This article introduces the concept of spirituality in mental healthcare and its relevance to practice. It uses a short case study as an example from practice using Borton’s (1970) framework. After this, an analysis of recent literature discusses gaps in spiritual care provision from the perspectives of service users and nurses. The author offers recommendations to improve spiritual care at different levels of mental healthcare, with examples of successful implementation from different NHS trusts.
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Spirituality in Clinical Practice4.1 (Mar 2017): 1-21.
The aim of the current investigation was to explore potential subtypes of depressive symptomatology from a phenomenological vantage point, focusing on dimensions of spirituality, positive human functioning, and character strengths. The study examines distinct presentational depressive symptom profiles in light of recent research on developmental depression—defined as depressive symptomatology that may characterize periods of major spiritual development, life transition, existential upheaval, and personal growth. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
The Dewnans Centre at Langdon has recently opened its new Reflection Room in the Therapies corridor.
John Enever, one of the chaplains at Langdon, said: "We felt it was important for patients to have a place to just sit and reflect, away from the normal activities of the hospital; a place that is private but not exclusive.
Journal of Counseling Psychology64.3 (Apr 2017): 302-309.
Although positive religious coping is generally viewed as an adaptive, functional coping pattern, some studies have actually found positive religious coping to be associated with more distress in military populations. In the current study, we examined the role of positive religious coping on distress across 2 time points. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Altered self-experiences arise in certain psychiatric conditions, and may be induced by psychoactive drugs and spiritual/religious practices. Recently, a neuroscience of self-experience has begun to crystallise, drawing upon findings from functional neuroimaging and altered states of consciousness occasioned by psychedelic drugs. This advance may be of great importance for psychiatry. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality9.1 (Feb 2017): 21-33.
The current study espouses an alternative methodology using an ideologically diverse sample of 4,667 respondents who reported their spirituality levels (i.e., the extent one lives in accordance with one’s self-defined spiritual values) and their mental health levels. The sample predominately included agnostic, atheist, Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, and spiritual nonreligious participants. Multigroup analyses within structural equation models revealed that spirituality held a large relationship strength with mental health for both religious and secular forms of spirituality, even with multiple configurations determining the constituents of the secular group. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Some patients value the opportunity to discuss their faith. For others, any mention of spirituality is an unwarranted intrusion. Login using your SSOTP NHS Athens for full text. SSSFT - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Commentary to: Is Alcoholics Anonymous religious, spiritual, neither? Findings from 25 years of mechanisms of behavior change research. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Spirituality is a complex concept that has different meanings for different people. Spiritual care is a fundamental aspect of nursing and attending to the spiritual needs of patients may improve their health outcomes. This article, the first in a series of three, explores various definitions of spirituality, and the importance of spirituality and spiritual care in healthcare settings. The second article of this series provides an in-depth exploration of the assessment of patients’ spiritual care needs, and the third and final article in this short series discusses spiritual care nursing interventions. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Spirituality in Clinical Practice3.4 (Dec 2016): 250-275.
Clients often have spiritual needs. Many mental health counselors argue that spirituality should be included in counseling, whereas others contend that religious issues may be beyond the bounds of counselor competence. Though much counselor opinion on spirituality in therapy has been published, little has been published on client desires. Therefore, this study conducted a literature review of research in mental health counseling to examine client expectations and preferences for addressing religion and spirituality in counseling. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
There is growing risk from terrorism following radicalisation of young men. It is unclear whether psychopathology is associated. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
The promotion of subjective well-being or wellness is an important aim of both policy and practice. Yet, little research has examined wellness among Muslims, despite the growth in the Muslim population and the discrimination they can encounter in the West. To address this gap in the literature, a model of wellness was developed and tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) with a sample of Muslims living in the USA (N = 265).
