, on the perception of spirituality support in a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study design with control group. As the data collection form, "Spiritual Support Perception" (SSP) scale was used. The mean scores of the intervention group after the training and after one month are 50.39 ± 5.34 and 51.13 ± 4.98, respectively, and those of the control group are 43.16 ± 4.83 and 42.72 ± 4.48. A statistically significant difference was found between the mean scores of the intervention group from the pretest and the posttests immediately after the training and one month after the training (f = 94.247, p = 0.001). In the control group, however, there was no significant change in the SSP mean scores (f = 0.269, p = 0.77). As a result, this study pointed out the necessity of such training programs for healthcare professionals to make a distinction between their professional duties and their own personalities in order to offer spiritual care to the elderly individual.

  13. The Impact of Spiritual Care Education on the Self-Efficacy of the Family Caregivers of Elderly People with Alzheimer’s Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azam Salamizadeh

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Caring for people who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease is stressful. Family caregivers of these people usually experience physical and mental burnout and lose their efficacy in doing care-related activities. The present study aimed to examine the impacts of spiritual care education on self-efficacy of the family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Methods: This study was conducted from October to December 2015 by using a two-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. In total, 60 family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease were recruited and randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. A spiritual care educational intervention was implemented for the caregivers in the intervention group. The data were collected before and three weeks after the study intervention by using the ten-item General Self Efficacy scale. The study data were analyzed in SPSS using Chi-square and independent t-test. Results: Before the study intervention, the means of pretest self-efficacy scores in the intervention and control groups were 29.80±4.80 and 28.39±6.41, respectively. There was no significant difference between the groups regarding the mean score of self-efficacy (P=0.36. After the study, these two scores changed to 32.73±4.75 and 27.85±5.98, respectively. However, after the intervention, the mean score of self-efficacy in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group (P=0.002. Conclusion: Spiritual care can enhance the self-efficacy of the family caregivers of people who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, care providers are recommended to use such spirituality-based interventions for empowering family caregivers.

  14. Developmental patterns of adolescent spiritual health in six countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valerie Michaelson

    2016-12-01

    evidence for the planning and targeting of interventions centered on adolescent spiritual health practices, and direction for the study of spiritual health in a general population health survey context. Keywords: Adolescent, Child development, Gender, Nature, Spiritual health, Spirituality

  15. 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.

  16. 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.

  17. The Spiritually-Based Organization: A Theoretical Review and its Potential Role in the Third Millennium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anselmo Ferreira Vasconcelos

    Full Text Available This paper examines whether the spiritually-based organization (SBO can be regarded as an imperative for the third millennium. As a result, it draws on the literature review of organizational spirituality, psychology of religion, positive psychology, and spirituality leadership theory in order to support its conclusions, as well as it offers some research propositions. Overall, the evidence gathered throughout this paper suggests that the spiritual paradigm starts to play a key role alongside with the concept of SBOs. Rather, it concludes that these topics can be regarded as authentic imperatives for this millennium. Nonetheless, it argues that is likely to take some time until the spirituality topic may mold, so to speak, organizations' character regarding that spiritual theme is starting to become a noteworthy topic. Furthermore, it argues that the logic that has prevailed on business enterprises has been largely economic, except some honorable initiatives. The findings also indicate that the material paradigm is not suited to deal with germane problems that shape our today's world. Finally, it suggests that the concept of SBO embraces positive changes and, as such, it may be potentially conducive to improving people lives and the planet's health and equilibrium.

  18. 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.

  19. 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.

  20. Spiritual Psychotherapy for Adolescents with Conduct Disorder: Designing and Piloting a Therapeutic Package.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadi, Mohammad Reza; Salmanian, Maryam; Ghobari-Bonab, Bagher; Bolhari, Jafar

    2017-10-01

    Objective: Spiritual psychotherapy has been conceptualized in the context of love and belief as principles of existence. Spiritual psychotherapy can provide an opportunity to design programs to treat conduct disorder. The aim of this study was to introduce the Spiritual Psychotherapy Package for Adolescents with Conduct Disorder and execute it as a pilot study. Method: The intervention is a manual-guided program conducted over 14 group sessions, using the perspectives of object relations and attachment approach. It was executed for a group of eight adolescent boys with conduct disorder (mean age: 17.01 years) at Tehran reformatory. The Aggression Questionnaire and the Attachment to God Inventory were completed pre- and post-intervention. Results: There were no significant differences in outcome measures from pre- to post- intervention. Cohen's dav was applied to estimate the measure of the effect size in this study. Cohen's dav measures of avoidance and anxious attachment to God showed acceptable effect sizes. However, Cohen's dav measure of verbal aggression indicated a small effect size. Conclusion: We found evidence indicating acceptability of spiritual psychotherapy among adolescents with conduct disorder in attachment to God.

  1. Evaluation of a Spiritually Based Child Maltreatment Prevention Training Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Louisa K.; Rigazio-DiGilio, Sandra A.

    2013-01-01

    The authors empirically evaluated a spiritually based 1-day child maltreatment training program. Pretest, posttest, and follow-up results indicated that participants' recognition of hypothetical maltreatment did not increase after training. Furthermore, although participants decreased their use of items known to dissuade decisions to report, they…

  2. 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).

  3. EFFECT OF SPIRITUAL NURSING CARE ON THE LEVEL OF ANXIETY IN PATIENTS WITH STROKE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernadeta Trihandini

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Anxiety in stroke patients occurs as a normal reaction to stress with life changes; however, when it becomes excessive, It becomes disabling. Effort to deal with anxiety is needed and spiritual approach nursing care is considered useful in caring patients with stroke. Objective: To examine the effect of spiritual nursing care on anxiety in stroke patients in the inpatient ward. Methods: This study used a quasy experimental design with pretest-postest control group. Thirty respondents were selected using consecutive sampling, which 15 respondents assigned in the experiment and control group. The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale was used to measure anxiety. Data were analyzed using paired t-test and independent t-test. Results: The results showed that the mean level of anxiety in the experiment group before intervention was 29.33 and decreased to 9 after intervention, while in the control group the mean level of anxiety before intervention was 29.47 and decreased to 17.73 after intervention. Paired t-test obtained p-value 0.000 (<0.05, which indicated that there was a significant effect of spiritual nursing care on anxiety levels in patients with stroke. Conclusion: Spiritual nursing care could reduce anxiety in patients with stroke.

  4. 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.

  5. The effect of spiritual healing on in vitro tumour cell proliferation and viability - an experimental study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zachariae, R.; Hojgaard, L.; Zachariae, C.

    2005-01-01

    Alternative treatments such as spiritual healing and prayer are increasingly popular, especially among patients with life-threatening diseases such as cancer. According to theories of spiritual healing, this intervention is thought to influence living cells and organisms independently of the reci......Alternative treatments such as spiritual healing and prayer are increasingly popular, especially among patients with life-threatening diseases such as cancer. According to theories of spiritual healing, this intervention is thought to influence living cells and organisms independently...... three experimental days, doses, assays, and cells, 34 (51.6%) of 66 independent comparisons showed differences in the hypothesised direction (P = 0.90). The average effect size across cell lines, days, assays, and doses approached zero (Cohen's d = -0.01). The results do not support previous reports...

  6. 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.

  7. Interventions by Hospital Nurses for the Spiritual Needs of Patients ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2018-05-22

    May 22, 2018 ... stated that they never practiced spiritual care-related nursing, 97.5% of them stated that they ... be considered separate to normal nursing care.[3,4] ...... depression in women with a recent diagnosis of gynecological cancer.

  8. 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...

  9. 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 ...

  10. [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.

  11. Inner resources for survival: integrating interpersonal psychotherapy with spiritual visualization with homeless youth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mastropieri, Biagio; Schussel, Lorne; Forbes, David; Miller, Lisa

    2015-06-01

    Homeless youth have particular need to develop inner resources to confront the stress, abusive environment of street life, and the paucity of external resources. Research suggests that treatment supporting spiritual awareness and growth may create a foundation for coping, relationships, and negotiating styles to mitigate distress. The current pilot study tests the feasibility, acceptability, and helpfulness of an interpersonal spiritual group psychotherapy, interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) integrated with spiritual visualization (SV), offered through a homeless shelter, toward improving interpersonal coping and ameliorating symptoms of depression, distress, and anxiety in homeless youth. An exploratory pilot of integrative group psychotherapy (IPT + SV) for homeless young adults was conducted in a New York City on the residential floor of a shelter-based transitional living program. Thirteen young adult men (mean age 20.3 years, SD = 1.06) participated in a weekly evening psychotherapy group (55 % African-American, 18 % biracial, 18 % Hispanic, 9 % Caucasian). Measures of psychological functioning were assessed at pre-intervention and post-intervention using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9, GAD-7), and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-32). A semi-structured exit interview and a treatment satisfaction questionnaire were also employed to assess acceptability following treatment. Among homeless young adults to participate in the group treatment, significant decreases in symptoms of general distress and depression were found between baseline and termination of treatment, and at the level of a trend, improvement in overall interpersonal functioning and levels of general anxiety. High utilization and treatment satisfaction showed the intervention to be both feasible and acceptable. Offered as an adjunct to the services-as-usual model at homeless shelters serving young adults, interpersonal psychotherapy

  12. Perspectives on spirituality at the end of life: a meta-summary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Anna-Leila

    2006-12-01

    A meta-summary of the qualitative literature on spiritual perspectives of adults who are at the end of life was undertaken to summarily analyze the research to date and identify areas for future research on the relationship of spirituality with physical, functional, and psychosocial outcomes in the health care setting. Included were all English language reports from 1966 to the present catalogued in PubMed, Medline, PsycInfo, and CINAHL, identifiable as qualitative investigations of the spiritual perspectives of adults at the end of life. The final sample includes 11 articles, collectively representing data from 217 adults. The preponderance of participants had a diagnosis of cancer; those with HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, and ALS were also represented. Approximately half the studies were conducted in the United States; others were performed in Australia, Finland, Scotland, and Taiwan. Following a process of theme extraction and abstraction, thematic patterns emerged and effect sizes were calculated. A spectrum of spirituality at the end of life encompassing spiritual despair (alienation, loss of self, dissonance), spiritual work (forgiveness, self-exploration, search for balance), and spiritual well-being (connection, self-actualization, consonance) emerged. The findings from this meta-summary confirm the fundamental importance of spirituality at the end of life and highlight the shifts in spiritual health that are possible when a terminally ill person is able to do the necessary spiritual work. Existing end-of-life frameworks neglect spiritual work and consequently may be deficient in guiding research. The area of spiritual work is fertile ground for further investigation, especially interventions aimed at improving spiritual health and general quality of life among the dying.

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. Religion, Spirituality, and HIV Clinical Outcomes: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doolittle, B R; Justice, A C; Fiellin, D A

    2018-06-01

    This systematic review evaluates the association between religion, spirituality and clinical outcomes in HIV-infected individuals. A systematic literature review was conducted for all English language articles published between 1980 and 2016 in relevant databases. Six hundred fourteen studies were evaluated. 15 met inclusion criteria. Ten (67%) studies reported a positive association between religion or spirituality and a clinical HIV outcome. Two (13%) studies failed to detect such an association; and two (13%) demonstrated a negative association. One study (7%) identified features of religiosity and spirituality that had both negative and positive associations with HIV clinical outcomes. Recognizing the religious or spiritual commitments of patients may serve as an important component of patient care. Further longitudinal studies and interventions might be required to further clarify the potential impact of religion and spirituality on HIV clinical outcomes.

  16. 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.

  17. 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

  18. The potential of spiritual leadership in workplace spirituality

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    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.

  19. Programa de treinamento sobre a intervenção terapêutica "relaxamento, imagens mentais e espiritualidade" (RIME para re-significar a dor espiritual de pacientes terminais Training program about the therapeutical intervention "relaxation, mental images and spirituality" (RIME to resignify the spiritual pain of terminal patients

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    Ana Catarina Araújo Elias

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available CONTEXTO: Neste artigo, apresentamos um programa de treinamento sobre a intervenção terapêutica relaxamento, imagens mentais e espiritualidade (RIME para profissionais de saúde, que objetiva re-significar a dor espiritual de pacientes terminais. OBJETIVO: Analisar um programa de treinamento por meio da compreensão da experiência de profissionais na utilização da Intervenção RIME e da compreensão da experiência dos doentes na re-significação da dor espiritual, manifestada durante a aplicação do RIME por profissionais treinados. MÉTODOS: Os sujeitos foram uma enfermeira, uma médica, três psicólogos e uma terapeuta alternativa voluntária, todos experientes ou estudiosos em cuidados paliativos, selecionados por convite e que atenderam 11 pacientes terminais internados em hospitais públicos das cidades de Campinas, Piracicaba e São Paulo (SP. A metodologia utilizada teve como base a pesquisa-ação e a fenomenologia. Os resultados qualitativos foram analisados pelo método análise do conteúdo por meio da técnica análise temática e os quantitativos foram analisados pelo método descritivo, utilizando-se o teste de Wilcoxon. RESULTADOS: Na análise da vivência dos profissionais, encontramos cinco categorias e 15 subcategorias. Na análise da natureza da dor espiritual, encontramos como categorias mais prevalentes os medos da morte expresso pela negação e pela percepção do quadro clínico. Na aplicação do RIME, observamos diferença estatisticamente significativa (p BACKGROUND: This article presents a training program for a therapeutic intervention involving relaxation, mental images and spirituality (RIME, which can be administered to help terminal patients to resignify their spiritual pain. OBJECTIVE: Analysis of a training program based on the understanding of the experience of professionals in the use of RIME intervention and of patients in their resignification of spiritual pain, as revealed during the

  20. Christian Spirituality in Eating Disorder Recovery

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    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.

  1. WORKPLACE SPIRITUALITY FOR IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY:A GENDERED PERSPECTIVE

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    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

  2. Spiritually Integrated Cognitive Processing Therapy: A New Treatment for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder That Targets Moral Injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearce, Michelle; Haynes, Kerry; Rivera, Natalia R; Koenig, Harold G.

    2018-01-01

    Background Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating disorder, and current treatments leave the majority of patients with unresolved symptoms. Moral injury (MI) may be one of the barriers that interfere with recovery from PTSD, particularly among current or former military service members. Objective Given the psychological and spiritual aspects of MI, an intervention that addresses MI using spiritual resources in addition to psychological resources may be particularly effective in treating PTSD. To date, there are no existing empirically based individual treatments for PTSD and MI that make explicit use of a patient’s spiritual resources, despite the evidence that spiritual beliefs/activities predict faster recovery from PTSD. Method To address this gap, we adapted Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an empirically validated treatment for PTSD, to integrate clients’ spiritual beliefs, practices, values, and motivations. We call this treatment Spiritually Integrated CPT (SICPT). Results This article describes this novel manualized therapeutic approach for treating MI in the setting of PTSD for spiritual/religious clients. We provide a description of SICPT and a brief summary of the 12 sessions. Then, we describe a case study in which the therapist helps a client use his spiritual resources to resolve MI and assist in the recovery from PTSD. Conclusion SICPT may be a helpful way to reduce PTSD by targeting MI, addressing spiritual distress, and using a client’s spiritual resources. In addition to the spiritual version (applicable for those of any religion and those who do not identify as religious), we have also developed 5 religion-specific manuals (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism) for clients who desire a more religion-specific approach. PMID:29497585

  3. Predicting dimensions of psychological well being based on religious orientations and spirituality: an investigation into a causal model.

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    Abbasali Soleimani Khashab

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of predicting psychological well-being based on spirituality and religiousness.A sample of 300 participants was selected from the whole entrants to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and Shiraz University using a random cluster sampling. The tools of this study were the Spiritual Scale of Ironson, the Internal and External Orientations of Allport and Ross, Spiritual Religious Orientation of Betson and Showinerdand and the Psychological Well-Being Scale. To analyze the results of this study, we used the statistical method of Pearson correlation and we also performed the path analysis. Multiple regressions were used in a hierarchical simultaneous way in accordance with the stages of Barron and Kenny.The following results were obtained in this study: 1Spirituality positively predicted two religious orientations (question and internal among which the internal spirituality possessed a higher degree of predictability; 2Through intra-religious orientation, and in a direct way, spirituality predicted psychological well-being; 3The internal orientation was the only strong mediator in the relationship between spirituality and psychological well-being.Spirituality and religiosity were significant determinants of mental health, and they had more shares in psychological well-being, and made religious beliefs profound and internalized them.

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

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    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.

  5. A Qur’anic Framework for Spiritual Intelligence

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    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.

  6. Spirituality in Nursing: An Overview of Research Methods

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    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.

  7. THE ROLE OF MINDFULNESS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LIFE SATISFACTION AND SPIRITUAL WELLBEING AMONGST THE ELDERLY

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    Bester, Edelweiss

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available A non-experimental research design was used to investigate the role of mindfulness in the relationship between life satisfaction and spiritual wellbeing amongst elderly residents (N=122 from two retirement villages in Bloemfontein. A biographical questionnaire, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS, the Spiritual Well-being Questionnaire (SWBQ, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS were utilised. This study yielded a statistically significant relationship between mindfulness, life satisfaction and spiritual wellbeing. Mindfulness was also a moderator in the relationship between life satisfaction and spiritual wellbeing. These findings can inform social work interventions aimed at optimising life satisfaction and spiritual wellbeing amongst the elderly.

  8. Nursing and spirituality

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    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.

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

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    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.

  10. The spiritual experience index: A measure of spiritual maturity.

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    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.

  11. Building a Middle-Range Theory of Adaptive Spirituality.

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    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.

  12. A randomized, blinded study of the impact of intercessory prayer on spiritual well-being in patients with cancer.

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    Olver, Ian N; Dutney, Andrew

    2012-01-01

    Cochrane reviews have analyzed multiple studies on intercessory prayer that treatment teams had added to health interventions; however, the reviewers could draw no conclusions about the efficacy of prayer because the studies showed either positive or no effects and used different endpoints and methodologies. The study intended to determine whether researchers could measure the impact of intercessory prayer on spiritual well-being. The research team conducted a randomized blinded trial of intercessory prayer added to normal cancer treatment with participants agreeing to complete quality of life (QOL) and spiritual well-being scales at baseline and 6 months later. The research team had shown previously that spiritual well-being is an important, unique domain in the assessment of QOL. Participants remained blinded to the randomization. Based on a previous study, the research team determined that the study required a sample of 1000 participants to detect small differences (P = .05, 2-tailed, 80% power). SETTING The research team performed this research at the Royal Adelaide Hospital Cancer Centre, South Australia, Australia. Participants were patients at the cancer center between June 2003 and May 2008. Of 999 participants with mixed diagnoses who completed the baseline questionnaires, 66.6% provided follow-up. The average age was 61 years, and most participants were married/de facto (living with partners), were Australians or New Zealanders living in Australia, and were Christian. Intervention The research team asked an external group offering Christian intercessory prayer to add the study's participants to their usual prayer lists. They received details about the participants, but this information was not sufficient to identify them. Outcome Measures The research team used the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-being questionnaire to assess spiritual wellbeing and QOL. Results The intervention group showed significantly greater

  13. In Psycho-Spiritual Integrative Therapy for Women with Primary Breast Cancer, What Factors Account for the Benefits? Insights from a Multiple Case Analysis.

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    Rettger, John; Wall, Kathleen; Corwin, Diana; Davidson, Alexandra N; Lukoff, David; Koopman, Cheryl

    2015-05-12

    This study sought to understand the context in which Psycho-Spiritual Integrative Therapy (PSIT), a group intervention, promotes varying degrees of spiritual growth and quality of life change in breast cancer survivors. A secondary aim was to explore the relationship between spiritual well-being (SWB) and Quality of Life (QL) in PSIT participants. A qualitative, multiple case analysis was undertaken to examine the experiences of two participants with the highest change scores on the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Spiritual Well-Being Scale-Expanded Version (FACIT-Sp-Ex) and two participants with among the lowest change scores on this measure. The participant factors thought to contribute to SWB and QL changes included utilization of metacognitive psychological skills and spiritual/religious frameworks, while PSIT factors included application of PSIT core intervention components, cognitive restructuring, group dynamics, and the role of the facilitator. The nature and extent of participant use of spiritual practices appeared to shape the relationship between SWB and OL. The findings suggest directions for future research to investigate potential moderators and mediators of treatment efficacy of PSIT specifically, as well as other psycho-spiritual interventions for cancer survivors more generally.

  14. In Psycho-Spiritual Integrative Therapy for Women with Primary Breast Cancer, What Factors Account for the Benefits? Insights from a Multiple Case Analysis

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    John Rettger

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available This study sought to understand the context in which Psycho-Spiritual Integrative Therapy (PSIT, a group intervention, promotes varying degrees of spiritual growth and quality of life change in breast cancer survivors. A secondary aim was to explore the relationship between spiritual well-being (SWB and Quality of Life (QL in PSIT participants. A qualitative, multiple case analysis was undertaken to examine the experiences of two participants with the highest change scores on the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Spiritual Well-Being Scale-Expanded Version (FACIT-Sp-Ex and two participants with among the lowest change scores on this measure. The participant factors thought to contribute to SWB and QL changes included utilization of metacognitive psychological skills and spiritual/religious frameworks, while PSIT factors included application of PSIT core intervention components, cognitive restructuring, group dynamics, and the role of the facilitator. The nature and extent of participant use of spiritual practices appeared to shape the relationship between SWB and OL. The findings suggest directions for future research to investigate potential moderators and mediators of treatment efficacy of PSIT specifically, as well as other psycho-spiritual interventions for cancer survivors more generally.

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

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    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.

  16. Spirituality, hope, and self-sufficiency among low-income job seekers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-04-01

    Self-sufficiency (SS) is an important social welfare policy goal in the United States, yet little is known about the process that leads to SS. To address this gap in the literature, this study examined the relationship between spirituality, hope, and SS among a sample of low-income job seekers (N = 116). It was hypothesized that spirituality would be related to hope, and that hope, in turn, would be related to SS. Using survey data from two workforce development agencies, this hypothesis was confirmed-hope fully mediated the relationship between spirituality and SS. Of the two factors through which hope is commonly operationalized-agency and pathways-supplemental analysis suggested that spirituality only affects SS through the agency channel. To help foster hope in direct practice settings, it is suggested that social workers might employ spiritually modified cognitive-behavioral therapy protocols. Macrostructural interventions that block the pathway component of hope are also suggested to help reverse exclusion from labor market entry. As such, hope needs to be addressed comprehensively-intrapsychically and macrostructurally-to effect bottom-up change for SS. Engendering hope may assist clients overcome some of the many challenges they encounter on the journey to SS.

  17. Occupational Therapy Students' Perceptions of Spirituality in Training.

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    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.

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

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    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

  19. INTERVENSI SPIRITUAL EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE UNTUK MENGURANGI RASA NYERI PASIEN KANKER

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    Rr. Tutik Sri Hariyati

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Spiritual emotional freedom technique (SEFT represents an combination technique from body’s energy system and spiritual therapy by tapping at certain points of the body. SEFT focuses on certain words or sentences pronounced several times in a rhythm, follows by resignation to God as in patients’ belief. This research was aimed to explore the effect of SEFT intervention to reduce of cancer pain patients at the Dr Soetomo General Hospital in Surabaya. Quasi experimental were used in this study using pre test and post test design with control group. Samples, 20 respondents (in 2 groups were recruited using consecutive sampling. The intervention group received SEFT intervention combined with analgesic therapy and the control group given only analgesic therapy. SEFT intervention implemented after administrating analgesic, for 5-10 minutes every day during five days. Pain was measured using numeric rating scale (NRS. The combination SEFT intervention and analgesic therapy was more effective than only analgesic therapy. SEFT can be employed for cancer patients to relieve their pain. Nursing intervention with SEFT encourages nurse’s role autonomy and steps to reduce patient’s dependency on analgesic therapy.

  20. Holistic Nursing of Forensic Patients: A Focus on Spiritual Care

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    Annamaria Bagnasco

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Prisons are a unique context where nurses are required to have specific skills to ensure that prisoners receive the same type of holistic care as anyone else out of prison, including spiritual care. This discussion paper focuses on understanding how nurses deliver spiritual care in Italian prisons where there are often limited resources and where organizational priorities hinder the provision of holistic nursing. This paper draws from a previous qualitative research study that we had conducted. In this study, we observed that prison nurses reported that they experienced many difficulties related to the provision of holistic care to prisoners. This was particularly true for spiritual care in vulnerable forensic patients, such as older individuals, and physically and mentally frail prisoners. Prison officers did not allow nurses to just “listen and talk” to their patients in prison, because they considered it a waste of time. The conflict between prison organizational constraints and nursing goals, along with limited resources placed barriers to the development of therapeutic relationships between nurses and prisoners, whose holistic and spiritual care needs remained totally unattended. Therefore, prison organizational needs prevailed over prisoners’ needs for spiritual care, which, while fundamental, are nevertheless often underestimated and left unattended. Educational interventions are needed to reaffirm nurses’ role as providers of spiritual care.

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

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    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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. [Spiritual care of a terminal liver cancer patient: a nursing experience].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chien, Hui-Chi

    2010-04-01

    Death, an unavoidable event in the human experience, causes physical as well as mental and spiritual suffering. This paper reports on a nursing experience giving spiritual care to a terminal liver cancer patient between January 17 and February 9, 2009. Eleven nursing logs were used as the source of data for daily information. During the care period, patient religious needs featured prominently, including his desire to become a Christian and his eagerness to know about and help in the arrangement of his funeral. Taking the initiative, the nurse helped link him with religious resources, arranged a minister for his baptism ceremony, had the priest explain funeral proceedings, and assisted with the completion of his entrusted plans. The function of this nursing care intervention was to provide a personal touch to a patient who was in desperate need of warm spiritual care. It is hoped that this report can help caregivers increase their sensitivity toward patient spiritual needs and enhance routine nursing care quality.

  5. 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

  6. 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)

  7. 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.

  8. 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…

  9. The spiritual distress assessment tool: an instrument to assess spiritual distress in hospitalised elderly persons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Estelle

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although spirituality is usually considered a positive resource for coping with illness, spiritual distress may have a negative influence on health outcomes. Tools are needed to identify spiritual distress in clinical practice and subsequently address identified needs. This study describes the first steps in the development of a clinically acceptable instrument to assess spiritual distress in hospitalized elderly patients. Methods A three-step process was used to develop the Spiritual Distress Assessment Tool (SDAT: 1 Conceptualisation by a multidisciplinary group of a model (Spiritual Needs Model to define the different dimensions characterizing a patient's spirituality and their corresponding needs; 2 Operationalisation of the Spiritual Needs Model within geriatric hospital care leading to a set of questions (SDAT investigating needs related to each of the defined dimensions; 3 Qualitative assessment of the instrument's acceptability and face validity in hospital chaplains. Results Four dimensions of spirituality (Meaning, Transcendence, Values, and Psychosocial Identity and their corresponding needs were defined. A formalised assessment procedure to both identify and subsequently score unmet spiritual needs and spiritual distress was developed. Face validity and acceptability in clinical practice were confirmed by chaplains involved in the focus groups. Conclusions The SDAT appears to be a clinically acceptable instrument to assess spiritual distress in elderly hospitalised persons. Studies are ongoing to investigate the psychometric properties of the instrument and to assess its potential to serve as a basis for integrating the spiritual dimension in the patient's plan of care.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. Understanding the relationship between religiousness, spirituality, and underage drinking: the role of positive alcohol expectancies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sauer-Zavala, Shannon; Burris, Jessica L; Carlson, Charles R

    2014-02-01

    Research has consistently found that religiousness and spirituality are negatively associated with underage drinking. However, there is a paucity of research exploring the mechanisms by which these variables influence this important outcome. With 344 underage young adults (ages 18-20; 61 % women), we investigated positive alcohol expectancies as a mediator between religiousness and spirituality (measured separately) and underage alcohol use. Participants completed the Religious Commitment Inventory-10, Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, Alcohol Expectancies Questionnaire, and Drinking Styles Questionnaire. Results indicate less positive alcohol expectancies partially mediate the relationship between both religiousness and spirituality and underage alcohol use. This suggests religiousness and spirituality's protective influence on underage drinking is partly due to their influence on expectations about alcohol's positive effects. Since underage drinking predicts problem drinking later in life and places one at risk for serious physical and mental health problems, it is important to identify specific points of intervention, including expectations about alcohol that rise from religious and spiritual factors.

  13. SPIRITUAL EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE DECREASING STRESS ON PATIENTS WITH CERVICAL CANCER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Desmaniarti Z,

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Cervical cancer is known as one of deadly disease. The global incidence of cervical cancer is the second largest in the entire world, including in Indonesia. RSUP Dr. Hasan Sadikin Bandung, cervical cancer ranked fi rst (62.27% compared with other fi ve types of obstetry and gynecology malignancies (suspected malignant ovarian tumors 16.12%, ovarian cancer 11.76%, vulva cancer 8.65% and endometrial cancer 1.19% (Destiana, 2012. Chemotherapy as one of cancer treatment causes various side effects include hair loss, nails blackened, nausea and vomiting, that could makes patient stressful. SEFT ( Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique is useful to overcome negative emotions through a combination technique that uses psychological energy, spiritual strength, and praying. SEFT is an effective intervention in manage stress, there are some techniques that practiced simply such as praying, NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming, hypnotherapy, visualisation, meditation, relaxation, imagery and desensitisasi (Zainuddin, 2008. The purpose of this study was to explain reducing stress on patiens with cervical cancer through Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique (SEFT at RSUP Dr. Hasan Sadikin Bandung. Improvements on patient’s stress will lead to a better result on cervical cancer therapy. Methods: This study was used quasy experiment pre-post test randomize control group design. Patient with cervical cancer at stadium I to III that taking chemotherapy was selected by using purposive sampling and divided into two groups. Each group contains 34 patients. Intervention group was given SEFT in three round. Each round took 30 minutes. Before and after intervention patients was given Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using paired t-test and independent t-test. Result: The result of this research showed that patient’s stress getting lower signifi cantly after intervention. Discussion: SEFT could reduced stress on patients with cervical cancer that

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. Spiritual Health in Nursing From the Viewpoint of Islam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heydari, Abbas; Khorashadizadeh, Fatemeh; Heshmati Nabavi, Fatemeh; Mazlom, Seyed Reza; Ebrahimi, Mahdi

    2016-06-01

    In order to gain a more detailed insight into the concept of spiritual health, a hybrid model of concept analysis was used to remove some of the ambiguity surrounding the conceptual meaning of spiritual health in Islamic and Iranian contexts. The purpose of this study was to clarify the meaning and nature of the spiritual health concept in the context of the practice of Islam among Iranian patients. The current concept analysis was undertaken according to the modified traditional hybrid model, which consists of five phases: theoretical phase, initial fieldwork phase, initial analytical phase, and final fieldwork and final analytical phase. In the theoretical phases of the study, the concept of spiritual health was described based on a literature review of publications dealing with the Islamic viewpoint (years: from 2013 to 2014, Databases and search engines: Pubmed, SID, Magiran, Noormax, Google Scholar, Google and IranMex, Languages: English and Persian, Keywords: spiritual health AND (Islam OR Quran), spirituality AND (Islam OR Quran), complete human AND Islam, healthy heart (Galb Salim) AND Islam, healthy life (Hayat tayebeh) AND Islam, calm soul (Nafse motmaeneh) And Islam and healthy wisdom (Aghle Salim) AND Islam). Purposive sampling was conducted and nine participants were selected. Semi-structured interviews and observations were conducted periodically for data collection after obtaining informed consent. Observational, theoretical, and methodological notes were made. Then, using MAXQUDA 7 software, the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The relevant literature in the theoretical phase uncovered the attributes of the concept of spiritual health, including love of the Creator, duty-based life, religious rationality, psychological balance, and attention to afterlife. These attributes were explored in depth in later stages. Finally, the definition of spiritual health was developed. Islam has a unique perspective on spiritual health as it

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. The Relationship between Spiritual Health and other Dimensions of Health: Presentation of a Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akram Heidari

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Attitudes to humankind will have different effects on health service delivery. Health might used to be intended to provide physical health in the past; today, however, many researchers and clinicians consider the concept health to be beyond physical health. In support of this claim, it is enough to indicate that the bio-psycho-social model has for years been held by scientific communities to be a fully admitted model. However, the missing ring in this model, as suggested by many, is the spiritual health. In recent years, the relationship between spirituality and clinical interventions with a comprehensive focus on health has been under increasing scrutiny. Although different models have been presented for investigation of the relationship between spiritual health and other dimensions, the fundamental challenge in this regard is the actual place of spiritual health compared with other dimensions. In this article, attempts are made to address the position and weight of spiritual health from the Islam’s point of view.

  20. A community-based intervention to build community harmony in an Indigenous Guatemalan Mining Town.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caxaj, Claudia Susana; Parroquia de San Miguel Ixtahuacan, Kolol Qnan Tx'otx'

    2018-01-24

    The presence of large-scale mining operations poses many threats to communities. In a rural community in Guatemala, community leaders were motivated to address divisiveness and local conflict that have been exacerbated since the arrival of a mining company in the region. Prior research by our team identified spiritual and cultural strengths as important sources of strength and resilience in the community. We piloted a community-based intervention centred on spiritual and cultural practices in the region, to address divisiveness and build community harmony. One hundred and seventeen participants from over 18 villages in the municipality participated in the workshops and follow-up focus groups. Community leaders facilitated the intervention and partnered with the academic researcher throughout the research process. Overall, community members and facilitators expressed satisfaction with the workshop. Further, our analysis revealed three important processes important to the development of community harmony in the region: (a) mutual recognition and collectivisation; (b) affirmation of ancestral roots and connections to Mother Earth and (c) inspiring action and momentum towards solutions. These mechanisms, and the socio-political contexts that undermine them, have important implications for how global health programmes are developed and how collective processes for well-being are understood within an inequitable, conflict-laden world.

  1. 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…

  2. A research protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial designed to examine the feasibility of a couple-based mind-body intervention for patients with metastatic lung cancer and their partners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milbury, Kathrin; Tsao, Anne S; Liao, Zhongxing; Owns, April; Engle, Rosalinda; Gonzalez, Edrea A; Bruera, Eduardo; Cohen, Lorenzo

    2018-01-01

    Given the generally incurable nature of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC), patients and their romantic partners are at risk for existential/spiritual distress. Although a handful of dyadic psychosocial interventions for lung cancer patients and their caregivers exist, none of them target spiritual well-being. Informed by the mindfulness-based intervention literature and our pilot work in couples affected by lung cancer, we developed a brief couple-based mind-body (CBMB) intervention. The primary aim of this research protocol is to determine the feasibility of implementing the CBMB intervention versus an active control (AC) or wait list control (WLC) group in patients with mNSCLC and their partners using a randomized controlled trial design. Seventy-five patients with mNSCLC receiving treatment and their partners are randomized to the CBMB intervention, an AC or a WLC group. Those in the CBMB intervention and AC groups receive four intervention sessions of 60 min each over 4 weeks and complete weekly homework assignments. The first session is delivered in person, and the remaining sessions are delivered via videoconference. The dyads in the AC group discuss cancer-related and personal growth concerns with the interventionist but are not taught coping skills. Patients and partners in all groups complete baseline assessments of quality of life (QOL) prior to randomization. Follow-up assessments are performed 4 weeks and then again 3 months later. The primary outcome is feasibility (i.e., ≥ 30% of eligible couples consent, ≥ 70% of enrolled couples are retained, and ≥ 50% of all CBMB and AC sessions are attended). We will also perform primarily descriptive analyses of the self-reported outcomes (e.g., spiritual well-being and psychological distress) and explore potential intervention mediators (i.e., compassion, communication, mindfulness, and closeness) to inform a larger, future trial. This trial will provide important information

  3. Longitudinal Pediatric Palliative Care: Quality of Life & Spiritual Struggle (FACE): design and methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dallas, Ronald H; Wilkins, Megan L; Wang, Jichuan; Garcia, Ana; Lyon, Maureen E

    2012-09-01

    As life expectancy increases for adolescents ever diagnosed with AIDS due to treatment advances, the optimum timing of advance care planning is unclear. Left unprepared for end-of-life (EOL) decisions, families may encounter miscommunication and disagreements, resulting in families being charged with neglect, court battles and even legislative intervention. Advanced care planning (ACP) is a valuable tool rarely used with adolescents. The Longitudinal Pediatric Palliative Care: Quality of Life & Spiritual Struggle study is a two-arm, randomized controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of a disease specific FAmily CEntered (FACE) advanced care planning intervention model among adolescents diagnosed with AIDS, aimed at relieving psychological, spiritual, and physical suffering, while maximizing quality of life through facilitated conversations about ACP. Participants will include 130 eligible dyads (adolescent and family decision-maker) from four urban cities in the United States, randomized to either the FACE intervention or a Healthy Living Control. Three 60-minute sessions will be conducted at weekly intervals. The dyads will be assessed at baseline as well as 3-, 6-, 12-, and 18-month post-intervention. The primary outcome measures will be in congruence with EOL treatment preferences, decisional conflict, and quality of communication. The mediating and moderating effects of threat appraisal, HAART adherence, and spiritual struggle on the relationships among FACE and quality of life and hospitalization/dialysis use will also be assessed. This study will be the first longitudinal study of an AIDS-specific model of ACP with adolescents. If successful, this intervention could quickly translate into clinical practice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Patient Reported Outcome Measure of Spiritual Care as Delivered by Chaplains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snowden, Austyn; Telfer, Iain

    2017-01-01

    Chaplains are employed by health organizations around the world to support patients in recognizing and addressing their spiritual needs. There is currently no generalizable measure of the impact of these interventions and so the clinical and strategic worth of chaplaincy is difficult to articulate. This article introduces the Scottish PROM, an original five-item patient reported outcome measure constructed specifically to address this gap. It describes the validation process from its conceptual grounding in the spiritual care literature through face and content validity cycles. It shows that the Scottish PROM is internally consistent and unidimensional. Responses to the Scottish PROM show strong convergent validity with responses to the Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, a generic well-being scale often used as a proxy for spiritual well-being. In summary, the Scottish PROM is fit for purpose. It measures the outcomes of spiritual care as delivered by chaplains in this study. This novel project introduces an essential and original breakthrough; the possibility of generalizable international chaplaincy research.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. Ayurveda: Between Religion, Spirituality, and Medicine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kessler, C.; Wischnewsky, M.; Michalsen, A.; Eisenmann, C.; Melzer, J.

    2013-01-01

    Ayurveda is playing a growing part in Europe. Questions regarding the role of religion and spirituality within Ayurveda are discussed widely. Yet, there is little data on the influence of religious and spiritual aspects on its European diffusion. Methods. A survey was conducted with a new questionnaire. It was analysed by calculating frequency variables and testing differences in distributions with the χ 2-Test. Principal Component Analyses with Varimax Rotation were performed. Results. 140 questionnaires were analysed. Researchers found that individual religious and spiritual backgrounds influence attitudes and expectations towards Ayurveda. Statistical relationships were found between religious/spiritual backgrounds and decisions to offer/access Ayurveda. Accessing Ayurveda did not exclude the simultaneous use of modern medicine and CAM. From the majority's perspective Ayurveda is simultaneously a science, medicine, and a spiritual approach. Conclusion. Ayurveda seems to be able to satisfy the individual needs of therapists and patients, despite worldview differences. Ayurvedic concepts are based on anthropologic assumptions including different levels of existence in healing approaches. Thereby, Ayurveda can be seen in accordance with the prerequisites for a Whole Medical System. As a result of this, intimate and individual therapist-patient relationships can emerge. Larger surveys involving bigger participant numbers with fully validated questionnaires are warranted to support these results. PMID:24368928

  9. Art therapy as a path to spiritual transformation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juana M. Cáceres-Gutiérrez

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The study of art therapy and spirituality makes it possible to describe the symbolic and universal meaning that the different expressions of art can contribute to the comprehensive transformation —personal and transpersonal— of spirit. The article understands said transformation from the perspective of intervention in pathology or dysfunctionality, as well as of health and personal growth promotion. What is it about art that transforms individuals? The paper argues that the therapeutic relation, the creative act, and the authentic self are the pillars of a productive individual and social intervention.

  10. Integrating spirituality into a group psychological therapy program for cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunningham, Alastair J

    2005-06-01

    Although the importance of spiritual issues to people with cancer is by now widely acknowledged, there has been almost no research on the value of interventions specifically designed to enhance the spiritual experience of these patients. The present report describes an exploratory study on the effects of a brief psychoeducational course emphasizing spiritual aspects of coping and healing. Ninety-seven patients with various types and stages of cancer took part in the 8-session course as the third stage in a progressive, stepwise program of support and psychological education. Standard psychometric tests were administered at entry, 8 weeks, and 6 months. Written home assignments, returned by participants, provided an insight into their experience. Significant improvements in scores were found immediately following the intervention; by 6 months, however, these improvements above entry level had declined to about half the 8-week value. In their written homework, patients grappled with such issues as doubts about the existence of a god, judgment and forgiveness, guilt, projection, self-importance, and the meaning of love. As the course progressed, many claimed to be better able to accept their condition and to experience an enhanced sense of meaning in their lives, coupled with a heightened appreciation for the events of everyday life and less tendency to conflict with others. These preliminary findings indicate that further, more rigorous investigation would be worthwhile and support the growing view that addressing spiritual issues within the framework of group therapy can be of great benefit to people with cancer.

  11. Spirituality and healthcare: Towards holistic people-centred healthcare in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andre de la Porte

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Healthcare in South Africa is in a crisis. Problems with infrastructure, management, human resources and the supply of essential medicines are at a critical level. This is compounded by a high burden of disease and disparity in levels of service delivery, particularly between public and private healthcare. The government has put ambitious plans in place, which are part of the National Development Plan to ward 2030. In the midst of this we find the individual person and their family and community staggering under the suffering caused by disease, poverty, crime and violence. There is a more than 70% chance that this person and their family and community are trying to make sense of this within a spiritual framework and that they belong to a faith-based community. This article explores the valuable contribution of spirituality, spiritual and pastoral work, the faith-based community (FBC and faith-based organisations (FBOs to holistic people-centred healthcare in South Africa. Keywords: Healthcare; Spirituality; Clinical Spiritual Counselling

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oji VU

    2017-04-01

    illness, the role or need for medications, coping, and medication adherence. An illustrative model was designed based on the literature and data collection. Conclusion: Spiritual assessment may help identify positive or negative influence on health. Spiritual interventions could be beneficial in promoting adherence and positive health outcomes. Further research is recommended. Keywords: HIV+/AIDS, mental illness, depression, spirituality and health, African Americans 

  13. 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.

  14. Spiritual Care Training for Mothers of Children with Cancer: Effects on Quality of Care and Mental Health of Caregivers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borjalilu, Somaieh; Shahidi, Shahriar; Mazaheri, Mohammad Ali; Emami, Amir Hossein

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a spiritual care training package in maternal caregivers of children with cancer. This study was a quasi-experimental study with pretest and posttest design consisting of a sample of 42 mothers of children diagnosed as having cancer. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group. The training package consisted of seven group training sessions offered in a children's hospital in Tehran. All mothers completed the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) at pre and post test and after a three month follow up. There was significant difference between anxiety and spiritual, religious, Personalized care and total scores spiritual care between the intervention and control groups at follow-up (Pspiritual care training program promotes spirituality, personalized care, religiosity and spiritual care as well as decreasing anxiety in mothers of children with cancer and decreases anxiety. It may be concluded that spiritual care training could be used effectively in reducing distressful spiritual challenges in mothers of children with cancer.

  15. 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.

  16. 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

  17. 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.

  18. The Role of Religiousness/Spirituality and Social Networks in Predicting Depressive Symptoms among Older Korean Americans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yeon-Shim; Park, So-Young; Roh, Soonhee; Koenig, Harold G; Yoo, Grace J

    2017-06-01

    This study (1) examined the effects of religiousness/spirituality and social networks as predictors of depressive symptoms in older Korean Americans and (2) compared the best predictors of depressive symptoms. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 200 older Korean Americans residing in the New York City area in 2009. Best-subsets regression analyses were used to evaluate the best predictors of depressive symptoms. Nearly 30% of older Korean participants reported mild or severe depressive symptoms. The best model fit for depressive symptoms involved four predictors: physical health status, religious/spiritual coping skills, social networks, and annual household income. Social networks and religious/spiritual coping skills contributed significantly to the variance of depressive symptoms. Adding additional variables to the model did not enhance predictive and descriptive power. Religiousness/spirituality and social networks are important for coping with life stress and may be useful in developing effective health care strategies in the management of depression among older Korean Americans. Health education and intervention could be framed in ways that strengthen such coping resources for this population. Future research is needed to best guide prevention and intervention strategies.

  19. 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.

  20. 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....

  1. 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.

  2. [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.

  3. 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.

  4. Trait Sources of Spirituality Scale: Assessing Trait Spirituality More Inclusively

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westbrook, Charles J.; Davis, Don E.; McElroy, Stacey E.; Brubaker, Kacy; Choe, Elise; Karaga, Sara; Dooley, Matt; O'Bryant, Brittany L.; Van Tongeren, Daryl R.; Hook, Joshua

    2018-01-01

    We develop the Trait Sources of Spirituality Scale (TSSS), which assesses experiences of closeness to the sacred, within and outside a religious tradition. After using factor analysis to finalize the scale, we examine evidence of construct validity, including latent profile analysis that reveals 5 patterns of how spirituality is experienced.

  5. 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...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paal, Piret; Roser, Traugott; Frick, Eckhard

    2014-06-05

    or cultural competencies. Respondents point out the importance of competency based spiritual care education, practical training and maintaining the link between spiritual care education and clinical practice. Further elaboration on the specifics of spiritual care core competencies, teaching and performance assessment methods is needed.

  7. 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.

  8. A Qualitative Content Analysis of Spirituality and Religiosity amongst Greek COPD Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Efthymios Tzounis

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD is a chronic and common disease throughout the world. Spiritual/religious beliefs are often central to patients with serious illnesses and could serve as a resource for coping with such illnesses. A qualitative methodology was chosen in order to gain a thorough understanding of 75 (male n = 69, 92%, female n = 6, 8% Greek COPD patients’ perceptions of spirituality and religiosity and explore the importance of practicing their beliefs while 25 patients refused to participate in the study. The fewer female participant patients in the study are related to the lower percentage of women suffering from COPD in Greece, which can be further linked to the low smoking habit of women. A total of four patients (5.3% stated that they had no religious or spiritual understanding of their life; 41 (54.7% reported a religious belief; eight (10.7% told of a spiritual belief; and 22 (29.3% of the participants reported both a religious and a spiritual belief. Faith in the will of God seems to be a particularly strong feature of patients’ beliefs. Praying and church attendance were more likely to confirm the importance of practicing their beliefs in their daily lives but COPD seems to prevent patients from regular churchgoing. Religion and spirituality were found to be helpful while patients did not seem to have unrealistic expectations from God when dealing with illness. When asked, participants defined spirituality as “happiness”, “love”, “our God”, “the spirit”, and as an act of altruism. Adopting a more holistic perspective for COPD patients in the clinical setting, spirituality and religiosity can offer suggestions for interventions related to their health issues.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. The Affordable Care Act and hospital chaplaincy: re-visioning spiritual care, re-valuing institutional wholeness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frierdich, Matthew D

    2015-01-01

    This article focuses on the institutional dimensions of spiritual care within hospital settings in the context of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), applying policy information and systems theory to re-imagine the value and function of chaplaincy to hospital communities. This article argues that chaplaincy research and practice must look beyond only individual interventions and embrace chaplain competencies of presence, ritual, and communication as foundational tools for institutional spiritual care.

  12. Role of spirituality in becoming of postnonclassical education: рhilosophical analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. G. Serednya

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available If the classical conditions of rationality spirituality of the individual was associated mainly with interiorizes moral Absolutes, within postneoclassical understanding it is perceived as the expansion of the boundaries of identity, deloge-empatica communication, the assertion of subject-subjective attitude to the world and the like. For philosophy of education it is particularly important that this essentially set the basic coordinates of personal development of man in the form of an extension of the anthropological boundaries on the basis of formation of such a spiritual-socio-cultural qualities as openness, sociability, creativity. One of the main problems that is discussed in modern philosophical and educational studies of spirituality is the need of combining the traditional, research-based foundations for human development in the educational process with postrecessionary ideas about the subjectivity of this process, through a combination of formal and existential reasoning in determining the most appropriate and effective ways of formation of the person as a spiritual being. Postrecession, spirituality relies on the traditional and modern education in the sense that, as she seeks to reveal to man the world in the absence of possibilities for self-knowledge at certain stages of development. However, with the development of its subject-oriented paradigm of education postrecession interpreterpath spirituality as a component of the priority development of education. Postrecession of education proves the possibility of spiritual development of man in the context of social needs, explore phenomenalist of spirituality in education as a set of probabilistic phenomena, which are determined by a variety of meanings, events, meetings of man and the world. To the fore in the post-non-classical education, therefore, out of the spiritual principles, primarily the spiritual and mental picture of the world as the basis of the orientations of individual

  13. 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.

  14. 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...

  15. Spirituality and medical practice: using the HOPE questions as a practical tool for spiritual assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anandarajah, G; Hight, E

    2001-01-01

    The relationship between spirituality and medicine has been the focus of considerable interest in recent years. Studies suggest that many patients believe spirituality plays an important role in their lives, that there is a positive correlation between a patient's spirituality or religious commitment and health outcomes, and that patients would like physicians to consider these factors in their medical care. A spiritual assessment as part of a medical encounter is a practical first step in incorporating consideration of a patient's spirituality into medical practice. The HOPE questions provide a formal tool that may be used in this process. The HOPE concepts for discussion are as follows: H--sources of hope, strength, comfort, meaning, peace, love and connection; O--the role of organized religion for the patient; P--personal spirituality and practices; E--effects on medical care and end-of-life decisions.

  16. 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.

  17. 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

  18. Religiosidade e espiritualidade no transtorno bipolar do humor Religiosity and spirituality in bipolar disorder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    André Stroppa

    2009-01-01

    articles published between 1957 and 2008. RESULTS: The studies indicate that bipolar patients have a greater religious/spiritual concern and involvement, more reports of conversion, experiences of salvation and a more frequent use of spiritual/religious coping, than people with other mental disorders. It also indicates a frequent and significant relationship between manic symptoms and mystical experiences, and changes in the intensity of faith after the onset of the disorder. The most relevant studies in the literature were distributed by subjects: mystical delusions, religiosity and spirituality, spiritual-religious coping, community resources and traditional communities. CONCLUSION: The number of studies about healthy religious practices, spirituality, and coping among bipolar patients should be expanded, as soon as its relation to accession, compliance with treatment and recurrences of the disease. Greater attention should be given to investigate the relationships between religiosity, religious coping, psychotherapeutic interventions, and based-spiritual psychoeducation.

  19. 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.

  20. Concepts of spirituality prevailing among undergraduate medical students in Delhi

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    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.

  1. 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…

  2. Spiritual culture crisis in modern society

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    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.

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

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    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.

  4. 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.

  5. Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Spiritual Well-Being and Emotional Intelligence of the Elderly Mourners

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    Abas Solaimani Khashab

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Grief is one of the most painful experiences of the humans after linking emotions. In the literature of trauma, grief and mourning can be seen on many topics. Intervention and treatment of grief seems necessary as the period of mourning is prolonged. Thus, this study aimed at understanding the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy on spiritual well-being and emotional intelligence in the elderly bereavement.Method: This was an experimental study with pre-and posttest design, and control group. The population of this study was the elderly mourners in city of Ardabil in 15-2014. After conducting clinical interviews and diagnostic tests using the sampling method, 30 elderly mourners selected. Spiritual Well-Being questionnaire and Emotional Intelligence questionnaire were used for data collection. The questionnaire and pretest-posttest were used in this study. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance.Results: The results of the data analysis revealed that cognitive behavioral therapy increased spiritual well-being and emotional intelligence of the mourners was not significantly different between the 2 groups (P<0.01. However, the means of Spiritual Well-Being and Emotional Intelligence at pretest was not significant in the intervention group compared with the control group (P>0.05.Conclusion: Method of cognitive behavioral therapy helps confront the emotional drain and grief acceptance, increasing the spiritual well-being and emotional intelligence of the elderly bereavement.‏

  6. PENGEMBANGAN KECERDASAN SPIRITUAL SISWA DI SD ISLAM TOMPOKERSAN LUMAJANG

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    Lufiana Harnani Utami

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Spiritual quotient function transforming spiritual values such as honesty, affection, fairness, responsibility, peacefulness, trust, and togetherness. Developing Spiritual quotient aims to make students have full understanding about lesson of Islam and be able to apply it in daily life. Students hoped to be the one who believe in Allah SWT and actualize themselves based on lesson and norm in Islam with Islamic personality and akhlakul karimah. This research uses qualitative approach by having interview with subjects. Result shows that spiritual quotient development is carried through structural and unstructural programs. Structural programs applied in learning activity while unstructural ones done through extracuriculer activites. Methods of development are giving assignment, nurturing, transforming knowledge, having creative activity, making relationship having leadership.

  7. 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.

  8. The Spiritual Bypass Scale-Brazilian Adaptation: How Religious Affiliation, Age, and Gender Can Predict Levels of Psychological Avoidance and Spiritualizing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriela Picciotto

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to present and discuss three validation studies of the Spiritual Bypass Scale-13 (SBS-13 on a sample of the Brazilian population. These studies have three purposes (a to recover the twofactor solution of the SBS-13 among a Brazilian population sample; (b understand how religious affiliation, age, and gender can predict levels of psychological avoidance and spiritualizing; and (c explore the relationships between spiritual bypass and psycho-social variables, which include depression, anxiety, stress, narcissism, and preference for solitude. All data have been collected using an online self-report survey, and the pre-requisites for filling out the questionnaire are: (a Brazilian citizenship, (b a minimum of 18 years of age, and (c ascribing to some form of spirituality or religion. Based on two different samples of the Brazilian population (N1 = 193 and N2 = 729 that follow, the studies evidence acceptable reliability and validity of the Spiritual Bypass Scale-Brazilian Translation (SBS-BT for use in the Brazilian Portuguese-speaking community. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we have successfully replicated a two-factor structure of the SBS-BT while controlling for the effects of age, gender, and religious affiliation. The model replicates the two-factor structure of the Brazilian version of the SBS with indications of good fit: X2 (49, N = 729 = 190.9, p < .001; CMIN / df = 3.89; CFI = .95, SRMR = .04, RMSEA = .06. All items load onto two factors with coefficients ranging from .49 to .65. Alpha coefficients range from .72 to .86 across the two different samples. Results show a significant multivariate effect for religious affiliation and spiritual bypass. The dimensions of spiritual bypass predict the variances in stress, anxiety, and depression. For depression and anxiety, spiritualizing adds a unique, predictive value over and above the demographic variables and superiority (facet of narcissism.

  9. 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,

  10. Nurses' Work Environment and Spirituality: A Descriptive Study

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    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.

  11. Spiritual nursing care: A concept analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monareng, Lydia V

    2012-10-08

    Although the concept 'spiritual nursing care' has its roots in the history of the nursing profession, many nurses in practice have difficulty integrating the concept into practice. There is an ongoing debate in the empirical literature about its definition, clarity and application in nursing practice. The study aimed to develop an operational definition of the concept and its application in clinical practice. A qualitative study was conducted to explore and describe how professional nurses render spiritual nursing care. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit the sample. Individual and focus group interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Trustworthiness was ensured through strategies of truth value, applicability, consistency and neutrality. Data were analysed using the NUD*IST power version 4 software, constant comparison, open, axial and selective coding. Tech's eight steps of analysis were also used, which led to the emergence of themes, categories and sub-categories. Concept analysis was conducted through a comprehensive literature review and as a result 'caring presence' was identified as the core variable from which all the other characteristics of spiritual nursing care arise. An operational definition of spiritual nursing care based on the findings was that humane care is demonstrated by showing caring presence, respect and concern for meeting the needs not only of the body and mind of patients, but also their spiritual needs of hope and meaning in the midst of health crisis, which demand equal attention for optimal care from both religious and nonreligious nurses.

  12. 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.

  13. 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…

  14. The Influence of Spiritual Framing on African American Women's Mammography Intentions: A Randomized Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Best, Alicia L; Spencer, S Melinda; Friedman, Daniela B; Hall, Ingrid J; Billings, Deborah

    2016-06-01

    Spiritual framing of breast cancer communication may provide a useful strategy for addressing disparate rates of breast cancer mortality among African American women. The efficacy of a spiritually framed breast cancer screening (BCS) message was compared with that of a traditional BCS message. Specifically, 200 African American women were randomly assigned to review either a spiritually framed or traditional BCS message and complete a self-administered survey, including a thought-listing form. Message efficacy was measured by number of thoughts generated (elaboration), ratio of positive to negative thoughts (polarity), and intention to obtain and/or recommend a mammogram. Multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling were used to assess direct and indirect (mediated) associations among variables. Spiritual framing was positively associated with greater elaboration (β = .265, SE = .36, p framing also had a significant indirect effect on mammography intentions through polarity (standardized indirect effect = .057, 95% confidence interval [.024, .106], p framing may improve the efficacy of BCS messages among African American women by eliciting more positive thoughts about screening. Interventions targeting African American women might consider the role of spirituality when tailoring messages to encourage regular mammography use.

  15. Mysticism and spirituality

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    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

  16. Spiritual activities as a resistance resource for women with human immunodeficiency virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sowell, R; Moneyham, L; Hennessy, M; Guillory, J; Demi, A; Seals, B

    2000-01-01

    Few studies have investigated the role that spiritual activities play in the adaptational outcomes of women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. To examine the role of spiritual activities as a resource that may reduce the negative effects of disease-related stressors on the adaptational outcomes in HIV-infected women. A theoretically based causal model was tested to examine the role of spiritual activities as a moderator of the impact of HIV-related stressors (functional impairment, work impairment, and HIV-related symptoms) on two stress-related adaptational outcomes (emotional distress and quality of life), using a clinic-based sample of 184 HIV-positive women. Findings indicated that as spiritual activities increased, emotional distress decreased even when adjustments were made for HIV-related stressors. A positive relationship between spiritual activities and quality of life was found, which approached significance. Findings showed that HIV-related stressors have a significant negative effect on both emotional distress and quality of life. The findings support the hypothesis that spiritual activities are an important psychological resource accounting for individual variability in adjustment to the stressors associated with HIV disease.

  17. 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.

  18. 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

  19. 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.

  20. 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: ...

  1. Religiousness/Spirituality, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer: Cultural Integration for Health Research and Intervention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masters, Kevin S.; Hooker, Stephanie A.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: Recently, behavioral scientists have developed greater interest in understanding the relations between religiousness and spirituality (R/S) and health. Our objectives were to (a) provide an overview of the R/S and health literature specific to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer, (b) discuss the importance of religious culture…

  2. Influence of Spirituality and Modesty on Acceptance of Self-Sampling for Cervical Cancer Screening.

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    Eileen O Dareng

    Full Text Available Whereas systematic screening programs have reduced the incidence of cervical cancer in developed countries, the incidence remains high in developing countries. Among several barriers to uptake of cervical cancer screening, the roles of religious and cultural factors such as modesty have been poorly studied. Knowledge about these factors is important because of the potential to overcome them using strategies such as self-collection of cervico-vaginal samples. In this study we evaluate the influence of spirituality and modesty on the acceptance of self-sampling for cervical cancer screening.We enrolled 600 participants in Nigeria between August and October 2014 and collected information on spirituality and modesty using two scales. We used principal component analysis to extract scores for spirituality and modesty and logistic regression models to evaluate the association between spirituality, modesty and preference for self-sampling. All analyses were performed using STATA 12 (Stata Corporation, College Station, Texas, USA.Some 581 (97% women had complete data for analysis. Most (69% were married, 50% were Christian and 44% were from the south western part of Nigeria. Overall, 19% (110/581 of the women preferred self-sampling to being sampled by a health care provider. Adjusting for age and socioeconomic status, spirituality, religious affiliation and geographic location were significantly associated with preference for self-sampling, while modesty was not significantly associated. The multivariable OR (95% CI, p-value for association with self-sampling were 0.88 (0.78-0.99, 0.03 for spirituality, 1.69 (1.09-2.64, 0.02 for religious affiliation and 0.96 (0.86-1.08, 0.51 for modesty.Our results show the importance of taking cultural and religious beliefs and practices into consideration in planning health interventions like cervical cancer screening. To succeed, public health interventions and the education to promote it must be related to the

  3. Relationship between Coping and Spiritual Health in Renal Transplant Recipients

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    Somayeh Saadatpanah

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD encounter various challenges following kidney transplantation, which should be managed appropriately. These problems can be partly controlled by considering spirituality as one of the care components. Regarding this, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between coping and spiritual health in the renal transplant recipients. This descriptive correlational study was conducted on 169 patients referring to the Organ Transplantation Center at Montasserieh Hospital in Mashhad, Iran. The study population was selected through convenience sampling method. The data were collected using demographic characteristics form, Renal Transplant Coping Scale by Valizadeh et al. (2015, and Spiritual Health Questionnaire developed by Khorashadizadeh et al. (2015. The mean scores of coping and spiritual health were 321.2±15.3 and 123.3±6.2, respectively, which were desirable. There was a significant linear relationship between coping and spiritual health mean scores (P˂0.001, r=0.37. Based on the findings, the reinforcement of spiritual beliefs in patients could be a strategy to promote their coping level.

  4. 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.

  5. The use of life review to enhance spiritual well-being in patients with terminal illnesses: An integrative review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwan, Cecilia W M; Ng, Marques S N; Chan, Carmen W H

    2017-12-01

    To conduct an integrative review of the current literature on using life review as an intervention to address the spiritual need of patients with terminal illnesses. Palliative care highlights the holistic approach of care including the spiritual aspect. Life review has been used in palliative nursing intending to enhance patients' emotional and spiritual well-being, and quality of life. However, there is a lack of publications that provide a structured overview on life review programmes and their effectiveness. Integrative review. The Whittemore and Knafl integrative review method was used. Five major online databases were included in our literature search. The keywords used were "life review" and "palliative care, terminal care, terminally ill, death & dying, hospice, spiritual wellbeing, spirituality". Seven primary papers were identified, critically appraised and synthesised in the final review. There are limited clinical studies on life review programmes for patients with terminal illness. The research design of these studies is too widely varied for meta-analysis. Here, we identified two major programmes of life review as an intervention to address the spiritual well-being of patients with terminal illness. However, repeated studies on the effectiveness of these two programmes are lacking. The shorter programme of life review is more likely to be applicable and effective for terminal patients. Further research in this area is required to provide strong evidence on the effectiveness and applicability of life review in patients receiving palliative care. This review adds weight to the need of a better understanding on the use of life review in addressing the spiritual needs of patients with terminal illness. Such understanding would provide evidence for the use of life review as an alternative approach in palliative care delivery. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. The Notion of Spirituality in Modern Russian Literature

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    Ksenia Kolkunova

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper provides an analysis of contemporary Russian academic literature on spirituality. The authors single out key features of these texts, especially their approach to defi ning their subject. They formulate major semantic contexts within which spirituality is discussed by sociologists and psychologists, as well as practical implications of the term. The authors compare the academic usage of the term ‘spirituality’ with its usage in everyday language; the comparison is based on a mass survey conducted in 2006. In the literature that served as the material for the present study, we can observe political, cultural and religious aspects of spirituality. It can be viewed as a form of patriotism, as religious worldview, as overcoming the limitations of human nature, as erudition, as a means to fi ght the non-spiritual character of modern society, or as an aspiration towards the ideal. The overall fuzziness of the term is a consequence of its emotional and utopian connotations in the Russian language.

  7. 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.

  8. Spiritual nursing care: A concept analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lydia V. Monareng

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Although the concept ‘spiritual nursing care’ has its roots in the history of the nursing profession, many nurses in practice have difficulty integrating the concept into practice. There is an ongoing debate in the empirical literature about its definition, clarity and application in nursing practice. The study aimed to develop an operational definition of the concept and its application in clinical practice. A qualitative study was conducted to explore and describe how professional nurses render spiritual nursing care. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit the sample. Individual and focus group interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Trustworthiness was ensured through strategies of truth value, applicability, consistency and neutrality. Data were analysed using the NUD*IST power version 4 software, constant comparison, open, axial and selective coding. Tech’s eight steps of analysis were also used, which led to the emergence of themes, categories and sub-categories. Concept analysis was conducted through a comprehensive literature review and as a result ‘caring presence’ was identified as the core variable from which all the other characteristics of spiritual nursing care arise. An operational definition of spiritual nursing care based on the findings was that humane care is demonstrated by showing caring presence, respect and concern for meeting the needs not only of the body and mind of patients, but also their spiritual needs of hope and meaning in the midst of health crisis, which demand equal attention for optimal care from both religious and nonreligious nurses.

  9. 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.

  10. An exploration of religion and spirituality among young, HIV-infected gay and bisexual men in the USA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeffries, William L; Okeke, Janice O; Gelaude, Deborah J; Torrone, Elizabeth A; Gasiorowicz, Mari; Oster, Alexandra M; McCree, Donna Hubbard; Bertolli, Jeanne

    2014-01-01

    Although religion and spirituality can promote healthy behaviours and mental well-being, negative religious experiences may harm sexual minority men's health. Despite increasing vulnerability to HIV infection among young gay and bisexual men, few studies examine how religion and spirituality might affect them. To this end, we interviewed young gay and bisexual men who were diagnosed with HIV infection during January 2006-June 2009. Questionnaires assessed religious service attendance, disclosure of sexuality within religious communities, and beliefs about homosexuality being sinful. A subset described religious and spiritual experiences in qualitative interviews. We calculated the prevalence of religion- and spirituality-related factors and identified themes within qualitative interviews. Among men completing questionnaires, 66% currently attended religious services, 16% believed they could disclose their sexuality at church, and 37% believed homosexuality was sinful. Participants who completed qualitative interviews commonly discussed religious attendance and negative experiences within religious settings. They often expressed their spirituality through prayer, and some used it to cope with adverse experiences. These data suggest that religion and spirituality are notable factors that shape young, HIV-infected gay and bisexual men's social contexts. Programmes and interventions that constructively engage with religious institutions and are sensitive to spiritual beliefs may promote these men's health.

  11. About Human Condition and Spirituality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriana Mihaela MACSUT

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, the mankind is enthused about a real informational explosion but it the anxiety about the human mission also appears: “the humankind, enthused about its own discoveries and its power asks itself with anxiety which is its place and role in the Universe (Gaudim et Spes 3. Yesterday and today, the human being realized that he cannot “answer these fundamental questions which always have tormented his heart regarding the end and the beginning and hence his sense of existence” (Benedict XVI, Discourse, Pontifical Gregorian University Rome, the 4-th of November 2006. The 21st century is marked by a return to spirituality because the need for spirituality “reaffirms with power, so far that the observers... reach the conclusion attributed to Andre Malraux: «The 21st century will be religious or will not be at all»”.1 Nowadays, spirituality means searching for wisdom and there are questions as: who are the humans, where do they come from and where do they go. Under these circumstances, we have to establish some ethical benchmarks.2 This void makes place for the religious fundamentalism, a laic spirituality based of consumerism described as “a process through which goods are the services created, produced, used and exhausted”.3 But the human must switch from the state of consumer to the state of citizen.”4 Here is about “the necessity of surpassing a selfish ethics.”5

  12. The Effect of Spiritual Intelligence Training on Job Satisfaction of Psychiatric Nurses

    OpenAIRE

    Heydari, Abbas; Meshkinyazd, Ali; Soudmand, Parvaneh

    2017-01-01

    Objective: Nurses are the most important staff in the health care system, thus, their job satisfaction is important in nursing management. The present study aimed at determining the impact of teaching spiritual intelligence on the job satisfaction of psychiatric nurses.Methods: The participants were divided into 2 groups by random allocation. Data were collected in 3 stages of before intervention, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks post intervention using Brayfield & Rother Job Satisfaction Questionnai...

  13. Religion and spirituality in contemporary dreams

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Werner Nell

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available This article examines the spiritual value and role of dreams in the lives of South African Christians, based on the findings of a qualitative research project in which semistructured interviews were used to examine the dream-related beliefs and practices of contemporary Christians. The findings indicated that dreams are still considered to be of distinct religious value and importance by a significant number of the Christian participants who took part in the study. Specifically, the participants reported that their dreams often serve as source of spiritual inspiration, insight and guidance, as well as feedback on decisions and ways of living. It was also indicated that dreams sometimes constituted an important natural resource in coming to terms with bereavement. In response to this, the article closes with a call for a re-evaluation of the position and value of dreams in contemporary Christianity, and offers several practical suggestions for working with dreams in a spiritual context.

  14. 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.�

  15. 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.

  16. Spirituality for Mental Health and Well-Being of Adult Refugees in Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandya, Samta P

    2018-02-27

    This article reports on a pre- and post-test experimental study with 4504 refugees in 38 camps across nine destination countries. The aim was to examine the role of spirituality and a specially designed spiritual education programme in promoting mental health of refugees. A pre- and post-test experimental design has been used with three scales to examine the outcome measures: (1) the trauma screening questionnaire (2) life orientation test-revised and (3) mental health inventory-38. Results showed that compared with pre-test scores, the average post-test scores of the refugees on the trauma questionnaire were lower, and higher on optimism measure, and mental health inventory. Voluntary participation, full attendance and self-practice willingness were favourable predictors of refugee mental health. Hierarchical regression model showed that self-practice willingness was the most important predictor of positive mental health of refugees. Findings make a case for interventions for refugees grounded in cultural competency and spirituality.

  17. 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…

  18. 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....

  19. 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.

  20. Teacher, I Had a Dream: A Glimpse of the Spiritual Domain of Children Using Project-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Kathleen

    2013-01-01

    Children's dreams have the potential to awaken feelings, question attitudes and inspire new learning experiences to deepen awareness of spiritual development. Both guidance and spiritual environments created by nurturing educators and parents foster dreams that captivate and motivate children to increase their spiritual self-awareness, leading…

  1. 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.

  2. 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…

  3. 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.

  4. 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.…

  5. 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

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. Spirituality: The Core of Healing and Social Justice from an Indigenous Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baskin, Cyndy

    2016-01-01

    This chapter, based on the literature and interviews with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants, explores how land-based spirituality is at the core of Indigenous societies globally. In this chapter, an Indigenous philosophy carries a message that spirituality is not only about one's inward journey but is also about creating a better…

  12. 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.

  13. Dimensi Spiritual dalam Kepemimpinan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arcadius Benawa

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available This article aims to show that the spiritual aspect must be noted in the leadership because every leader is always marked with oath of office in carrying out her/his position. So, how leaders are accountable, it is not only on the horizontal level but also at the vertical level. Research was done with phenomenological and literature studies about the practice of leadership faced with a number of theories about leadership and then to be synthesized the more authentic leadership than just imaging or false branding leadership. This article was based on the assumption that leadership (including in the political sphere was merely a sociological problem that kicked out spiritual aspects, while in the historical development of leadership, it had never been excluded from the spiritual dimension, whether in the form of manipulative (just because fed people understand that leadership came from the “sky”/gods. So then, a king acted tyrannical and led to the birth of authentic leadership as popularized as servant leadership. This article concluded that authentic leadership will give more benefit to develop the life system as well as the purpose of leadership itself rather than a merely apparent leadership which actually hurts the members (people because of the failure to meet the expectations of the members (people. 

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. The relationships between self-transcendence and spiritual well-being in cognitively intact nursing home patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haugan, Gørill; Rannestad, Toril; Hammervold, Randi; Garåsen, Helge; Espnes, Geir A

    2014-03-01

    Self-transcendence is considered a developmental process of personal maturity and a vital resource of well-being in later adulthood. Measurement of the associations between self-transcendence and spiritual well-being in cognitively intact nursing home patients has not been previously published. The aim of this study was to identify the relationships between self-transcendence and spiritual well-being in cognitively intact nursing home patients. A cross-sectional design using the self-transcendence scale and the FACIT-Sp spiritual well-being questionnaire was adopted. A sample of 202 cognitively intact nursing home patients in mid-Norway was selected to respond to the questionnaires in 2008 and 2009. Statistical analyses were conducted using lisrel 8.8 (Scientific Software International, Chicago, IL, USA) and structural equation modelling. A hypothesised structural equation model comprising a two-factor construct of self-transcendence and a three-factor construct of spiritual well-being demonstrated significant direct relationships between self-transcendence and spiritual well-being and total effects of self-transcendence on spiritual well-being. Facilitating patients' self-transcendence, both interpersonally and intrapersonally, might increase spiritual well-being among cognitively intact nursing home patients, which is seen to be of great importance to nursing home patients' overall satisfaction and satisfaction with staff. The two-factor construct of self-transcendence and the three-factor construct of FACIT-Sp allow a more complex examination of the associations between the constructs and prove more specific guidelines for nursing interventions promoting well-being in nursing home patients. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. 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...

  20. 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.  

  1. 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.

  2. 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…

  3. 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

  4. Spirituality Phenomenon and the Ideal-Realism Method in Modern Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. P. Vetoshkin

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper is devoted to the spiritual revival of modern Russia. In the author’s view, the Russian Idea with its basic principles, moral, spiritual and semantic concepts should provide the guidelines for education, upbringing and the youth policy, guaranteeing the spiritual transformation and mobilization of the moral power for the benefit of the motherland, local society and family, as well as the personal growth. The theoretical and methodological bases for developing and implementing the above idea could be found in Russian national religious and philosophic thinking with its balanced dialectics of spiritual and social aspects. The experience of the ideal-realism, as the leading trend of the national spiritual culture, is being analyzed and summarized. The correlation between the ideal and material in social and individual life is demonstrated along with the dialectics and wholeness of the divine and human, religious and secular, ecclesiastical and civil.The author addresses the philosophic heritage of I. A. Ilyin, V. S. Solovyev, S. N. Trubetskoy, S. N. Bulgakov, N. A. Berdyayev, N. O. Losskiy etc, and regards spirituality as the basic defining, systematic and leading origin of the whole socio-historical process including human being formation and development, education and upbringing. 

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. Workplace spirituality and organisational commitment: Role of emotional intelligence among Indian banking professionals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rabindra Kumar Pradhan

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In present times the concept of “workplace spirituality” has been acknowledged as an important discipline so called a “transient advantage” in corporate world for supplementing a meaningful atmosphere to one’s workplace. The domains like behavioral science and human resource has embraced the topic as a promising research area with an assumption to offer fresh and significant insights to the business world. However, it is presumed that the present state of academic research in the field of workplace spirituality is in many ways reminiscent of where theories of leadership and other similar developmental intervention in Hr domain were there some fifty years ago. Today’s organizations’ are seeking for a committed workforce as organizational commitment and emotional involvement in one’s respective job profile is viewed as a business necessity. This is apparently possible when the professionals in a work set-up are able to derive meaning and significance in their work profile. Therefore, this present study has attempted through a field survey to document the findings from selected executives of public and private sector banking industries of Indian sub-continent on the relationships between workplace spirituality, organizational commitment and emotional intelligence. Regression analysis has revealed that emotional intelligence stood as a potential moderator between workplace spirituality and organizational commitment. The paper has brought out the potential benefits of bringing spirituality into the workplace; providing suggestions for Hr and behavioral practitioners to incorporate spirituality in organizations.

  8. Counseling and Spirituality: The Use of Emptiness and the Importance of Timing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linder, Sarah; Miller, Geri; Johnson, Paula

    This paper focuses on the use of emptiness in therapy and the importance of the counselor's comfort with the space and timing of interventions within that emptiness. It addresses spirituality from three different standpoints--creating a space that includes room for the suffering of the client, journaling, and use of the Rapha belief system. The…

  9. An Analytical Overview of Spirituality in NANDA-I Taxonomies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mesquita, Ana Cláudia; Caldeira, Sílvia; Chaves, Erika; Carvalho, Emilia Campos de

    2017-03-01

    To discuss the approach of spirituality in NANDA-I taxonomies, based on the elements that characterize this phenomenon. This study was based on concepts that are usually adopted in the literature for defining spirituality and on the analysis of the NANDA-I taxonomies from I to III. Spirituality is included in all taxonomies but all three are missing some attributes to guarantee the completeness of this dimension for nursing diagnosis. Taxonomy III makes different approaches to spirituality and some inconsistencies. Contribute to the development and review of the new proposal for taxonomy. Discutir a abordagem à espiritualidade nas taxonomias da NANDA-I, baseada nos elementos que caracterizam este fenômeno. MÉTODOS: Este estudo foi baseado em conceitos usualmente adotados na literatura de enfermagem para definir espiritualidade e na análise das taxonomias da NANDA-I, desde a I à III. A espiritualidade está incluída nas taxonomias, porém estas carecem de atributos do seu conceito. CONCLUSÕES: A taxonomia III faz diferentes abordagens à espiritualidade, porém com algumas inconsistências identificadas. IMPLICAÇÕES PARA A ENFERMAGEM: Esta análise pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento e revisão da taxonomia III. © 2017 NANDA International, Inc.

  10. Spiritual Needs of Patients with Chronic Diseases

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    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.

  11. Spiritual practices of taoism

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    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.

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on somatic symptoms, distress, mindfulness and spiritual wellbeing in women with breast cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Würtzen, Hanne; Dalton, Susanne Oksbjerg; Christensen, Jane

    2015-01-01

    Background. Women with breast cancer experience different symptoms related to surgical or adjuvant therapy. Previous findings and theoretical models of mind-body interactions suggest that psychological wellbeing, i.e. levels of distress, influence the subjective evaluation of symptoms, which...... influences or determines functioning. The eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program significantly reduced anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients in a randomized controlled trial (NCT00990977). In this study we tested the effect of MBSR on the burden of breast cancer related...... somatic symptoms, distress, mindfulness and spiritual wellbeing and evaluated possible effect modification by adjuvant therapy and baseline levels of, distress, mindfulness and spiritual wellbeing. Material and methods. A population-based sample of 336 women Danish women operated for breast cancer stages...

  17. 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

  18. 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.

  19. The 3 H and BMSEST Models for Spirituality in Multicultural Whole-Person Medicine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anandarajah, Gowri

    2008-01-01

    PURPOSE The explosion of evidence in the last decade supporting the role of spirituality in whole-person patient care has prompted proposals for a move to a biopsychosocial-spiritual model for health. Making this paradigm shift in today’s multicultural societies poses many challenges, however. This article presents 2 theoretical models that provide common ground for further exploration of the role of spirituality in medicine. METHODS The 3 H model (head, heart, hands) and the BMSEST models (body, mind, spirit, environment, social, transcendent) evolved from the author’s 12-year experience with curricula development regarding spirituality and medicine, 16-year experience as an attending family physician and educator, lived experience with both Hinduism and Christianity since childhood, and a lifetime study of the world’s great spiritual traditions. The models were developed, tested with learners, and refined. RESULTS The 3 H model offers a multidimensional definition of spirituality, applicable across cultures and belief systems, that provides opportunities for a common vocabulary for spirituality. Therapeutic options, from general spiritual care (compassion, presence, and the healing relationship), to specialized spiritual care (eg, by clinical chaplains), to spiritual self-care are discussed. The BMSEST model provides a conceptual framework for the role of spirituality in the larger health care context, useful for patient care, education, and research. Interactions among the 6 BMSEST components, with references to ongoing research, are proposed. CONCLUSIONS Including spirituality in whole-person care is a way of furthering our understanding of the complexities of human health and well-being. The 3 H and BMSEST models suggest a multidimensional and multidisciplinary approach based on universal concepts and a foundation in both the art and science of medicine. PMID:18779550

  20. 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

  1. Content of Spiritual Counselling for Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy in Iran: A Qualitative Content Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Memaryan, Nadereh; Ghaempanah, Zeinab; Saeedi, Mir Majid; Aryankhesal, Aidin; Ansarinejad, Nafiseh; Seddigh, Ruohollah

    2017-07-27

    Background: Cancer is one of the leading causes of human death. Besides clinical treatment, cancer patients may need emotional and spiritual counselling to overcome their mental and morale problems. Such counselling sessions have been reported influential by many patients. We aimed to explore the structure of spiritual counselling sessions and their content as one of services provided to patients who experience chemotherapy in Iranian hospitals. Methods: Through a qualitative content analysis study, we recorded the discussions between a counsellor, who was a cleric as well, and cancer cases who were undergoing chemotherapy in a hospital in Tehran. The sessions were only recorded if the patient consented to attend at the study. All consideration were taken to avoid release of patients’ identity. The recorded discussions were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically after each session, until no new theme was emerged. Result: Twenty two sessions were held. The patients aged 53 years old on average. The content of discussions were analyzed along which 165 codes emerged. Four general themes or phases were recognized through counseling as (i) history-Taking (including demographic, disease-related and spiritual history and characteristics), (ii) general advice, (iii) spiritual-religious advice, and (iv) dealing with patients’ spiritual or religious ambiguities and paradoxes. Conclusion: Counselling of cancer patients needs special and in depth knowledge on spiritual and religious issues. The counsellor should be able to motivate patients, among whom many are disappointed, to follow the curative instructions well and stay hopeful about their treatment and life. Exploring and understanding what happens during a spiritual counselling session can counselling to the conformity and standardization of such interventions. Creative Commons Attribution License

  2. 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

  3. Nurses' comfort level with spiritual assessment: a study among nurses working in diverse healthcare settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cone, Pamela H; Giske, Tove

    2017-10-01

    facilitate tailor spiritual assessment of patients based on patient concerns and view of life. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. 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

  5. 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 ...

  6. 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.

  7. 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…

  8. 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.

  9. Evaluation of spiritual well-being in haemodialysis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reig-Ferrer, Abilio; Arenas, M Dolores; Ferrer-Cascales, Rosario; Fernández-Pascual, M Dolores; Albaladejo-Blázquez, Natalia; Gil, M Teresa; de la Fuente, Vanesa

    2012-01-01

    Spirituality can be defined as a personal search for meaning and purpose in life that may or may not encompass religion. In this article we report on the development and testing of an instrument for measuring spiritual well-being within a sample of haemodialysis patients. The main instrument, a 21-item Meaning in Life Scale (MiLS), comprises four scales: Life Perspective, Purpose and Goals, Confusion and Lessened Meaning, Harmony and Peace, and Benefits of Spirituality. A total score for spiritual well-being is also produced. We also used the following variables: clinical (time on haemodialysis, modified Charlson comorbidity index), sociodemographic (age, gender), and self-assessments of health, quality of life (general and recent), personal happiness, religiosity, and belief in the afterlife. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 94 haemodialysis patients. This study demonstrates that the MiLS-Sp is a psychometrically sound measure of spiritual well-being for dialysis patients (reliability, validity) as they manage the complex demands of a chronic illness. Spiritual well-being was significantly associated with various quality of life variables, health status, personal happiness, or religiosity in patients on dialysis. There was no relationship between spirituality scores and comorbidity, HD duration, gender, or age. Spiritual well-being is relatively low in dialysis patients. Spirituality may play an important role on psychological well-being, quality of life, and self-rated health for patients on haemodialysis. Spiritual well-being in these patients is relatively low. Results suggest that assessing and addressing spiritual well-being in dialysis patients may be helpful in clinical practice.

  10. 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.

  11. Strategies to support spirituality in health care communication: a home hospice cancer caregiver case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reblin, Maija; Otis-Green, Shirley; Ellington, Lee; Clayton, Margaret F

    2014-12-01

    Although there is growing recognition of the importance of integrating spirituality within health care, there is little evidence to guide clinicians in how to best communicate with patients and family about their spiritual or existential concerns. Using an audio-recorded home hospice nurse visit immediately following the death of a patient as a case-study, we identify spiritually-sensitive communication strategies. The nurse incorporates spirituality in her support of the family by 1) creating space to allow for the expression of emotions and spiritual beliefs and 2) encouraging meaning-based coping, including emphasizing the caregivers' strengths and reframing negative experiences. Hospice provides an excellent venue for modeling successful examples of spiritual communication. Health care professionals can learn these techniques to support patients and families in their own holistic practice. All health care professionals benefit from proficiency in spiritual communication skills. Attention to spiritual concerns ultimately improves care. © The Author(s) 2014.

  12. Workplace spirituality, work engagement and thriving at work

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Freda van der Walt

    2018-01-01

    spiritually based organisational cultures and that they pay more attention to relationship management and networking. Contribution or value-add: The study contributes to the literature on workplace spirituality, work engagement and thriving at work.

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

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    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.

  14. Relationship between workplace spirituality and organizational citizenship behavior among nurses through mediation of affective organizational commitment.

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    Kazemipour, Farahnaz; Mohamad Amin, Salmiah; Pourseidi, Bahram

    2012-09-01

    This study aims to investigate the relationships between workplace spirituality, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and affective organizational commitment among nurses, and whether affective commitment mediates the relationship between workplace spirituality and OCB. In the present correlational study, a cross-sectional design was employed, and data were collected using a questionnaire-based survey. Based on the random sampling, 305 nurses were chosen and questionnaires were distributed among respondents in four public and general hospitals located in Kerman, Iran. To analyze the data descriptive statistics, Pearson coefficient, simple and multiple regression, and path analyses were also conducted. Workplace spirituality has a positive influence on nurses' OCB and affective commitment. Workplace spirituality explained 16% of the variation in OCB, while it explained 35% of the variation in affective commitment among nurses. Moreover, affective organizational commitment mediated the impact of workplace spirituality on OCB. Workplace spirituality predicts nurses' OCB and affective organizational commitment. It emphasizes benefits from the new perspective of workplace spirituality, particularly among nurses who need to be motivated in their work. This study illustrates that there are potential benefits owing to the positive influence of workplace spirituality on OCB and affective commitment among nurses. Managers of nursing services should consider workplace spirituality and its positive influence on nurses' outcomes in order to improve their performance and, subsequently, the healthcare system. © 2012 Sigma Theta Tau International.

  15. Art, Objects, and Beautiful Stories: A "New" Approach to Spiritual Care.

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    Smith, Aaron P B; Read, Julia E

    2017-06-01

    The use of story, and the use of art or various arts-based techniques have become popular in a number of helping professions, including spiritual care. There remains a gap in the literature, however, in which an approach comprised of both story and art or objects is explored. This paper addresses this gap by discussing the experience, theory, benefits, and technique of combining story and art or object-based techniques for the provision of spiritual care.

  16. 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.

  17. Dying, mourning, and spirituality: a psychological perspective.

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    Marrone, R

    1999-09-01

    Based in an unfortunate tradition that stretches back in time to Watson's behaviorism and Freud's psychoanalysis, psychology has tended to reject and to pathologize matters of the spirit. In the past 30 years, however, with the advent of what has been termed the cognitive revolution, psychology has greatly expanded the scope of its subject matter. Psychologists and thanatologists have begun to unravel the cognitive underpinnings of our assumptive world and the transformation of those underpinnings in times of crisis and stress. This article examines the cognitive basis of the spiritual experience and the use of cognitive assimilation, accommodation strategies during the process of mourning the death of a loved one, as well as during the process of living our own dying. Of special importance to mental health professionals and clergy, new research on dying, mourning, and spirituality suggests that the specific ways in which people rediscover meaning--such as belief in traditional religious doctrine, the afterlife, reincarnation, philanthropy, or a spiritual order to the universe--may be less important than the process itself. In other words, in the midst of dealing with profound loss in our lives, the ability to reascribe meaning to a changed world through spiritual transformation, religious conversion, or existential change may be more significant than the specific content by which that need is filled.

  18. 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…

  19. 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.

  20. 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.

  1. BEING DELIVERED: SPIRITUALITY IN SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE

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    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

  2. 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

  3. Catharsis – Philosophical and Spiritual Aspects of Long-Distance Running

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nemec Marcel

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to identify and analyze the occurrence of cathartic states in a sample of long-distance runners. Data collected via questionnaires were used to evaluate quantitative variables complemented by heuristics while aiming at qualitatively categorize the areas of cathartic states in the context of philosophical and spiritual aspects of long-distance running. The study findings objectify philosophical and spiritual aspects affecting personalities of long-distance runners. The study findings have shown that catharsis represents a relevant philosophical and spiritual aspect affecting long-distance running. We assume that authentic experience of catharsis and its effects motivates runners to perform regular physical activity. The analysis of philosophical and spiritual aspects of long-distance running has revealed a multi-spectral holistic relevance based on the transfer affecting a specific way of life, spectrum of values, ethical personality traits, and also the quality of long-distance runners’ lives.

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

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    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.

  5. Spiritual meaning culturocentric education

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    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.

  6. Lessons in Spiritual Leadership from Kenyan Women

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    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…

  7. The Healing Spirituality of Eastern Orthodoxy: A Personal Journey of Discovery

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    Kyriacos C. Markides

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available It is generally assumed by western scholars and spiritual seekers that mystical, experiential religion and spirituality are primarily a hallmark of the far East, as exemplified by Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and tribal religions like native American shamanism. In this overview, based on thirty years of field research as a sociologist, I have tried to show that such mystical practices and spiritual approaches exist in Eastern Christianity among groups of lay people, as well as in ancient monasteries like those found on Mt. Athos in northern Greece. It is argued that these thousand-year-old practices in the Christian East may contribute to what some thinkers have called the “eye of contemplation”, namely the cultivation of the intuitive, spiritual side of human beings that has been repressed over the centuries because of the dominance of rationalism and scientific materialism.

  8. 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.

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

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    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…

  10. 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…

  11. 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.

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. An exploration of how spiritual nursing care is applied in clinical nursing practice

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    Lydia V. Monareng

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Spiritual nursing care is a significant concept for nurses as they are expected to provide holistic care to patients. Many nurses have difficulty to understand and integrate it into practice and consequently neglect this aspect of care. The study was conducted to explore and describe how professional nurses provide spiritual care to patients. A generic qualitative, explorative and descriptive study was conducted based on Symbolic Interactionism as the philosophical base. The population comprised professional nurses from a public hospital. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling methods. Data were collected through the use of individual, focus group interviews and observation. Data analysis methods utilised included the NUD*IST computer program, coding, constant comparison method and Tesch’s guidelines on data analysis. Findings revealed that nurses struggled to conceptualise spiritual nursing care and to differentiate it from emotional, social or psychological care. However, prayer with or for patients and singing spiritual songs had the highest count of interventions perceived to be effective. Recommendations suggest that the scope of practice and curriculum of training of nurses be reviewed to consider how spiritual nursing care can be evidenced and realised both in the classroom and in the clinical setting. Spiritual nursing care is still a neglected and seemingly complex component of patient care. However, the scientific worldview practices, beliefs and insufficient statutory endorsement of such care hamper its realisation in practice. Geestelike verpleegsorg is ’n belangrike konsep omdat van verpleegkundiges verwag word om pasiënte holisties te versorg. Baie verpleegkundiges vind dié begrip en die integrering daarvan problematies en verwaardeloos gevolglik hierdie aspek van sorg. Die studie ondersoek en beskryf die mate waartoe verpleegkundiges geestelike sorg aan pasiënte verleen. ’n Basiese

  15. Chronic kidney disease, spirituality and religiosity: a systematic overview with the list of eligible studies

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    Nicola Luigi Bragazzi

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD has a tremendous psychological burden, which sometimes is overlooked or underestimated in the daily clinical routine practice, since in the health care process physicians prefer to focus on the objective aspects of the pathology. In this contribution, we make a systematic overview of the relationship between spirituality/religiosity and CKD, an emerging theme which only recently has raised interest from the scientific community despite its importance. We investigate different variables, axis and categories (from the quality of life to customer’s satisfaction, treatment adherence and therapeutic alliance, clinical parameters, as well as overall survival, and coping strategies adopted by the patient. Moreover, we underpin the principal clinically relevant implications (like the possibility of psycho-therapeutic interventions based on the spiritual and religious attitudes of the patient and we discuss the main gaps, methodological barriers and difficulties in the field, fostering and advocating further research and clinical studies. This last aspect, together with the quality assessment of the studies, will be further explored in the second part of the study.

  16. Spiritual diversity: multifaith perspectives in family therapy.

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    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.

  17. Individual belief and practice in neopagan spirituality

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    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.

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

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    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.

  19. 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.

  20. 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.

  1. PENGARUH INDEPENDENSI, KECERDASAN EMOSIONAL, DAN KECERDASAN SPIRITUAL TERHADAP KINERJA AUDITOR

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    Heni Amarin

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh independensi, kecerdasan emosional dan kecerdasan spiritual terhadap kinerja audtor pada Kantor Akuntan Publik di Kota Semarang. Obyek penelitian ini adalah auditor yang bekerja pada KAP di Kota Semarang. Sampel dalam penelitian ini berjumlah 78 auditor. Teknik pengambilan sampel yang digunakan adalah teknik convenience sampling. Metode pengumpulan data yaitu menggunakan kuesioner. Metode analisis data menggunakan statistik deskriptif dan regresi linear berganda. Berdasarkan hasil pengujian dapat disimpulkan bahwa independensi dan kecerdasan spiritual berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kinerja auditor, sedangkan kecerdasan emosional tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap kinerja auditor. Oleh karena itu, disarankan untuk auditor meningkatkan sikap independensi dan kecerdasan spiritual dalam melaksanakan kinerjanya. This study aims to analyze the effect of independence, emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence on the auditors’ performance in public accounting firm in the city of Semarang. The object in this research is auditorr that work in public accountant office at Semarang City. The sample in this research are 78 auditors. The sampling technique that used is convenience sampling technique. The method of collecting data used questionnaires. The method of data analysis used descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. Based on the test results can be concluded that the independence and spiritual intelligence have a positive and significant effect on the auditors’ performance, while emotional intelligence has no significant effect on the auditors’ performance. Therefore, it is suggested to the auditors to increase independence and spiritual intelligence in performing their task.

  2. Spiritual distress of military veterans at the end of life.

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    Chang, Bei-Hung; Stein, Nathan R; Skarf, Lara M

    2015-06-01

    Although combat experiences can have a profound impact on individuals' spirituality, there is a dearth of research in this area. Our recent study indicates that one unique spiritual need of veterans who are at the end of life is to resolve distress caused by combat-related events that conflict with their personal beliefs. This study sought to gain an understanding of chaplains' perspectives on this type of spiritual need, as well as the spiritual care that chaplains provide to help veterans ease this distress. We individually interviewed five chaplains who have provided spiritual care to veterans at the end of life in a Veterans Administration hospital. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed based on "grounded theory." Chaplains reported that they frequently encounter veterans at the end of life who are still suffering from thoughts or images of events that occurred during their military career. Although some veterans are hesitant to discuss their experiences, chaplains reported that they have had some success with helping the veterans to open up. Additionally, chaplains reported using both religious (e.g., confessing sins) and nonreligious approaches (e.g., recording military experience) to help veterans to heal. Our pilot study provides some insight into the spiritual distress that many military veterans may be experiencing, as well as methods that a chaplain can employ to help these veterans. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings and to examine the value of integrating the chaplain service into mental health care for veterans.

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

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    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.

  4. Iranian nurses' professional competence in spiritual care in 2014.

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    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.

  5. Relationship between Spiritual Health with Marital Satisfaction

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    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. 

  6. Anthropocentric and theocentric spirituality as an object of psychological research

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    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.

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

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    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…

  8. Comparison of Spiritual Traditions in the Context of Universality of Mysticism

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    Slavomír Gálik

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available In this article, the authors study similarities in mysticism of Western Christian tradition and selected Eastern spiritual traditions based on comparative analysis of prayer degrees (mansions in The Interior Castle in Teresa of Avila and Yogic psychical centres (the so-called chakras that are known also in other Eastern spiritual traditions (Taoism and Buddhism. The authors note that especially higher degrees – from the fourth to the seventh – show formal similarities, while the seventh degree also reveals similarities in contents. They speak of importance of revealing these similarities in the perspective of understanding of human being, his further spiritual development, and also interreligious dialogue.

  9. Spirituality in childhood cancer care

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    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

  10. 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

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    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.

  11. The essence of spirituality of terminally ill patients.

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    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.

  12. Women scientists' scientific and spiritual ways of knowing

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    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.

  13. Spiritual needs of cancer patients: A qualitative study

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    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.

  14. Attachment theory and spirituality: two threads converging in palliative care?

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    Loetz, Cécile; Müller, Jakob; Frick, Eckhard; Petersen, Yvonne; Hvidt, Niels Christian; Mauer, Christine

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to discuss and explore the interrelation between two concepts, attachment theory and the concept of spirituality, which are important to palliative care and to founding a multivariate understanding of the patient's needs and challenges. Both concepts have been treated by research in diverse and multiform ways, but little effort has yet been made to integrate them into one theoretical framework in reference to the palliative context. In this paper, we begin an attempt to close this scientific gap theoretically. Following the lines of thought in this paper, we assume that spirituality can be conceptualized as an adequate response of a person's attachment pattern to the peculiarity of the palliative situation. Spirituality can be seen both as a recourse to securely based relationships and as an attempt to explore the ultimate unknown, the mystery of one's own death. Thus, spirituality in the palliative context corresponds to the task of attachment behavior: to transcend symbiosis while continuing bonds and thus to explore the unknown environment independently and without fear. Spiritual activity is interpreted as a human attachment behavior option that receives special quality and importance in the terminal stage of life. Implications for clinical practice and research are discussed in the final section of the paper.

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

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    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.

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

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    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.

  17. Hubungan Antara Kecerdasan Spiritual dan Self-Efficacy dengan Kinerja Guru Madrasah Aliyah Al-Fatah Palembang

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    Nyayu Khodijah

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available AbstractThe objective of this study is to find out the characteristics of teacher’s performance, spiritual intelligence, and self-efficacy also to find out the correlation between spiritual intelligence, self-efficacy either individually or collectively, and teacher’s performance at Madrasah Aliyah Al-Fatah. The descriptive and correlation method was used in this study. The population was teachers at MA Al-Fatah. The total number of respondents was 20. The technique for collecting the data was: psychological scale and questionnaire. The quantitative technique was used to analyze the data. The result of the study shows that: 1 most of the teachers (70 were at fair category based on the performance. 2 most of the teachers (65% were at fair category based on the spiritual intelligence. 3  most of the teachers (70% were at fair category based on the self-efficacy. 4 there were a positive and significant correlation between spiritual intelligence and teacher’s performance with contribution of 69.06%. 5 there was no a significant positive and correlation between self-efficacy and teacher’s performance with contribution of 17.72%. 6 there were a positive and significant correlation between spiritual intelligence and self-efficacy individually and collectively with contribution of 69.10%. Keywords: spiritual intelligence, self-efficacy, teacher’s performance  

  18. From Optimisation to Transformation - My Path to the Well-spring of Rationality, Morality and Spirituality

    OpenAIRE

    Peter Pruzan

    2003-01-01

    The author summarises his intellectual and personal journey from rationality and morality to spirituality. As internationally renowned expert in operation research and multi-objective optimisation, he developed a strong interest in organisational ethics, social and ethical accounting, values-based leadership and corporate social responsibility. Influenced by Eastern (especially Indian) spirituality he went further to explore the well-spring of rationality, morality and spirituality. In this w...

  19. 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...

  20. Spirituality in cancer care at the end of life.

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    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.

  1. Spirituality and religion in patients with HIV/AIDS.

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    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

  2. PERAN KECERDASAN SPIRITUAL DALAM PENCAPAIAN KEBERMAKNAAN HIDUP

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    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

  3. The Spiritual Life of Children

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    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…

  4. Spiritually Sensitive Social Work with Victims of Natural Disasters and Terrorism.

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    Benson, Perry W; Furman, Leola Dyrud; Canda, Edward R; Moss, Bernard; Danbolt, Torill

    2016-07-01

    As a primary intervention, raising the topics of faith and religion with individuals traumatised by terrorism and/or natural disasters can be daunting for social workers, because victims often enter the helping relationship with feelings of helplessness, loss of personal control and of doubt about their relationships, environment, and their cultural and belief systems. Just as clients benefit from knowledge and awareness in the aftermath of a traumatic event, insights gleaned from traumatic experiences and from research can be useful for social workers grappling with the challenges associated with designing and deploying appropriate helping strategies with victims of disaster and terrorism. This article draws on extant literature and survey research, to explore how social workers might ethically assess clients' spiritual perspectives and incorporate helping activities that support clients' recovery, in the context of a spiritually sensitive helping relationship with victims of disaster and terrorism.

  5. Spirituality and secularization: nursing and the sociology of religion.

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    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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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…

  8. The Role of Stress and Spirituality in Adolescent Substance Use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Debnam, Katrina; Milam, Adam J; Furr-Holden, C Debra; Bradshaw, Catherine

    2016-05-11

    Substance use can occur as a result of coping with stress. Within the school context, youth are exposed to stressors related to school achievement and peer-relationships. Protective factors, such as spirituality, may moderate adolescents' engagement in substance use. The current study investigated the role of spirituality in the association between stress and substance use, in an effort to test the hypothesis that spirituality moderates the association between stress and substance use. This study used data from youth in grades 6-8 attending 40 parochial private schools. A total of 5,217 students participated in the web-based survey administered in Spring 2013. Multilevel structural equation models were used to examine the association between stress, spirituality, and substance use, while accounting for the nested nature of the data (i.e., students within schools). Higher stress was significantly associated with increased alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among youth (b =.306, p stress and substance use. Implications for increasing students' adaptive coping when confronted with school-related stressors and the role of school climate are discussed.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. 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

  13. '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/

  14. 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.

  15. 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....

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. Attachment Theory and Spirituality: Two Threads Converging in Palliative Care?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cécile Loetz

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to discuss and explore the interrelation between two concepts, attachment theory and the concept of spirituality, which are important to palliative care and to founding a multivariate understanding of the patient’s needs and challenges. Both concepts have been treated by research in diverse and multiform ways, but little effort has yet been made to integrate them into one theoretical framework in reference to the palliative context. In this paper, we begin an attempt to close this scientific gap theoretically. Following the lines of thought in this paper, we assume that spirituality can be conceptualized as an adequate response of a person’s attachment pattern to the peculiarity of the palliative situation. Spirituality can be seen both as a recourse to securely based relationships and as an attempt to explore the ultimate unknown, the mystery of one’s own death. Thus, spirituality in the palliative context corresponds to the task of attachment behavior: to transcend symbiosis while continuing bonds and thus to explore the unknown environment independently and without fear. Spiritual activity is interpreted as a human attachment behavior option that receives special quality and importance in the terminal stage of life. Implications for clinical practice and research are discussed in the final section of the paper.

  20. 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...

  1. 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.

  2. Sleep quality and spiritual well-being in hemodialysis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eslami, Ahmad Ali; Rabiei, Leili; Khayri, Freidoon; Rashidi Nooshabadi, Mohammad Reza; Masoudi, Reza

    2014-07-01

    Sleep disorders are considered as one of the most important problems in hemodialysis patients, making their everyday life a serious hazard. Sleep quality of hemodialysis patients and consequences of sleep disorders on other aspects of health such as spiritual well-being are important issues. This study examined the relationship between spiritual well-being and quality of sleep in hemodialysis patients in Isfahan, Iran. This study was a correlation research, carried out on 190 hemodialysis patients. Data collection Questionnaires included demographic forms, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and Ellison and Paloutzian spiritual well-being scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation and linear regression analysis) at P spiritual health conditions. Pearson correlation test showed significant relationship between the sleep quality items of Pittsburg and spiritual well-being (P spiritual health, family, education, financial status, marital status, occupation, and use of sleep medication, the predictive power of these variables was found 0.417% and prediction of spiritual well-being was more than others (ß = 0.209). Considering bed as one of the most vital physical, mental, and emotional needs, it is very important in mental and spiritual well-being of hemodialysis patients as an influencing factor in mental relaxation and reducing disease tensions. Paying attention to sleep quality and spiritual well-being components of hemodialysis patients in formulating and promoting healthcare programs is recommended.

  3. 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.

  4. Spiritual Dryness in Non-Ordained Catholic Pastoral Workers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arndt Büssing

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: We wondered whether “spiritual dryness” as a specific phase of “spiritual crisis” or insecurity is mostly a matter only of Catholic priests or can also be found in other pastoral professionals. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, we measured the prevalence of spiritual dryness in non-ordained Catholic pastoral workers, and identified relevant predictors. Results: In a sample of 3.277 pastoral workers, 50% would occasionally experience phases of spiritual dryness, while 13% experience it often or even regularly. There were no significant differences between women and men, professions, or age groups. The best predictors of spiritual dryness were low transcendence perception and a low sense of coherence (both are resources, as well as depressive symptoms and stress perception (both are demands or stressors, which would explain 41% of the variance. Self-efficacy expectation and social support were not among the significant predictors. Conclusion: Both the proportions and the main predictors are similar compared to Catholic priests. It is thus not the underlying profession or vocation and the related life situation or differences in social support, but predominantly specific perceptions, feelings, and attitudes that are related to the phenomenon of spiritual dryness—and these can be found in all pastoral professionals who seriously live their spirituality.

  5. Spiritual Mentoring: Embracing the Mentor-Mentee Relational Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buzzanell, Patrice M.

    2009-01-01

    Spirituality offers a range of connections--to oneself, others, organizations, a higher being--that may shift over the course of an individual's lifetime. The spiritual values of compassion, humility, and simplicity are a basis on which spiritual practices and identities form and grow. In turn, practices and identities shape the meanings and…

  6. An Overview of Spiritually Oriented Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayfer Summermatter

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available While spirituality/religion has a healing effect for some individuals, for others it may have the opposite effect of enhancing psychological symptoms. For this reason, efforts are being made to address spirituality as a therapeutic or accelerating factor and reduce the potential negative effects of spirituality in the therapy process. The effectiveness of these applications is investigated in various studies. A comprehensive literature is being formed out of the studies conducted worldwide. Newly started studies in Turkey and similar countries are promising, but there are few coherent examples of how to address spirituality in therapy. In this article, the techniques and applications used in spiritually oriented cognitive behavioral therapy have been compiled and therapeutic applications are proposed. Ethical practices and applications specific to Muslim clients are also discussed.

  7. [Experience of Spiritual Conflict in Hospice Nurses: A Phenomenological Study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Byoung Sook; Kwak, Su Young

    2017-02-01

    This aim of this phenomenological study was to describe and understand the experience of spiritual conflict in hospice nurses by identifying the meanings and structures of the experience. Participants were 12 nurses working for one year or more at hospice units of general hospitals in a metropolitan city and experiencing of spiritual conflict as hospice nurses. Over six months data were collected using individual in-depth interviews and analyzed with the method suggested by Colaizzi. The experience of spiritual conflict in participants was organized into three categories, six theme-clusters, and 13 themes. The participants felt existential anxiety on death and a fear of death which is out of human control and skepticism for real facts of human beings facing death. They also experienced agitation of fundamental beliefs about life with agitation of the philosophy of life guiding themselves and mental distress due to fundamental questions that are difficult to answer. Also they had distress about poor spiritual care with guilty feelings from neglecting patients' spiritual needs and difficulties in spiritual care due to lack of practical competencies. Findings indicate the experience of spiritual conflict in hospice nurses is mainly associated with frequent experience of death in hospice patients. The experience of spiritual conflict consisted of existential anxiety, agitation of fundamental beliefs and distress over poor spiritual care. So, programs to help relieve anxiety, agitation and distress are necessary to prevent spiritual conflict and then spiritual burnout in hospice nurses. © 2017 Korean Society of Nursing Science

  8. African spirituality that shapes the concept of Ubuntu

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MJS Masango

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available Nolan(1982:7 shares an interesting concept of spirituality. He says:� �The Spiritual life is the whole of one�s life insofar as it is motivated and determined by the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Jesus�.� This kind of spirituality shapes persons in such a way that they grow into the concept of Ubuntu (humanness. In other words, an integrated spirituality is a spirituality in which who we are, and what we do are intimately related. The process of an� African spiritualist is also developed within the village. Mbiti reminds us that: �It takes a whole village to raise a child� (Mbiti 1977:23. In short, relationship is part of development of African spirituality. This article further explores on how elders within the village become leaders, and towards the end of their life journey, they becomes teachers and good ancestors, especially to younger generation. It is important to note that those who are good (while iving and are able to pass their knowledge and wisdom to others become good ancestors when they die...

  9. Test spirituální citlivosti

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Říčan, Pavel; Janošová, Pavlína; Tyl, J.

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 51, č. 2 (2007), s. 153-160 ISSN 0009-062X Grant - others:GAUK(CZ) GAUK379/2005/A-PP/HTF Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70250504 Keywords : spirituality * spiritual experience * religiosity Subject RIV: AN - Psychology Impact factor: 0.133, year: 2007

  10. Matters of spirituality at the end of life in the pediatric intensive care unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Mary R; Thiel, Mary Martha; Backus, Meghan M; Meyer, Elaine C

    2006-09-01

    Our objective with this study was to identify the nature and the role of spirituality from the parents' perspective at the end of life in the PICU and to discern clinical implications. A qualitative study based on parental responses to open-ended questions on anonymous, self-administered questionnaires was conducted at 3 PICUs in Boston, Massachusetts. Fifty-six parents whose children had died in PICUs after the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies participated. Overall, spiritual/religious themes were included in the responses of 73% (41 of 56) of parents to questions about what had been most helpful to them and what advice they would offer to others at the end of life. Four explicitly spiritual/religious themes emerged: prayer, faith, access to and care from clergy, and belief in the transcendent quality of the parent-child relationship that endures beyond death. Parents also identified several implicitly spiritual/religious themes, including insight and wisdom; reliance on values; and virtues such as hope, trust, and love. Many parents drew on and relied on their spirituality to guide them in end-of-life decision-making, to make meaning of the loss, and to sustain them emotionally. Despite the dominance of technology and medical discourse in the ICU, many parents experienced their child's end of life as a spiritual journey. Staff members, hospital chaplains, and community clergy are encouraged to be explicit in their hospitality to parents' spirituality and religious faith, to foster a culture of acceptance and integration of spiritual perspectives, and to work collaboratively to deliver spiritual care.

  11. Psychiatry, religion, positive emotions and spirituality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaillant, George E

    2013-12-01

    This paper proposes that eight positive emotions: awe, love/attachment, trust/faith, compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, joy and hope constitute what we mean by spirituality. These emotions have been grossly ignored by psychiatry. The two sciences that I shall employ to demonstrate this definition of spirituality will be ethology and neuroscience. They are both very new. I will argue that spirituality is not about ideas, sacred texts and theology. Rather, spirituality is all about emotion and social connection that are more dependent on the limbic system than the cortex. Specific religions, for all their limitations, are often the portal through which positive emotions are brought into conscious attention. Neither Freud nor psychiatric textbooks ever mention emotions like joy and gratitude. Hymns and psalms give these emotions pride of place. Our whole concept of psychotherapy might change, if clinicians set about enhancing positive emotions, rather than focusing only on the negative ones. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Celtic spirituality and contemporary environmental issues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graham Duncan

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Celtic spirituality has a long and distinguished ancestry with its origins in pre-Christian times. It was inculturated among 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 and Ireland. This spirituality has endured throughout the centuries and has experienced a revival from the latter half of the 20th century. From its inception, it has been closely linked to the environment. Over the years many key aspects of Celtic spirituality have been integrated in many religious traditions and shows similarities with and can contribute to a new ethical perspective on environmental issues. This article investigates the current environmental crisis from a faith perspective and attempts to draw lessons from Celtic traditions of spirituality in a scientific age.

  13. The mediating role of spirituality on professional values and self-efficacy: a study of senior nursing students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jun, Won Hee; Lee, Gyungjoo

    2016-12-01

    The aim of this study was to identify the significance of spirituality in enhancing self-efficacy related to professional values in senior nursing students. Self-efficacy can predict job satisfaction and performance as professional nurses in clinical settings. Senior nursing students should have the level of self-efficacy that enables them to perform professional roles based on professional values, because they will enter clinical settings immediately after graduation. Spirituality may help senior nursing students during the transition to professional life to reflect on their skills, knowledge and situations to enhance self-efficacy based on professional values. An exploratory, cross-sectional design was used in this study. A total of 194 senior nursing students in South Korea were recruited in 2014. They completed self-reported questionnaires consisting of demographic questions, Spiritual Assessment Scale, Self-Efficacy Scale and Nursing Professional Values inventory. A Sobel test was done to determine the mediating effect of spirituality on the relationship between nursing professional values and self-efficacy. The findings showed a positive correlation between professional values, spirituality and self-efficacy in nursing students. According to the Sobel test, spirituality had a mediating effect on the relationship between professional values and self-efficacy in senior nursing students. Spirituality can be a foundation that provides senior nursing students with higher self-efficacy so that they are able to perform their professional roles based on their professional values. The findings can guide nursing educators to include spiritual development of nursing students to enhance the self-efficacy of senior nursing students, the future of the nursing profession. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Offering Spiritual Support for Family or Friends

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... help you understand your spirituality when facing life-changing situations. Even within families, among friends and in faith communities, people’s spiritual beliefs and experiences may be very different. Be clear ...

  15. 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.

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

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    John Fisher

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available 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, fundamental dimension of people’s overall health and well-being, permeating and integrating all the other dimensions of health. Spiritual health is a dynamic state of being, reflected in the quality of relationships that people have in up to four domains of spiritual well-being: Personal domain where a person intra-relates with self; Communal domain, with in-depth inter-personal relationships; Environmental domain, connecting with nature; Transcendental domain, relating to some-thing or some‑One beyond the human level. The Four Domains Model of Spiritual Health and Well‑Being embraces all extant world-views from the ardently religious to the atheistic rationalist.

  17. Religion, an obstacle to workplace spirituality and employee wellness?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alan Bester

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A desperate need for employee wellness is echoed in work-related stories. Workplace spirituality is presented as an integral part of achieving and maintaining employee wellness. However, there is an observed gap of spirituality in employee wellness programmes and in the absence of the workplace spiritual helper in multidisciplinary wellness teams. Using a postfoundational notion of practical theology, I have explored one of the reasons for this gap, namely workplace spirituality�s association to religion. When spirituality is viewed through the lens of religion, it is overlooked as a vehicle of help. This is a consequence of the obstacles of the taboo of religious discussion, the complexity of religious plurality, the dominant voice of secularism and unhelpful religiosity. A proposal is made for a definition of spirituality that describes the relationship between spirituality and religion that overcomes the religionrelated obstacles to the development of workplace spirituality and so enable spirituality�s contribution in wellness.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The research includes an interdisciplinary collaboration with a Human Resource (HR manager, social worker, arts therapist, clinical pastoral counsellor, medical practitioner, psychologist, businessperson and two psychiatrists that underscores the collaborative effort in wellness. There is an intradisciplinary challenge to those who restrict the view of spirituality to the experience of religion.

  18. Despite their inevitable conflicts--science, religion and New Age spirituality are essentially compatible and complementary activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charlton, Bruce G

    2006-01-01

    Until recently it seemed that the continued expansion of scientific ways of thinking was destined to render religion extinct and spirituality unfeasible. But the example of the United States disproves this, since America is the most successful scientific nation of this era, church-going remains strong and New Age spiritualities are thriving. Therefore, despite the obvious conflicts; science, religion and spirituality are essentially compatible. Future science will continue to win territory from religion since its validation procedures are more objective and reliable. However, churches can survive and grow by dropping those aspects of doctrine which clash with science, and expanding their social functions. The fast-growing US 'mega-church' movement shows the way - since these organizations are minimally dogmatic but instead provide a family-orientated and morally-cohesive social milieu. Like organized religion, New Age spirituality comes into conflict with science when it makes incredible or bizarre factual claims. However, in practice modern spirituality is based on subjective evaluations which do not clash with the procedures of science. Indeed, the reliance upon individual, emotion-based evaluations (e.g., 'my truth', 'whatever works for you') renders New Age spirituality 'science-proof', and has enabled it to expand massively in an age of science. Science, religion and spirituality perform different functions in the modern world, and their relationship is therefore one of mutual-dependence. Borderline disputes will inevitably occur, but as part of a broader context of complementarity. Science, 'social' churches and New Age spirituality all have a bright future.

  19. PROMOTING PSYCHO-SOCIAL-SPIRITUAL RESPONSE IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS THROUGH APLICATION ON SELF CARE MANAGEMENT MODUL

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    Kusnanto Kusnanto

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Diabetes mellitus was a kind of incurable chronic disease that actually manageable. The global prevalence tends to increase due to less self management of the disease and the impact of it was severe health condition. There were so many interventions implemented but failed to give optimal improvement in patient’s condition and there are so many DM patients have insufficient ability to manage their own disease. Patients need to have knowledge, skills, and self confident to be able to manage their disease. Patient’s self-management depends on patient’s education, empowerment, and self monitoring in evaluating their self-care management. The purpose of this research was promoting patient’s psychological, social, and spiritual conditions through Self Care Management. Improvement in psychological, social, and spiritual conditions in patients with DM will lead to better level of blood glucose and HbA1C. Method: Patient newly diagnose with Type 2 DM at Puskesmas Kebonsari was selected with purposive sampling and divided into two groups. Each group contains 25 patients. Intervention group was given Self Diabetes Management Module. Before and after intervention patient was given Questionnaire. The data then analyzed using Student-T test, McNemar and Chi-Square. Result: The result of this research showed patient have constructive coping, increase interpersonal relation. Patients also have better acceptance about the disease and involve in its management. Discussion: Self Care Management Module promotes psychological, social, and spiritual conditions in patients with type 2 DM.

  20. Spiritual coping of older people in Malta and Australia (part 1).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldacchino, Donia R; Bonello, Lilian; Debattista, Clifford J

    This descriptive sequential explanatory study, which forms part of a larger study, investigated the use of spiritual coping strategies by three cohort groups of Maltese older residents in three phases. The theoretical model of causal pathway for mental health based on monotheistic religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) guided the study. Participants were recruited from four private homes: two in Australia (n=30), two in Malta (n=43) and two state residences also in Malta (n=64). The residents (n=137; men n=103, women n=34), mean (M) age 72.8 years, were all Roman Catholics, mobile and with a minimum residence of 6 months. The quantitative data (phase I) were collected by the Maltese version of the Spiritual Coping Strategies scale ( Baldacchino and Buhagiar, 2003 ). The qualitative findings in phase II derived from the face-to-face interviews and focus groups explain the use of spiritual coping strategies and how they contributed toward coping with institutionalisation. Significant differences were found in spiritual coping (F=11.434; p=0.001; degree of freedom (df)=2) whereby the cohort in Australia scored the highest scores in the total spiritual coping (M=48.60; standard deviation (SD)=6.251), religious coping (M=23.47; SD=2.145) and existential coping (M=25.13; SD=6.033). No significant differences were found in the total spiritual coping between subgroups of mobility and demographic characteristics except by gender (Student's t-test (t)=2.455; p=0.015) whereby women (M=22.09; SD=4.325) scored higher than the men (M=19.67; SD=4.508). Australian private homes reported the highest (significant) mean scores in total spiritual coping, religious coping and existential coping. Recommendations were set for clinical practice and management, nursing education, and further research.

  1. Spiritual well-being of patients with multiple sclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allahbakhshian, Maryam; Jafarpour, Mahshid; Parvizi, Soroor

    2011-01-01

    Spiritual well-being is one of the fundamental concepts in chronic diseases which create meaning and purpose in life and is an important approach in promoting general health and quality of life. This study performed to determine the level of spiritual health and its dimensions in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). 236 members of Iranian MS Society were volunteered to participate in a descriptive co-relational study. Spiritual well-being was evaluated by The Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) questionnaires in two religious and Existential dimensions. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to analyse the data. The majority of patients (% 97.9) showed moderate spiritual well-being (mean score = 74.3, SD= 8.90). Although Existential well-being (mean score = 40.3, SD= 5.51) was higher than religious well- being (mean score = 33.9, SD= 4.88). A significant relationship was seen between economic status and the spiritual well-being. The results emphasize on the necessity of spiritual well-being as an effective factor on different aspects of these patients' life. This key point is useful and even necessary to be considered to design programs of care and cure for these patients in a country (like Iran) with cultural and religious beliefs. On the other hand, patients' economic status should be considered.

  2. SPIRITUAL DETERMINANTS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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    M. I. Bilalov

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim. The aim of the research is to study the specific determinants, motivational factors, tools and approaches that make up the mechanism for the implementation of sustainable development (the region of Southern Russia.Material and methods. As the main methodological approach, the author used the civilizational method including philosophy and political science which effectively evaluate and analyze a concrete historical stage of development of a society, a short period of its history. At the same time, as a particularly important factor and determinant of social development, we put culture, mental and religious terms of spiritual life of the peoples of the South of Russia into to the forefront, which is seen as a local independent civilization. We see the methodological innovation in the understanding of sustainable development based on the principle of ecocentrism, the equality between generations, types and groups, with regard to the principle of universal evolutionism.Results. It is assumed that civilizations develop independently and realize its cultural potential in various areas, while ethnic groups, nations and peoples with their specific culture must respect the principle of equal moral functioning. The threat of a global catastrophe and attitude for sustainable development bring spiritual values of traditional civilizations to the forefront, which are collectivism, harmony between man and nature, self-limitation, reliance on national culture and other issues that have always been fundamental to Dagestan and the North Caucasus.Conclusions. Sustainable development of the South Russian regions, including Dagestan, is possible only on the basis of the given spiritual determinants in the direction of a global civil society.

  3. Finding Paradise Within: How Spirituality Protects Palliative Care Clients and Caregivers From Depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penman, Joy

    2017-06-01

    The aims of this article are to explore the experience of depression among palliative care clients and caregivers, describe the strategies they use in coping with depression, and clarify the role of spirituality in preventing and/or overcoming depression. This article discusses an aspect of the findings of a larger doctoral study that explored the nature of spirituality and spiritual engagement from the viewpoint of individuals with life-limiting conditions and their caregivers. van Manen's phenomenology was used in the study. The data generated from the doctoral study were subjected to secondary analysis to uncover the experience of depression. The methodology underpinning the secondary analysis was phenomenology also by van Manen. Fourteen clients and caregivers from across regional and rural South Australia informed the study. Data collection involved in-depth nonstructured home-based interviews that were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. The findings highlighted relate to participants succumbing to depression, but having spiritual beliefs and practices helped them cope. One of the most insightful understanding was the role spirituality played in protecting individuals from depression, encapsulated in the theme "finding paradise within." Spirituality, understood from a religious or secular perspective, must be embedded in palliative care as it assisted in preventing and overcoming depression.

  4. Healing the heart: a randomized pilot study of a spiritual retreat for depression in acute coronary syndrome patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warber, Sara L; Ingerman, Sandra; Moura, Vera L; Wunder, Jenna; Northrop, Alyssa; Gillespie, Brenda W; Durda, Kate; Smith, Katherine; Rhodes, Katherine S; Rubenfire, Melvyn

    2011-01-01

    Depression is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in coronary heart disease. Numerous conventional and complementary therapies may address depression. Few involving spirituality have been tested. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of a nondenominational spiritual retreat, Medicine for the Earth (MFTE), on depression and other measures of well-being six- to 18-months post acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A randomized controlled pilot study of MFTE, Lifestyle Change Program (LCP), or usual cardiac care (control) was conducted in Southeastern Michigan. ACS patients were recruited via local and national advertising (n = 58 enrolled, 41 completed). The four-day MFTE intervention included guided imagery, meditation, drumming, journal writing, and nature-based activities. The four-day LCP included nutrition education, exercise, and stress management. Both retreat groups received follow-up phone coaching biweekly for three months. Validated self-report scales of depression, spiritual well-being, perceived stress, and hope were collected at baseline, immediately post-retreat, and at three and six months. Depression was not significantly different among groups (P = .21). However, the MFTE group had the highest depression scores at baseline and had significantly lower scores at all postintervention time points (P ≤ .002). Hope significantly improved among MFTE participants, an effect that persisted at three- and six-month follow-up (P = .014). Although several measures showed improvement in all groups by six months, the MFTE group had immediate improvement post-retreat, which was maintained. This pilot study shows that a nondenominational spiritual retreat, MFTE, can be used to increase hope while reducing depression in patients with ACS. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Religious and spiritual coping in people living with HIV/Aids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clarissa Mourão Pinho

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: evaluate the religiosity and the religious/spiritual coping of people living with HIV/Aids. Method: descriptive, cross-sectional study with quantitative approach, conducted in a reference HIV/Aids outpatient clinic in a university hospital of Recife-PE, Brazil, from June to November 2015. At total of 52 people living with HIV/Aids (PLWHA participated in the research, which employed own questionnaire, the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL, and the Religious/Spiritual Coping Scale (RCOPE. Results: the sample presented high indices of organizational religiosity (4.23±1.66, non-organizational religiosity (4.63±1.50, and intrinsic religiosity (13.13±2.84. Positive RCOPE was used in high mean scores (3.66±0.88, and negative RCOPE had low use (2.12 ± 0.74. In total, use of RCOPE was high (3.77±0.74, having predominated the positive RCOPE (NegRCOPE/PosRCOPE ratio=0.65±0.46. Conclusion: it is evident the importance of encouraging religious activity and RCOPE strategies, seen in the past as inappropriate interventions in clinical practice.

  6. Religiousity, Spirituality and Adolescents' Self-Adjustment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Japar, Muhammad; Purwati

    2014-01-01

    Religiuosity, spirituality, and adolescents' self-adjustment. The objective of this study is to test the correlation among religiosity, spirituality and adolescents' self-adjustment. A quantitative approach was employed in this study. Data were collected from 476 junior high schools students of 13 State Junior High Schools and one Junior High…

  7. Metamorphosis: Play, Spirituality and the Animal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bone, Jane

    2010-01-01

    Animal- and bird-becoming is an aspect of play as metamorphosis connected to spirituality in early childhood settings. The reconceptualisation of play presented here is supported by research that explored the spiritual experiences of young children in different early childhood contexts. Qualitative case study research carried out in Aotearoa New…

  8. Evaluating Spiritual Experiences and Some Psychological Components in Medical Students

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    Zahra Taheri Kharameh

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Spiritual experiences seem to be an important component in Religious and spiritual life of some one. Aim of the present study was to determinate relation between daily spiritual experiences, and psychological variables in students of Qom University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this descriptive and analytical study, 138 students of the Qom University of Medical Sciences were selected via random sampling methods. These students completed the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21 and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12. Data were analyzed in SPSS16 software environment utilizing descriptive statistics and the Independent t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: Mean and standard deviations of daily spiritual experiences scores was 28.27(4.90.  The daily spiritual experiences was associated with mental health (r = -0.22, P-value = 0.01 depression(r = -0.25, P-value = 0.005, and stress (r = -0.23, P-value = 0.01. Conclusion: The findings indicated that spiritual experiences were respectively the most important religious - spiritual components which may affect psychological health in students.

  9. Achieving Job Satisfaction Through Spirituality: A Case Study of Muslim Employees

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    Ashar Awan

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The present study explores the role of spirituality in achieving job satisfaction. Divine Economics Framework is used for quantifying the interrelationships between spirituality and worklife using empirical data of 383 workers from 5 districts of Azad Kashmir. The study analyzed the effect of spirituality level of workers on their subjective evaluation of their worklife (job satisfaction.  An index of workers’ spirituality is developed using Principle Component Analysis (PCA. The literature on theology and philosophy indicates that spirituality has many types which may lead to produce a systematically different human behavior. To test whether or not workers having different levels of spirituality have the same job satisfaction, Logistic regression technique is used. The results of given sample revealed that besides the conventional variables such as income, age, education, health, and job sector, a particular type of spirituality is a significant predictor of workers’ job satisfaction. Our estimates relating to selected dimension of spirituality are presented to serve as new insights for further research in different types of spirituality at workplace. This study concludes that the Divine Economics Framework is relatively more capable to analyze economics of spirituality. The future research may utilize this framework to study the interrelationships of spirituality with workplace as well as other areas of economics.

  10. Exploring a fourth dimension: spirituality as a resource for the couple therapist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, D A; Worthen, D

    1997-01-01

    This article explores ways in which the therapist's own spirituality can serve as a resource in couple therapy. Spirituality is defined as subjective engagement with a fourth, transcendent dimension of human experience. This engagement enhances human life and evokes corresponding behavior. Spiritually based therapy may be influenced by three assumptions: that God or a Divine Being exists, that human-kind yearns innately for connection with this Being, and that this Being is interested in humans and acts upon and within their relationships to promote beneficial change. In therapy these assumptions affect how the therapist listens and responds throughout sessions. The authors incorporate a case example illustrating the application of this fourth dimension in couple therapy.

  11. Spirituality in Indian University Students and its Associations with Socioeconomic Status, Religious Background, Social Support, and Mental Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deb, Sibnath; McGirr, Kevin; Sun, Jiandong

    2016-10-01

    The present study aimed to understand spirituality and its relationships with socioeconomic status (SES), religious background, social support, and mental health among Indian university students. It was hypothesized that (1) female university students will be more spiritual than male university students, (2) four domains of spirituality will differ significantly across socioeconomic and religious background of the university students in addition to social support, and (3) there will be a positive relationship between spirituality and mental health of university students, irrespective of gender. A group of 475 postgraduate students aged 20-27 years, 241 males and 234 females, from various disciplines of Pondicherry University, India, participated in the study. Students' background was collected using a structured questionnaire. Overall spirituality and its four dimensions were measured using the Spirituality Attitude Inventory, while mental health status was estimated based on scores of the psychological subscale of the WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire. Female students were significantly more spiritual than male students, particularly in spiritual practice and sense of purpose/connection. Hindu religion and lower family income were associated with lower spirituality. Higher spirituality was associated with congenial family environment and more support from teachers and classmates. There was a strong association between overall spirituality and two spirituality domains (spiritual belief and sense of purpose/connection) with better mental health. Findings suggest an opportunity for open dialogue on spirituality for university students as part of their mental health and support services that fosters a positive mind set and enhancement of resilience.

  12. Giving wellness a spiritual workout. Two model programs emphasize the development of self-reliance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seaward, B L

    1989-04-01

    Many hospitals, corporations, and communities have developed wellness programs to help people maintain a healthy life-style. Today's wellness doctrine reflects modern medical thinking that, to achieve optimal human potential, a person must enjoy physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Most wellness programs, however, concentrate on the physical; few take into account spiritual well-being. Wellness programs developed by the Boulder County YMCA, Longmont, CO, and the University of Maryland, College Park, were based on an interpretation of a model suggested by Carl Jung that defines spirituality as the development of self-reliance. According to Jung, the constituents of self-reliance include awareness, inner faith, self-worth, humility, patience, acceptance, and self-confidence. He suggested that the absence of any one of these could cause a breakdown in a person's belief system and lead to a spiritual crisis. These programs trained participants to recognize the importance of their spiritual well-being and to find practical ways to improve it. Key components were a stress management course; workshops in confidence building and values clarification; and classes, lectures, and workshops that emphasize the integration of spiritual and physical well-being.

  13. 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.

  14. Social Justice and Spirituality: Educating for a Complicated Workplace

    Science.gov (United States)

    English, Leona M.; Cameron, Paula

    2016-01-01

    This chapter proposes a spiritually relevant and social justice pedagogy that assists learners in making the transition to the workplace. Key elements of this spirituality include religion, cultural diversity, identity, health, and social class. Pedagogical strategies for infusing this spirituality in the curriculum are given.

  15. Discussing spirituality with patients: a rational and ethical approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCord, Gary; Gilchrist, Valerie J; Grossman, Steven D; King, Bridget D; McCormick, Kenelm E; Oprandi, Allison M; Schrop, Susan Labuda; Selius, Brian A; Smucker, D O William D; Weldy, David L; Amorn, Melissa; Carter, Melissa A; Deak, Andrew J; Hefzy, Hebah; Srivastava, Mohit

    2004-01-01

    This study was undertaken to determine when patients feel that physician inquiry about spirituality or religious beliefs is appropriate, reasons why they want their physicians to know about their spiritual beliefs, and what they want physicians to do with this information. Trained research assistants administered a questionnaire to a convenience sample of consenting patients and accompanying adults in the waiting rooms of 4 family practice residency training sites and 1 private group practice in northeastern Ohio. Demographic information, the SF-12 Health Survey, and participant ratings of appropriate situations, reasons, and expectations for physician discussions of spirituality or religious beliefs were obtained. Of 1,413 adults who were asked to respond, 921 completed questionnaires, and 492 refused (response rate = 65%). Eighty-three percent of respondents wanted physicians to ask about spiritual beliefs in at least some circumstances. The most acceptable scenarios for spiritual discussion were life-threatening illnesses (77%), serious medical conditions (74%) and loss of loved ones (70%). Among those who wanted to discuss spirituality, the most important reason for discussion was desire for physician-patient understanding (87%). Patients believed that information concerning their spiritual beliefs would affect physicians' ability to encourage realistic hope (67%), give medical advice (66%), and change medical treatment (62%). This study helps clarify the nature of patient preferences for spiritual discussion with physicians.

  16. The Spirit in the Network: Models for Spirituality in a Technological Culture.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Coeckelbergh, Mark

    2010-01-01

    Can a technological culture accommodate spiritual experience and spiritual thinking? If so, what kind of spirituality? I explore the relation between technology and spirituality by constructing and discussing several models for spirituality in a technological culture. I show that although gnostic

  17. Embedded spirituality: gardening in daily life and stressful life experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unruh, Anita; Hutchinson, Susan

    2011-09-01

    There is a limited body of research examining the relationship between spirituality and leisure, or the impact of leisure in the context of daily life, and life with stressful events. To examine the meaning of gardens and gardening across different life experiences using hermeneutic phenomenology to focus on the lived experience of leisure gardening. Most participants were interviewed once in each season over a 1 year period usually in their home. There were 42 participants (27 women and 15 men) in this study. Fifteen individuals had been diagnosed with cancer and were in varying stages of diagnosis and treatment. Three people had a chronic and progressive disease. Four women were grieving the death of their spouse. Participants ranged in age from 32 to 80 years. In this paper, we focus on the spirituality-related themes in this study: spirituality as connectedness; spirituality as an expression of inner being; the garden as a spiritual place and gardening as spiritual activity; gardening as a spiritual journey; and, stewardship. Participants with religious views saw their garden as an extension of their spirituality and a confirmation of their beliefs. Participants with secular or sacred views of spirituality that was not related to any religious beliefs were more likely to embed their spirituality in their relationship with nature as manifested in their garden. This study extends current theory regarding leisure and its contribution to meaning focused coping, and spirituality as a significant component of leisure in living with stressful health and life events. © 2011 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2011 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  18. The spiritual care meanings of adults residing in the midwest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sellers, S C

    2001-07-01

    Only limited nursing knowledge exists as theoretical guidance for nurses in providing spiritual care. Using Leininger's theory of culture care diversity and universality, the purpose of this ethnonursing research study was to discover the embedded spiritual care meanings, expressions, lived experiences, and practices of adults residing in the Midwest and their perceptions of spiritual nursing care. Data were collected through interviews of 6 key and 12 general informants. Five universal spiritual themes were supported by the findings. Culture care modes were used to explicate spiritual knowledge that can be integrated into nursing practice.

  19. How Can Spirituality Affect Your Family's Health?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español How Can Spirituality Affect Your Family's Health? KidsHealth / For Parents / ... found among those who strictly practiced their religion. Can Spiritual Beliefs Enhance Parenting? Attending organized religious services ...

  20. Learning Spiritual Dimensions of Care from a Historical Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narayanasamy, Aru

    1999-01-01

    Looks at the spiritual dimensions of nursing at various historical periods: ancient civilizations, the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and the 18th and 19th centuries. Reviews contemporary perspectives on spirituality and nursing and suggests how nurses can be equipped to deal with patients' spiritual needs. (SK)

  1. Enhancing psychosocial and spiritual palliative care: Four-year results of the program of comprehensive care for people with advanced illnesses and their families in Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Batiste, Xavier; Mateo-Ortega, Dolors; Lasmarías, Cristina; Novellas, Anna; Espinosa, Jose; Beas, Elba; Ela, Sara; Barbero, Javier

    2017-02-01

    We aimed to describe the overall quantitative and qualitative results of a "La Caixa" Foundation and World Health Organization Collaborating Center Program entitled "Comprehensive Care for Patients with Advanced Illnesses and their Families" after four years of experience. Qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to assess the program. Quasiexperimental, prospective, multicenter, single-group, and pretest/posttest methods were utilized to assess the quantitative data. The effectiveness of psychosocial interventions was assessed at baseline (visit 1) and after four follow-up visits. The following dimensions were assessed: mood state, discomfort, anxiety, degree of adjustment or adaptation to disease, and suffering. We also assessed the four dimensions of the spiritual pain scale: faith or spiritual beliefs, valuable faith or spiritual beliefs, meaning in life, and peace of mind/forgiveness. Qualitative analyses were performed via surveys to evaluate stakeholder satisfaction. We built 29 psychosocial support teams involving 133 professionals-mainly psychologists and social workers. During the study period, 8,964 patients and 11,810 family members attended. Significant improvements were observed in the psychosocial and spiritual dimensions assessed. Patients, family members, and stakeholders all showed high levels of satisfaction. This model of psychosocial care could serve as an example for other countries that wish to improve psychosocial and spiritual support. Our results confirm that specific psychosocial interventions delivered by well-trained experts can help to ease suffering and discomfort in end-of-life and palliative care patients, particularly those with high levels of pain or emotional distress.

  2. Postsecular spirituality, engaged hermeneutics, and Charles ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This essay sets out to argue that postsecular spirituality is about the quest for hypergoods within today's mass populist- and consumerist-oriented world. It shows that people who consider themselves to be spiritual not only have many values in their lives, but rank some values higher than others, with some being ranked as ...

  3. Spirituality in nursing: an analysis of the concept.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahlungulu, S N; Uys, L R

    2004-05-01

    There is scientific evidence that the spiritual well being of a person can affect quality of life and the response to illness, pain, suffering and even death. In spite of this evidence, spirituality in nursing has not been examined within a South African context. The purpose of this study was to describe the phenomenon of spirituality from the perspective of nurses and patients/clients with the aim of generating a middle range theory of spiritual care in nursing. A qualitative mode of inquiry using a grounded theory method was applied. A sample of 56 participants composed of 40 nurses, 14 patients and 2 relatives of patients was recruited by theoretical sampling procedure from one public hospital, one private hospital and one hospice setting. Focus group interviews and one on one in depth interviews were conducted. An audio tape recorder was used to record the interviews. Field notes and memos were also kept. Data were collected and analyzed simultaneously. Non numerical Data Qualification Solutions NUDIST software was used to code data into different levels of codes. The results were rich descriptions of the concept of spirituality. This concept was described as a unique individual quest for establishing and, or, maintaining a dynamic transcendent relationship with self, others and with God/supernatural being as understood by the person. Faith, trust and religious belief were reported as antecedents of spirituality, while hope, inner peace and meaningful life were reported to be consequences of spirituality.

  4. Intellectualism and Spirituality in Miguel de Unamuno

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alicia Villar Ezcurra

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Miguel de Unamuno, one of the most prominent intellectuals of Spain towards the end of the 19th century and first third of the 20th century, since his crisis in 1987 strived to warn of the limits to intellectualism. In his paper Intellectualism and Spirituality (March 1904, he reflected on the bodily, intellectual and spiritual dimensions of the human being, mindful of the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. He defined three types of people: the carnal (the downright uneducated, the intellectual (those who show logic and common sense and the spiritual (dreamers and poets. Without undermining intellectualism and facing the reductionism of any sign, as Pascal Unamuno highlighted the importance and significance of spirituality by being aware that it focuses on creating meaning and conquering the ideal, paving the way for a more fruitful life.

  5. Contours of Biblical spirituality as a discipline | Welzen | Acta ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... divine human relational process. A dialogue of spirituality and exegesis is needed. For doing research a threefold competence is needed: in exegesis, in spirituality and in the integration of these two. The final section is about intertextuality. Intertextuality may help to understand the spiritual process in reading biblical texts.

  6. Vulnerable populations: cultural and spiritual direction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quest, Tammie E; Franks, Nicole M

    2006-08-01

    Cultural, spiritual, and religious diversity of emergency department patients is increasing while that of emergency physicians in particular remains predominantly homogeneous. With a discordance of cultural, race, and ethnicity exist, in the case of ethical conflict -resolution becomes that much more difficult. Patients may feel vulnerable when their emergency care provider does not understand his or her cultural, spiritual, and religious uniqueness as it relates to the patient-doctor interaction and health care decision making. This review will examine (1) language differences; (2) cultural, religious, and spiritual differences between patient and provider; (3) differing explanatory models of disease between patient and provider; and (4) diverse bioethical models of decision making of differing cultures in an effort to reduce vulnerabilities.

  7. 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...

  8. CONTOURS OF BIBLICAL SPIRITUALITY AS A DISCIPLINE

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Three approaches are used for coming towards a definition of Biblical spirituality. The ..... Donahue is that he shows how the ideas of Sandra Schneiders are rooted in the .... The central part of the book of Kees Waaijman about spirituality.

  9. 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.

  10. Web-based interventions in nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, Eun-Ok; Chang, Sun Ju

    2013-02-01

    With recent advances in computer and Internet technologies and high funding priority on technological aspects of nursing research, researchers at the field level began to develop, use, and test various types of Web-based interventions. Despite high potential impacts of Web-based interventions, little is still known about Web-based interventions in nursing. In this article, to identify strengths and weaknesses of Web-based nursing interventions, a literature review was conducted using multiple databases with combined keywords of "online," "Internet" or "Web," "intervention," and "nursing." A total of 95 articles were retrieved through the databases and sorted by research topics. These articles were then analyzed to identify strengths and weaknesses of Web-based interventions in nursing. A strength of the Web-based interventions was their coverage of various content areas. In addition, many of them were theory-driven. They had advantages in their flexibility and comfort. They could provide consistency in interventions and require less cost in the intervention implementation. However, Web-based intervention studies had selected participants. They lacked controllability and had high dropouts. They required technical expertise and high development costs. Based on these findings, directions for future Web-based intervention research were provided.

  11. Spiritual Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence and Auditor’s Performance

    OpenAIRE

    Hanafi, Rustam

    2010-01-01

    The objective of this research was to investigate empirical evidence about influence audi-tor spiritual intelligence on the performance with emotional intelligence as a mediator variable. Linear regression models are developed to examine the hypothesis and path analysis. The de-pendent variable of each model is auditor performance, whereas the independent variable of model 1 is spiritual intelligence, of model 2 are emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence. The parameters were estima...

  12. Spiritual Medicine in The Multi Perspective of Religion

    OpenAIRE

    Minhas, Marwa; Akhmad, Syaefudin Ali; Afzal, Nadeem

    2017-01-01

    Spiritual healing, also known as healing through prayer and meditation, has been widely studied by various scholars from different religions including Islam, Hindu, Buddhism and Christianity. The term spiritual medicine is increasingly popular with increasing mental disorders, degenerative diseases, metabolic, cancer and social illness such as drug abuse. Religions of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity have almost the same tradition in the spiritual aspect to create purity of self and...

  13. 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.

  14. Spiritual character traits and leadership in the school workplace: An exploration of the relationship between spirituality and school leadership in some private and religiously affiliated schools in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaco S. Dreyer

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The South African educational system is in a crisis. This situation places huge demands on school principals and school management teams, and raises many theoretical and empirical questions. Transformational leadership is needed to deal with these challenges and complexities. Not all school leaders show the same level of transformational leadership. Some leaders conform more to other leadership styles. The aim of this article is to explore the relation between spiritual character traits and leadership styles from a theoretical and empirical perspective. The theoretical part focuses on the conceptualisation of leadership (styles and spirituality. The empirical research consists of a web-based survey conducted in some private and religiously affiliated schools in South Africa in 2011–2012. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ and Cloninger’s shortened Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-140 were used to measure leadership styles and spiritual traits respectively. Statistical procedures included confirmatory factor analysis, correlation (Pearson rho and regression analysis. Key findings are that leaders of private schools in South Africa mostly conform to a transformative leadership style, disagree with corrective leadership and strongly disagree with passive-avoidant leadership. Regarding the spiritual character traits they agree with self-transcendence and strongly agree with self-directedness. Spiritual character traits are strong predictors for transformational and passive-avoidant leadership. Higher levels of self-transcendence and self-directedness are strong predictors for transformational leadership. Our research suggests that traditional religious variables are less important as predictors of leadership style than spiritual character traits.

  15. Religion, spirituality, and cancer: the question of individual empowerment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vonarx, Nicolas; Hyppolite, Shelley-Rose

    2013-01-01

    It has often been noted that people with a severe illness endeavor to deepen their religious and spiritual practice and knowledge. It is generally accepted that spiritual and religious factors help sick people confront their suffering. The authors conducted a qualitative research on the role of religious and spiritual practices and knowledge among 10 cancer patients in Québec, Canada. Individual interviews focused on their illness experience confirmed that religion and spirituality can be present and contribute to coping when life is threatened. More precisely, the analyses of the place and use of these resources during the patient's illness showed that these resources contributed to an individual empowerment process that was undertaken in response to a biographic and existential disruption induced by the illness diagnosis. The sick people took advantage of religious and spiritual content in their quest for meaning and a cure, progressing from a stage of despair and powerlessness to a stage of hope, a critical analysis of the disease, and a better management and control of it and its evolution. This article describes how people suffering from cancer use and participate in religious and spiritual content. It demonstrates the contribution of this content to an individual empowerment process. The use of religion and spirituality constitutes a quest for self-mastery, an acquiring of power and control. We understand that religious and spiritual phenomena do not always prevent people from fighting against their suffering, limit their freedom, or systematically reduce people's viewpoints and worldviews.

  16. Illness narratives in cancer: CAM and spiritual practices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ulrich, Anita; Evron, Lotte; Ostenfeld-Rosenthal, Ann

    2011-01-01

    Objectives: In this paper,we investigate Danish cancer patients’ narratives on spiritual beliefs and practices and the relationship these practices may have to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Design: Narrative inquiry is used to uncover how spiritual beliefs and practices may......, religious and spiritual issues were not extensively unfolded in participants’ illness narratives. However, these issues were significantly elaborated on in narratives by four female participants. Conclusion: We propose that for some cancer patients CAM may function, not only or primarily as a treatment...... for cancer related symptoms and side effects, but as a spiritual practice as well. For some individuals this may be true to an even higher extent than in established religious institutions....

  17. 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

  18. Spiritually Competent Practice with Individuals and Families Dealing with Medical Conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sperry, Len

    2011-01-01

    Counselors and psychotherapists are increasingly expected to provide services that are spiritually competent. Those counseling individuals and families where medical concerns are a focus would do well to consider the implications of spiritual competence in their work. The article defines spiritual competence, describes spiritual competencies, and…

  19. 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.

  20. "To cherish each day as it comes": a qualitative study of spirituality among persons receiving palliative care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asgeirsdottir, Gudlaug Helga; Sigurbjörnsson, Einar; Traustadottir, Rannveig; Sigurdardottir, Valgerdur; Gunnarsdottir, Sigridur; Kelly, Ewan

    2013-05-01

    Spirituality is one of the main aspects of palliative care. The concept is multidimensional and encompasses the existential realm as well as value-based and religious considerations. The aim of this study was to explore spirituality from the perspective of persons receiving palliative care and examine their experience of spirituality and its influence on their lives and well-being. Qualitative interviews were conducted with ten persons receiving palliative care from Palliative Care Services in Iceland. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed and analysed. The study is in the field of practical theology and used the theoretical approach of hermeneutical phenomenology. Thematic analysis found that the spiritual dimension was of significance for the participants who understood it as a vital element connected to seeking meaning, purpose and transcendence in life. Religious and non-religious aspects of spirituality were expressed including strong spiritual components of family relationships, the meaning of God/a higher being and spiritual practices which served as a key factor in giving strength, activating inner resources and motivating hope. Nine of the participants expressed their spirituality as faith. Spirituality was experienced broadly as an important dimension of how participants lived with terminal illness. Religious and non-religious characteristics were recognised which reveals the complex nature of the phenomenon. Faith was a significant part of the participants' spirituality indicating the importance of attending to this aspect of palliative care. The study suggests the potential contributions of theological approaches which are relevant for palliative care research and practice.

  1. Spiritual well-being and moral distress among Iranian nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soleimani, Mohammad Ali; Sharif, Saeed Pahlevan; Yaghoobzadeh, Ameneh; Sheikhi, Mohammad Reza; Panarello, Bianca; Win, Ma Thin Mar

    2016-06-16

    Moral distress is increasingly recognized as a problem affecting healthcare professionals, especially nurses. If not addressed, it may create job dissatisfaction, withdrawal from the moral dimensions of patient care, or even encourage one to leave the profession. Spiritual well-being is a concept which is considered when dealing with problems and stress relating to a variety of issues. This research aimed to examine the relationship between spiritual well-being and moral distress among a sample of Iranian nurses and also to study the determinant factors of moral distress and spiritual well-being in nurses. A cross-sectional, correlational design was employed to collect data from 193 nurses using the Spiritual Well-Being Scale and the Moral Distress Scale-Revised. This study was approved by the Regional Committee of Medical Research Ethics. The ethical principles of voluntary participation, anonymity, and confidentiality were considered. Mean scores of spiritual well-being and moral distress were 94.73 ± 15.89 and 109.56 ± 58.70, respectively. There was no significant correlation between spiritual well-being and moral distress (r = -.053, p = .462). Marital status and job satisfaction were found to be independent predictors of spiritual well-being. However, gender and educational levels were found to be independent predictors for moral distress. Age, working in rotation shifts, and a tendency to leave the current job also became significant after adjusting other factors for moral distress. This study could not support the relationship between spiritual well-being and moral distress. However, the results showed that moral distress is related to many elements including individual ideals and differences as well as organizational factors. Informing nurses about moral distress and its consequences, establishing periodic consultations, and making some organizational arrangement may play an important role in the identification and management of moral distress and

  2. Glocal spirituality for a brave new world

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antoon Geels

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Spirituality, as it is presented in this article, can serve as an antidote to an all too disrespectful attitude towards our fellow human beings, towards life in general. Spirituality might unite a greater part of the world in the battle for survival. Our world, Gaia, is threatened, as we all know. Apart from the usual disasters as seemingly never-ending wars and conflicts we now also have to confront global threats such as climate changes, global pollution, and food distribution problems. In such a world everything has to be done in order to promote the fundamental idea that we only have one planet and one humanity.Spirituality addresses such issues. The purpose of this paper is to show that people who express the view that they are ‘spiritual, not religious’, people belonging to what can be called the new spirituality, despite their aversion to institutionalized religion never­theless exhibit elements in their belief-systems that are closely related to the great mystical traditions in world religion. These common denominators are, a good ground for dialogue. When theologians from especially the theistic traditions more often than not search for differences, mystics and representatives for the new spirituality are more inclined to find commonalities. At a time when elements of traditional Christianity such as the belief in a transcendent God show signs of being in decline, there seems to be an increasing interest in the predominant mystical and panentheistic view of God, stating that God is both immanent and transcendent.

  3. Religious and Spiritual Education in Disability Situations in Italy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friso, Valeria; Caldin, Roberta

    2014-01-01

    In this short article, the authors focus on religious and spiritual education's potential to offer social and spiritual inclusion for students with a disability. They take the view that the religious and spiritual education teacher in such situations is positioned better when seeing such teaching as a special vocation. They use Italy as the case…

  4. Race, Religion, and Spirituality for Asian American Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Julie J.; Dizon, Jude Paul Matias

    2017-01-01

    This chapter describes how race, ethnicity, religion, and spirituality uniquely interact for Asian American college students, including a discussion of the diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds of this population.

  5. The Role of Social Workers in Spiritual Care to Facilitate Coping With Chronic Illness and Self-Determination in Advance Care Planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Francoeur, Richard B; Burke, Nancy; Wilson, Alicia M

    2016-01-01

    Spiritual values and beliefs of patients and families influence resilience during chronic illness and shape patient choices during advance care planning. The spiritual needs of Baby Boomers will be more diverse than previous generations, in connection with the questioning, experimental mind-set of this group and the fact that it includes a higher proportion of immigrant populations outside the Judeo-Christian tradition. Social workers are trained explicitly to intervene with diverse populations and are well positioned to offer spiritual support in ways that do not necessarily conform to traditional religions. To the extent of their individual expertise and competence, social workers should assess and provide spiritual care to clients, including those who either are underserved or prefer not to seek assistance from clergy or chaplains because they feel alienated from religious institutions and representatives. They should also be aware of ethical dilemmas in consulting with spiritual care professionals in developing spiritual interventions. Social work education should address clients' humanistic and existential concerns, beliefs and behaviors of the major religions, and forms of nontraditional religious and spiritual experiences; it should also provide experiential opportunities for engaging with grief and earlier advance care planning. There should be attention to different theodical perspectives of the major religions regarding the problem of good and evil, which may preoccupy even clients who no longer participate in organized religion, because these unresolved existential issues may weaken client coping with chronic conditions and may diminish clarity and self-awareness for engaging authentically and effectively in advance care planning.

  6. Workplace Spirituality, Computer Self-Efficacy And Emotional ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    There should therefore, be an ongoing facilitation of self-development for lecturers through opportunities for computer skills acquisition, role identification and role performance to manage emotional labour and the cold fact that spirituality is a key player in human functioning. Keywords: Workplace Spirituality, Computer ...

  7. Why the cognitive science of religion cannot rescue 'spiritual care'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paley, John

    2015-10-01

    Peter Kevern believes that the cognitive science of religion (CSR) provides a justification for the idea of spiritual care in the health services. In this paper, I suggest that he is mistaken on two counts. First, CSR does not entail the conclusions Kevern wants to draw. His treatment of it consists largely of nonsequiturs. I show this by presenting an account of CSR, and then explaining why Kevern's reasons for thinking it rescues 'spirituality' discourse do not work. Second, the debate about spirituality-in-health is about classification: what shall count as a 'spiritual need' and what shall count as 'spiritual care'. It is about the politics of meaning, an exercise in persuasive definition. The function of 'spirituality' talk in health care is to change the denotation of 'spiritual', and attach its indelibly religious connotations to as many health-related concepts and practices as possible. CSR, however plausible it may be as a theory of the origins and pervasiveness of religious belief, is irrelevant to this debate. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Spirituality in business: Sparks from the Anvil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Mahadevan

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The economic crises in the recent past have led to a renewed interest in exploring the role of spirituality in business management. However there are several challenges in understanding what “spirituality” means in an operational sense of business management. This article first traces the research in the area of spirituality as applied to business and in the second part, reports on the beliefs of Suresh B. Hundre, Chairman and MD of Polyhydron Pvt. Ltd, Belgaum, India, as practised in Polyhydron, a company known for its ethical management, and where the concept of “Business Ashrama” integrates spirituality into business.

  9. Vulnerability to alcohol consumption, spiritual transcendence and psychosocial well-being: test of a theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luz Patricia Díaz Heredia

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective: to demonstrate the relations among vulnerability, self-transcendence and well-being in the young adult population and the effect of each of these variables on the adoption of low-risk consumption conducts. Method: quantitative and cross-sectional correlation study using structural equations analysis to test the relation among the variables. Results: an inverse relation was evidenced between vulnerability to alcohol consumption and spiritual transcendence (β-0.123, p 0.025 and a direct positive relation between spiritual transcendence and psychosocial well-being (β 0.482, p 0.000. Conclusions: the relations among the variables spiritual transcendence, vulnerability to alcohol consumption and psychosocial well-being, based on Reed's Theory, are confirmed in the population group of young college students, concluding that psychosocial well-being can be achieved when spiritual transcendence is enhanced, as the vulnerability to alcohol consumption drops.

  10. Why Conduct a Spiritual Assessment? A Theoretical Foundation for Assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David R. Hodge

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available In spite of increased interest in spirituality, the concept of a spiritual assessment remains a questionable practice in the eyes of many social workers. This paper develops five rationales to underscore the importance of including spirituality in assessment. These reasons can be summarized as follows: spiritual assessment provides insight into clients’ world views, serves as a vehicle to identify strengths, and demonstrates respect for client autonomy. In addition, the profession’s ethics implicitly recommend the administration of a spiritual assessment and, for a growing number of accrediting organizations and agencies, it is explicitly recommended.This paper concludes by discussing the implications for practitioners and educators.

  11. Spirituality and Older Adults: Ethical Guidelines to Enhance Service Provision

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David R. Hodge

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Spirituality plays an important role in the lives of many older adults. Consequently, it is not surprising that gerontological social workers frequently engage spirituality in practice settings. The paucity of training gerontological workers have received on this topic, however, is a cause for concern. To help equip workers, three ethical principles are proposed to guide interactions in the area of spirituality. These principles can be summarized as: 1 client autonomy, 2 spiritual competence, and 3 professional competence. The application of these principles in practice settings will enhance the ability of gerontological social workers to interact with older adults’ spirituality in a professional and ethical manner.

  12. Stress Management: Spirituality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Healthy Lifestyle Stress management Taking the path less traveled by exploring your spirituality can lead to a clearer life purpose, better personal relationships and enhanced stress management skills. By Mayo Clinic Staff Some stress relief ...

  13. Factor Structure of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality in US and Indian Samples with Traumatic Brain Injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnstone, Brick; Bhushan, Braj; Hanks, Robin; Yoon, Dong Pil; Cohen, Daniel

    2016-04-01

    The aim of this paper was to determine the factor structure of the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) based on a sample of individuals from diverse cultures (i.e., USA, India), ethnicities (i.e., Caucasian, African-American, South Asian), and religions (i.e., Christian, Muslim, Hindu). A total of 109 individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) were included. Participants completed the BMMRS as part of a broader study on spirituality, religion, prosocial behaviors, and neuropsychological function. A principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation and Kaiser normalization identified a six-factor solution accounting for 72% of the variance in scores. Five of the factors were deemed to be interpretable and were labeled based on face validity as: (1) Positive Spirituality/Religious Practices; (2) Positive Congregational Support; (3) Negative Spirituality/Negative Congregational Support; (4) Organizational Religion; and (5) Forgiveness. The results were generally consistent with previous studies, suggesting the existence of universal religious, spiritual, and congregational support factors across different cultures and faith traditions. For health outcomes research, it is suggested that the BMMRS factors may be best conceptualized as measuring the following general domains: (a) emotional connectedness with a higher power (i.e., spirituality, positive/negative); (b) culturally based behavioral practices (i.e., religion); and (c) social support (i.e., positive/negative). The results indicate that factor relationships may differ among spiritual, religious, and congregational support variables according to culture and/or religious tradition.

  14. Cyber bullying: Child and youth spirituality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anastasia Apostolides

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Digital culture is part of children’s and adolescents’ everyday lives. Digital culture has both positive and negative consequences. One such negative consequence is cyber violence that has been termed cyber bullying. Cyber bullying can cause serious emotional, behavioural and academic problems for both the victim and the bully. Although there is ongoing research on the effects of cyber bullying on children and youth in South Africa, no research has been carried out on how children’s and youth’s spirituality may be affected when they are cyber bullied. This article discusses the accumulative results from different South African institutes that have researched the cyber bullying effects on children and adolescents. These results point to the spiritual effects that children and youth may experience as a result of cyber bullying. This article proposes that spirituality may prevent cyber bullying and even help children and youth heal from the trauma caused by cyber bullying. This article contributes in starting a conversation that may result in more specific research being done on how the spiritual lives of children and adolescents may be affected through the trauma caused by cyber bullying.

  15. 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.

  16. 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

  17. 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...

  18. Postmodern spirituality and the culture of individualism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dominika Motak

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, the thesis about a fundamental shift in Western religiosity has become increasingly prominent in the scientific study of religion. Many new phenomena of today’s religious scene are seen as the manifestation of a resacralization/re-enchantment of the world, or even of spirituality/a spiritual revolution. The new religious world view that is taking shape presupposes an essential oneness of microcosm and macrocosm and a presence of the divine in man and in the world. The radical distinction between the temporal and supernatural worlds disappears, which seems to herald the advent of a new type of spirituality based on the idea of immanence. This new ‘all-inclusive spirituality’ has many forms of expression and is concerned with ‘the sacredness of life, nature and the universe’ and ‘all pathways that lead to meaning and purpose’. This ‘subjective turn’ means ‘a turn away from life lived in terms of external or “objective” roles, duties and obligations, and a turn towards life lived by reference to one’s own subjective experiences (relational as much as individualistic’. All the above-mentioned explanatory frameworks to a certain extent employ the concept of individualization.This presentation examines the the concept of individualization as an approach for the understanding of today’s religious scene.

  19. Integrating Spiritual Care into a Baccalaureate Nursing Program in Mainland China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Hua; Porr, Caroline

    2014-09-01

    Holistic nursing care takes into account individual, family, community and population well-being. At the level of individual well-being, the nurse considers biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors. However, in Mainland China spiritual factors are not well understood by nursing students. And accordingly, nursing faculty and students are reluctant to broach the topic of spirituality because it is either unknown to students or students believe that the provision of spiritual care is beyond their capabilities. We wonder then, what can we do as nurse educators to integrate spiritual care into a baccalaureate nursing program in Mainland China? The purpose of this article is to propose the integration of Chinese sociocultural traditions (namely religious/spiritual practices) into undergraduate nursing curricula as a means to enter into dialogue about spiritual well-being, to promote spiritual care; and to fulfill the requirements of holistic nursing care. However, prior to discussing recommendations, an overview of the cultural context is in order. Thus, this article is constructed as follows: first, the complexity of Chinese society is briefly described; second, the historical evolution of nursing education in Mainland China is presented; and, third, strategies to integrate Chinese religious/spiritual practices into curricula are proposed. © The Author(s) 2014.

  20. Spirituality, religiosity, aging and health in global perspective: A review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zachary Zimmer

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Persistent population aging worldwide is focusing attention on modifiable factors that can improve later life health. There is evidence that religiosity and spirituality are among such factors. Older people tend to have high rates of involvement in religious and/or spiritual endeavors and it is possible that population aging will be associated with increasing prevalence of religious and spiritual activity worldwide. Despite increasing research on religiosity, spirituality and health among older persons, population aging worldwide suggests the need for a globally integrated approach. As a step toward this, we review a subset of the literature on the impact of religiosity and spirituality on health in later life. We find that much of this has looked at the relationship between religiosity/spirituality and longevity as well as physical and mental health. Mechanisms include social support, health behaviors, stress and psychosocial factors. We identify a number of gaps in current knowledge. Many previous studies have taken place in the U.S. and Europe. Much data is cross-sectional, limiting ability to make causal inference. Religiosity and spirituality can be difficult to define and distinguish and the two concepts are often considered together, though on balance religiosity has received more attention than spirituality. The latter may however be equally important. Although there is evidence that religiosity is associated with longer life and better physical and mental health, these outcomes have been investigated separately rather than together such as in measures of health expectancy. In conclusion, there is a need for a unified and nuanced approach to understanding how religiosity and spirituality impact on health and longevity within a context of global aging, in particular whether they result in longer healthy life rather than just longer life. Keywords: Aging, Global aging, Health expectancy, Older adults, Mindfulness, Mortality, Religion

  1. AN EMBODIED SPIRITUALITY: PERSPECTIVES FOR A BODILY ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    One of the images portrayed is that of a praying man holding his heart in ... a further trichotomy between body, soul and spirit, while others only viewed the spiritual ... are characterized by a capacity for self-transcendence toward ultimate value ... emphasis in an embodied pastoral anthropology on spiritual consciousness,.

  2. On the Spiritual Element in Arts Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbs, Peter

    1995-01-01

    Attempts a redefinition of spirituality and an incorporation of this into art education. Argues that symbolic and spiritual consciousness plays a crucial role in the works of artists as disparate as William Blake and Frida Kahlo. Criticizes the preeminence of scientific theory as a modern belief system. (MJP)

  3. Secular spirituality versus secular dualism: Towards postsecular ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The term “secular spirituality” is meant to convey the contemporary phenomenon of spirituality as experienced in different spheres not associated with structured, institutionalised religion. An outline is given of the relation between secular reality (the natural realm) and religious/spiritual reality (the supernatural realm), as it ...

  4. Spirituality Moderates Hopelessness, Depression, and Suicidal Behavior among Malaysian Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talib, Mansor Abu; Abdollahi, Abbas

    2017-06-01

    Suicide is an important public health problem for adolescents, and it is essential to increase our knowledge concerning the etiology of suicide among adolescent students. Therefore, this study was designed to examine the associations between hopelessness, depression, spirituality, and suicidal behavior, and to examine spirituality as a moderator between hopelessness, depression, and suicidal behavior among 1376 Malaysian adolescent students. The participants completed measures of depression, hopelessness, daily spiritual experience, and suicidal behavior. Structural equation modeling indicated that adolescent students high in hopelessness and depression, but also high in spirituality, had less suicidal behavior than others. These findings reinforce the importance of spirituality as a protective factor against hopelessness, depression, and suicidal behavior among Malaysian adolescent students.

  5. Integrating Religion and Spirituality into Counselor Education: Barriers and Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Christopher M.; Puig, Ana; Baggs, Adrienne; Wolf, Cheryl Pence

    2015-01-01

    Despite a professionally recognized need for training in religion/spirituality, literature indicates that religious and spirituality issues continue to be inconsistently addressed in counselor education. Ten experts were asked to identify potential barriers to integrating religion and spirituality into counselor education and indicate strategies…

  6. Embodied Spirituality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trousdale, Ann

    2013-01-01

    This article explores the concept of embodied spirituality from early Celtic traditions through the British medieval mystic Julian of Norwich to the present day. A "high theology" of the body in early Christianity and early Christian understandings of the relation among body, soul and spirit gave way to the influences of Greek thought with its…

  7. Role of Religiousness/Spirituality in Resilience of Fisheries College Cadets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sri W Rahmawati

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Experts agree that resilience involves internal factors and external factors. In addition to those two factors, religious beliefs, spirituality and the capacity to give a meaning to the traumatic event, it is also discussed as a factor involved in the development of resilience. A number of researchers explore their findings to see the relationships between religiousness/ spirituality and resilience. People experiencing emptiness of spiritual, increasingly awareness of the importance of the involvement of religion/spiritual in solving problems, but it’s increasingly depletion due to exposure to materialistic life. This research is conducted to see the influence of religiousness/spirituality on resilience occuring among college students. The results showed that the following dimensions are related to the increasing resilience of a person: daily experience of human spiritual, beliefs/values, willingness to forgive, and the worship of religious activities as well as evaluating a person's level of religiousness. Discussion and implication of the research results are included.

  8. Through a spiritual lens: early childhood inclusive education in Hong Kong.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Kaili Chen

    2014-12-01

    The main purpose of this research was to explore early childhood education teachers', principals', and parents' perceptions of the role of spirituality in the lives of children with special needs, and how educators and schools can support the spiritual development of these children. Three preschools, the Buddhist, Christian, and Waldorf schools, were purposefully selected on the basis that each of them reflects a philosophy that includes the spiritual. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) the influence of the schools' religion and/or spiritual orientations on inclusion; (b) support provided for the spiritual development of children with special needs; and (c) the role of spirituality in the lives of children with special needs. By drawing attention to and offering a preliminary study on early childhood inclusion and spirituality, I hope to encourage more scholars and educators to engage with research and debate on this important yet under-studied dimension of early childhood education.

  9. Influence of religiosity and spiritual coping on health-related quality of life in Saudi haemodialysis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz, Jonas Preposi; Colet, Paolo C; Alquwez, Nahed; Inocian, Ergie P; Al-Otaibi, Raid Salman; Islam, Sheikh Mohammed Shariful

    2017-01-01

    Patients undergoing haemodialysis (HD) are frequently troubled by psychiatric disorders and coping problems, which can pose a serious threat to their physical and mental well-being. Using religious and spiritual interventions as a means of coping with physical and mental challenges is widely recognized. Although this topic has been well studied, in the Middle East regions, where Islam is the dominant religion, studies are limited. Thus, this study was performed to explore the influence of religiosity and spiritual coping (SC) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of Saudi patients receiving HD. A total of 168 HD patients from three hospitals in Saudi Arabia formed a convenient sample for this descriptive, cross-sectional hospital-based study. Data collection was done via questionnaire-guided interviews using the Muslim Religious Index as well as the Arabic Versions of the Spiritual Coping Strategies scale and Quality of Life Index Dialysis. Regression analysis enabled identification of the factors influencing HRQoL. Older patients were found to reveal higher levels of religiosity, whereas the younger ones expressed a lesser degree of religious and nonreligious coping. Unemployed patients reported greater involvement in religious practices (RP) and more frequently used religious coping than those employed. The latter showed lower intrinsic religiosity and nonreligious coping usage than the unemployed. The respondents reported the greatest satisfaction scores on their psychological/spiritual dimension and the least scores on the social and economic dimension. Therefore, the factors that could influence the HRQoL of the respondents were identified as involvement in RP, intrinsic religious beliefs, religious coping usage and age. This study revealed significant findings regarding the importance of religiosity and SC on the HRQoL of the Saudi HD patients. Therefore, it has been highly recommended to integrate religiosity into the health-care process for such

  10. Workplace spirituality in health care: an integrated review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pirkola, Heidi; Rantakokko, Piia; Suhonen, Marjo

    2016-10-01

    The aim is to describe workplace spirituality as a concept and phenomenon in health care and to explore the points of view from which it has been studied in nursing. Personnel in nursing are ageing and recruitment is challenging; workplace spirituality might benefit both employees and organisations. Workplace spirituality has three levels - individual, group and organisational - and presents different components at each level. An integrated literature search identified 632 studies; after screening for relevance and quality, we identified eight peer-reviewed articles. The data were analysed with qualitative content analysis. Workplace spirituality in nursing is mostly defined and researched from the individual viewpoint. The definition includes dimensions of inner life, meaningful work, interconnectedness, transcendence and alignment between values. A sense of community and meaningful work are the most important dimensions of workplace spirituality in health care. Group and organisational levels of workplace spirituality are the most important and still the least studied. Research is concentrated in Canada and Asia; more research in Europe is needed. Nurse managers can enhance workplace spirituality by contributing to organisational culture and emphasising teamwork. This requires more education and training in workplace spirituality. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. 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.

  12. Culture and spirituality: essential components of palliative care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speck, Peter

    2016-06-01

    Palliative care advocates a holistic, multiprofessional approach to the care of people with life-threatening disease. In addition to the control of physical symptoms attention should also be paid to psychosocial, cultural and spiritual aspects of the patient's experience of illness. Guidance documents and research evidence reflect the complexity of the patient's journey and the need to regularly assess these areas of need over time. Cultural background can shape how patients respond to life-threatening illness, as can the beliefs held by the patients, whether religious or more broadly spiritual. Research evidence shows the importance of identifying and addressing cultural and spiritual aspects of care held by patients, families and staff. These are often neglected in clinical practice due to the focus on biomedical concerns and staff discomfort in engaging with beliefs and culture. Recent studies have highlighted gaps in the research, and some methodological difficulties and indicate many patients welcome healthcare staff enquiring about the importance of their beliefs and culture. Identifying research priorities is necessary to guide future research and strengthen the evidence base. 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/

  13. Nurturing the Spiritual Well-Being of Children with Special Needs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Kaili Chen; Wu, Deirdra I-Hwey

    2012-01-01

    Spirituality is of acknowledged and profound importance to children from mainstream school populations, but has been overlooked in respect of children with special needs. This article explores the issues related to spirituality and disabilities, and the relationship between spirituality and education for students with special needs. The following…

  14. Integrating Spirituality into Counselling and Psychotherapy: Theoretical and Clinical Perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniels, Carla; Fitzpatrick, Marilyn

    2013-01-01

    In recent decades, spirituality has become a prominent focus of psychological inquiry. As research begins to elucidate the role of spiritual beliefs and behaviours in mental health and the influences of spirituality in psychotherapy, developing therapist competency in this domain has increased in importance. This article will first situate…

  15. Spirituality and caring in old age and the significance of religion - a hermeneutical study from Norway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rykkje, Linda L R; Eriksson, Katie; Raholm, Maj-Britt

    2013-06-01

    Spirituality is an important part of caring for the whole human being. However, there is lack of consensus about the concept parameter, and there is an ongoing discussion in nursing regarding the relation between religion and spirituality. Spirituality and religion is found to support health and well-being in old age, and this article portrays how older Norwegians understand religion and religious support as part of spirituality and caring. The theoretical framework in this study is Eriksson's caritative caring theory, and the research aim is to broaden the understanding of spirituality from a caring science perspective. The methodology is hermeneutical according to Gadamer. The study is based upon qualitative content analysis of 30 interviews with 17 participants above 74 years, six men and 11 women. The findings portray connectedness with a Higher power, including how Christianity has influenced upon the philosophy of life of the participants, wonders about the end of life/afterlife, and the meaning of religious symbols and rituals. The study also portrays how religious support may foster dignity, especially near the end of life, and experiences and opinions regarding support from nursing personnel. The study concludes that religiousness cannot be separated from spirituality, and that nurses should be able to provide spiritual care to a certain extent. Spiritual care including religious support according to patients' desires may foster health and preserve human dignity. © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  16. Spiritually journeying through illness: default or devoted God?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilder, Mary

    2010-01-01

    Nurses have the opportunity to companion patients on their spiritual journey during illness. The author, a nurse and spiritual director, relays the use of Ignatian Contemplation to help a friend journeying through the experience of renal carcinoma.

  17. Spirituality at the workplace and its role on organizational justice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamshid Salehi Sadaghiani

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Spirituality and ethics play important roles in bringing justice for many business units. During the past few years, there has been growing concern on thinking about profitability without considering other aspects such as spirituality. The infamous Enron incident has been a crystal clear of a case of thinking just on short-term profitability without considering other ethical issues. Spirituality helps organizations create ethical values, responsibility and job satisfaction among workers and these issues could increase business competitive advantages. In this paper, we study the impact of spirituality on different levels of individual, workspace and organizational for a real-world case study. The survey results of this paper indicate that spirituality could significantly impact the organization in different levels.

  18. Disembodied Spirituality: Conflicts in the Writing Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Peggy; Mutschelknaus, Mike

    Noting that at Saint Mary's University (where the authors teach) the issue of spirituality is in the forefront of education and is seamlessly woven into required courses throughout four years of college in an attempt to "enhance students' spiritual and personal lives," this paper positions writing centers as a place for student inquiries…

  19. Religion, Spirituality, and Sport: From "Religio Athletae" toward "Spiritus Athletae"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jirásek, Ivo

    2015-01-01

    We are living in a time of increasing interest in the religious and spiritual aspects of sport and human movement activities. A strict distinction between religion and spirituality is, however, still missing in much of the literature. After delimiting religious and spiritual modes of experience, this article addresses Coubertin's "religio…

  20. Positive emotions, spirituality and the practice of psychiatry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaillant, George E

    2008-01-01

    THIS PAPER PROPOSES THAT EIGHT POSITIVE EMOTIONS: awe, love (attachment), trust (faith), compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, joy and hope constitute what we mean by spirituality. These emotions have been grossly ignored by psychiatry. The two sciences that I shall employ to demonstrate this definition of spirituality will be ethology and neuroscience. They are both very new. I will argue that spirituality is not about ideas, sacred texts and theology; rather, spirituality is all about emotion and social connection.Specific religions, for all their limitations, are often the portal through which positive emotions are brought into conscious attention. Neither Freud nor psychiatric textbooks ever mention emotions like joy and gratitude. Hymns and psalms give these emotions pride of place. Our whole concept of psychotherapy might change if clinicians set about enhancing positive emotions rather than focusing only on negative emotions.

  1. Spiritual Intelligence and Transformational Leadership: A New Theoretical Framework

    OpenAIRE

    Stephen R. White; Precious Guramatunhu-Mudiwa; Barbara B. Howard

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to establish a connection between spiritual intelligence and transformational leadership in an effort to encourage further debate about the legitimacy of spiritual intelligence in educational discourse. In this context we define spiritual intelligence as an interconnected configuration of affective orientations intimately linked to create meaning through connecting ideas, events, and persons rather than to a specific religious tradition or orientation. An explorat...

  2. NANOPARTICLE OF FAITH ON NURSES INTERVENTIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula Soares Encarnação

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The World Health Organization, in recent years has stimulated the development of research studies that have positive implications for the quality of people's health, such as spirituality. This topic discusses the concept of faith as an expression of human spirituality; develops the idea of faith as a “nanoparticle” that can be used in nursing care as an intervention to promote people’s health, and explore the contribution to education in Nursing. Given these findings it is concluded that nurses should require training and develop research studies that demonstrate faith as a protective factor and a health promoter with salutogenic effects in the Portuguese context.

  3. Vulnerability to alcohol consumption, spiritual transcendence and psychosocial well-being: test of a theory 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heredia, Luz Patricia Díaz; Sanchez, Alba Idaly Muñoz

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Objective: to demonstrate the relations among vulnerability, self-transcendence and well-being in the young adult population and the effect of each of these variables on the adoption of low-risk consumption conducts. Method: quantitative and cross-sectional correlation study using structural equations analysis to test the relation among the variables. Results: an inverse relation was evidenced between vulnerability to alcohol consumption and spiritual transcendence (β-0.123, p 0.025) and a direct positive relation between spiritual transcendence and psychosocial well-being (β 0.482, p 0.000). Conclusions: the relations among the variables spiritual transcendence, vulnerability to alcohol consumption and psychosocial well-being, based on Reed's Theory, are confirmed in the population group of young college students, concluding that psychosocial well-being can be achieved when spiritual transcendence is enhanced, as the vulnerability to alcohol consumption drops. PMID:27276017

  4. Defining Spirituality: Critical Implications for the Practice and Research of Educational Leadership

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hafner, Madeline M.; Capper, Colleen A.

    2005-01-01

    This essay problematizes the current discourses on spirituality and leadership, particularly in terms of how spirituality is defined. To this end, the authors provide a brief overview of the different definitions of spirituality as explicated in the literature on spirituality and leadership, identify the underlying epistemologies of these…

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. Spiritual care in the training of hospice volunteers in Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gratz, Margit; Paal, Piret; Emmelmann, Moritz; Roser, Traugott

    2016-10-01

    Hospice volunteers often encounter questions related to spirituality. It is unknown whether spiritual care receives a corresponding level of attention in their training. Our survey investigated the current practice of spiritual care training in Germany. An online survey sent to 1,332 hospice homecare services for adults in Germany was conducted during the summer of 2012. We employed the SPSS 21 software package for statistical evaluation. All training programs included self-reflection on personal spirituality as obligatory. The definitions of spirituality used in programs differ considerably. The task of defining training objectives is randomly delegated to a supervisor, a trainer, or to the governing organization. More than half the institutions work in conjunction with an external trainer. These external trainers frequently have professional backgrounds in pastoral care/theology and/or in hospice/palliative care. While spiritual care receives great attention, the specific tasks it entails are rarely discussed. The response rate for our study was 25.0% (n = 332). A need exists to develop training concepts that outline distinct contents, methods, and objectives. A prospective curriculum would have to provide assistance in the development of training programs. Moreover, it would need to be adaptable to the various concepts of spiritual care employed by the respective institutions and their hospice volunteers.

  8. Enhancing Road Safety Behaviour Using a Psychological and Spiritual Approaches

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghous Mohd Tarmizi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Main causes of accident is due to driver itself that is influenced by their bad attitude while driving. Human attitude is closely related to the human psychology. Apart from that, spiritual aspect also influence human attitude. Hence, this study carried out to improve driver safety using a new approach through psychology and spiritual factors. Objectives of this study are to identify then analyze factors of psychological and spiritual that contribute towards safety driving. A self-administered questionnaire were distributed among 256 respondents from various type of background. An analysis descriptive statistics show demographic and experience of respondents. Chi-square analysis showed only education level and traffic summon are significant to safety driving. Furthermore, correlation analysis shows psychological factors has strong linear relationship on attitude of drivers towards safety driving while spiritual factor, the perception of the spiritual and practices, both have a strong relationship to safety driving. Regression analysis demonstrates boths psychological and spiritual factors have strong evidence and significant relationship with safety driving. Thus, it can be identified that spiritual psychological factors encourage drivers to drive more safely and reduce road accidents. Therefore, this study propose useful guidelines to related agencies in order to enhance safety among drivers to be able drive safely on the road.

  9. Spirituality among College Freshmen: Relationships To Self-Esteem, Body Image, and Stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayman, Jessie Wetherbe; Kurpius, Sharon Robinson; Befort, Christy; Nicpon, Megan Foley; Hull-Blanks, Elva; Sollenberger, Sonja; Huser, Laura

    2007-01-01

    The authors investigated the relationships between spirituality, body image, self-esteem, and stress in 204 college freshmen who identified themselves as being highly spiritual. A positive relationship was found between spirituality and self-esteem. Although self-esteem was found to be negatively related to stress, spirituality served as a buffer…

  10. Spiritual and religious aspects of skin and skin disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shenefelt PD

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Philip D Shenefelt,1 Debrah A Shenefelt2 1Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa, 2Congregation Or Ahavah, Lutz, FL, USA Abstract: Skin and skin disorders have had spiritual aspects since ancient times. Skin, hair, and nails are visible to self and others, and touchable by self and others. The skin is a major sensory organ. Skin also expresses emotions detectable by others through pallor, coldness, "goose bumps", redness, warmth, or sweating. Spiritual and religious significances of skin are revealed through how much of the skin has been and continues to be covered with what types of coverings, scalp and beard hair cutting, shaving and styling, skin, nail, and hair coloring and decorating, tattooing, and intentional scarring of skin. Persons with visible skin disorders have often been stigmatized or even treated as outcasts. Shamans and other spiritual and religious healers have brought about healing of skin disorders through spiritual means. Spiritual and religious interactions with various skin disorders such as psoriasis, leprosy, and vitiligo are discussed. Religious aspects of skin and skin diseases are evaluated for several major religions, with a special focus on Judaism, both conventional and kabbalistic. Keywords: skin, skin disorders, spiritual, religious

  11. 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

  12. 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.

  13. Nursing textbooks need to inform about spirituality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-09-21

    Considering the spiritual needs of patients is an important aspect of holistic patient care. However, many nurses lack knowledge and awareness of the subject, and spirituality is not strongly featured as a key part of holistic care in core nursing textbooks. The author argues that guidance given by nursing textbooks needs to be more applicable to practice.

  14. Spirituality: An Affective Facet for Curriculum Consideration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickmann, Leonore W.

    1980-01-01

    The current age has been characterized as an Age of Materialism in which personal goals are material aims and pleasures. The need for getting back to a spiritual culture is considered foundational. It is the duty of educators to provide for the spiritual or affective domain of a learner's development. To neglect this aspect of a person's being is…

  15. Selecting the Best Version of SHALOM to Assess Spiritual Well-Being

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Fisher

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper extends the reporting of contemporary use of the Spiritual Health and Life-Orientation Measure (SHALOM, which provides flexibility to researchers, enabling them to choose the version of the instrument that best suits the cohort under investigation. SHALOM was built on a solid theoretical foundation, provided by the Four Domains Model of Spiritual Health/Well-Being. It comprises 20 items that assess spiritual well-being, as reflected in the quality of relationships that each person has with themselves, others, the environment, and/or with God. Summary results are reported from 30 recent studies. SHALOM provides a unique form of assessment that is statistically stronger than just assessing lived experiences, in that spiritual harmony/dissonance is studied by comparing each person’s “lived experiences” with her/his “ideals” for spiritual well-being. SHALOM has been sought for use with hundreds of studies in 29 languages, in education, healthcare and wider community. A generic form of SHALOM was developed to expand the Transcendental domain to include more than God. However, recent studies have shown that relating with God is most important for spiritual well-being. The best version of SHALOM to assess spiritual well-being depends on the needs of the clients/participants and the project goals of the researcher. This will involve a selection between the original form of Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire-SHALOM for comparison with other measures and investigation of characteristics influencing spiritual well-being; or the dissonance method for spiritual care; and either the original or the generic version of SHALOM for use with non-religious/secular participants.

  16. Spirituality, religiosity, aging and health in global perspective: A review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zimmer, Zachary; Jagger, Carol; Chiu, Chi-Tsun; Ofstedal, Mary Beth; Rojo, Florencia; Saito, Yasuhiko

    2016-12-01

    Persistent population aging worldwide is focusing attention on modifiable factors that can improve later life health. There is evidence that religiosity and spirituality are among such factors. Older people tend to have high rates of involvement in religious and/or spiritual endeavors and it is possible that population aging will be associated with increasing prevalence of religious and spiritual activity worldwide. Despite increasing research on religiosity, spirituality and health among older persons, population aging worldwide suggests the need for a globally integrated approach. As a step toward this, we review a subset of the literature on the impact of religiosity and spirituality on health in later life. We find that much of this has looked at the relationship between religiosity/spirituality and longevity as well as physical and mental health. Mechanisms include social support, health behaviors, stress and psychosocial factors. We identify a number of gaps in current knowledge. Many previous studies have taken place in the U.S. and Europe. Much data is cross-sectional, limiting ability to make causal inference. Religiosity and spirituality can be difficult to define and distinguish and the two concepts are often considered together, though on balance religiosity has received more attention than spirituality. The latter may however be equally important. Although there is evidence that religiosity is associated with longer life and better physical and mental health, these outcomes have been investigated separately rather than together such as in measures of health expectancy. In conclusion, there is a need for a unified and nuanced approach to understanding how religiosity and spirituality impact on health and longevity within a context of global aging, in particular whether they result in longer healthy life rather than just longer life.

  17. Contemporary environmentalism as a current of spiritual post-secular practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Wickström

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Contemporary spirituality often bears the stamp of an eco-discourse. It is characteristic of post-spiritual practices that there is a blurring of the boundaries between the sacred and profane and in this sphere, influenced by the eco-consciousness, nature and the body can be sacralised. In this article the author looks into environmentalism as a current in spirituality. First spirituality as a concept is discussed. Second follows a section on aspects of contemporary environmentalism, dealing with new social movements, new identity and the main directions of environmentalism. After that, the distinction between environmentally motivated spirituality and spir­itually motivated environmentalism is presented. At the end there is a short discussion of post-secular issues concerning environmentalism. Worldviews are no longer necessarily either religious or secular, but may also combine elements of rational secularity with enchanted spirituality. The blurring of the boundaries between secular and religious views and motives occur, as well as the separation of mind and body, rationality and belief, and human and nature.

  18. Spirituality in end-of-life care: attending the person on their journey.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Hayden, Deborah

    2011-11-01

    Spirituality is a fundamental element to the human experience of health and healing, illness and dying. Spiritual care is an essential component of palliative and end-of-life care provision and is the responsibility of all staff and carers involved in the care of patients and families. As end-of-life care is a significant element of community nursing, this article explores the relevancy of spirituality to end-of-life practice, the challenge of defining spirituality and the attributes and skills required for the practice of spiritual care. The aim of is to encourage self reflection and open dialogue about the subject, thus enhancing community nurses\\' understanding of spiritual care practice. By reflecting and generating talk about the practice of spiritual care, it may become more normalized, recognized, and practically meaningful, thereby retaining its significance in holistic nursing.

  19. Exploring Spiritual Beliefs in Relation to Adlerian Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polanski, Patricia J.

    2002-01-01

    This article describes one counselor's exploration of her spiritual beliefs in relation to Adler's theory of counseling and human development in an effort to move toward ideological consistency and to enhance competence in addressing spiritual dimensions of clients' development. (Contains 34 references.) (GCP)

  20. 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.