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Family is one of the primary sources of spiritual care for people with schizophrenia. Gaps in perspectives between family care-givers and patients not only result in improper spiritual care, but also lead to family conflicts and hamper recovery. Yet, the mutual understanding of spirituality among both parties is often neglected. We here reported part of a larger study that explored the meaning and the role of spirituality in schizophrenia rehabilitation from the perspectives of patients, mental-health professionals and family care-givers. The result suggests that discrepancies in conceptions of spirituality between patients and their care-givers may affect patients’ family dynamic and their recovery
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To explore existential meaning-making in an ethnic-majority subgroup with mental ill health and to increase knowledge about the importance of gaining access to such information in mental healthcare. Open Access Article
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 read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a world-wide recovery mutual-help organization that continues to arouse controversy. In large part, concerns persist because of AA's ostensibly quasi-religious/spiritual orientation and emphasis. In 1990 the United States’ Institute of Medicine called for more studies on AA's effectiveness and its mechanisms of behavior change (MOBC) stimulating a flurry of federally funded research. This paper reviews the religious/spiritual origins of AA and its program and contrasts its theory with findings from this latest research. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Practice Innovations (Sep 29, 2016).
Incorporating spirituality into contemporary professional clinical practice has become more common in recent years most notably with the popular interest of mindfulness meditation, mindfulness based stress reduction, and yoga in particular. However, many other spiritual and religiously based assessment and treatment approaches have also been successfully utilized with a great deal of evidence-based research to support their use and effectiveness. The purpose of this brief article is to outline several guiding principles for those professionals interested in integrating spiritual and religious wisdom and approaches into their professional clinical practices in the spirit of diversity and multiculturalism sensitivity and respect. Psychology has a long way to go to overcome biases and prejudice in this area but there are many excellent principles and resources available to help ensure that our clients receive state-of-the-art and effective evidence-based professional services that treats them, regardless of their religious and spiritual interests or background, with dignity, respect, and professionalism. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Spirituality in Clinical Practice3.3 (Sep 2016): 153-154.
This special section focuses on the unique ethical challenges in psychiatric practice, particularly when those challenges involve religious and spiritual beliefs, practices, or concerns. This article provides both an introduction and context for this special section as well as an overview of the articles that follow. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Spirituality in Clinical Practice3.3 (Sep 2016): 163-166.
In 2015, the American Psychiatric Association, conscious that those living with mental illness frequently turned to their faith leaders before seeking help in the mental health community, revised its guidelines for faith leaders and is taking a very active role in disseminating these to faith leaders of all traditions. Utilizing the guidelines, faith leaders and leaders in the mental health world are seeking to bridge the gap that has existed for too long between these 2 communities, a recognition of the importance of attending to the whole person in the process of recovery. By bridging the gap between these 2 communities that historically have viewed each other with suspicion, not only is the person in treatment benefiting but the professionals themselves benefit. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
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. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
This article reports on a study that explored the extent to which contemporary core nursing textbooks support and advocate the provision of spiritual care by nurses. Its findings suggest there is a lack of consistency in the inclusion of spirituality in these texts, and few refer specifically to the need for spiritual assessment tools or referral to chaplains. As more attention is given to patients’ spiritual needs, the guidance given by nursing textbooks needs to be more substantive and consistent. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you requesting.
Preserving cognitive health is a crucial aspect of healthy ageing. Both abnormal and normal cognitive decline can adversely affect the health of ageing populations. Evidence suggests religious involvement (RI) can preserve cognition in ageing populations. The primary purpose of this review is to examine the evidence regarding the association between RI and cognition from a life-course perspective. Open Access Article
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 in one of the major public hospitals of Paris, France.
Results 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. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Letter. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality8.3 (Aug 2016): 228-234.
This study examined whether religious coping (positive and negative) prospectively moderated the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms in young adults. Religious commitment was examined as a potential moderator of the effect of religious coping on the stress-depression relationship. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
This article explains the concept of parish nursing and provides a historical perspective of this service. It describes the development of a parish nursing service in Heartsease, Norwich, which complements community nursing practice by focusing on the importance of providing spiritual care alongside physical, psychological and social care. Case studies are provided to illustrate the benefits of a parish nursing service to individuals and the community. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Spirituality in Clinical Practice3.2 (Jun 2016): 73-76.
Over the past 10 years, major changes have occurred in spiritually sensitive clinical practice. During this time there has been increasing “evidence that the mental health professions are warming up to a more routine and explicit focus on spiritual issues” (Hathaway & Ripley, 2009, p. 44). Reflective of this change is a noticeable shift from an awareness of the need to incorporate spirituality in the treatment process, to the need to competently integrate spirituality in everyday practice. Ethical codes for the various mental health professions increasingly require that professionals be sensitive to a client’s religious and spiritual concerns. However, it is not always clear how therapists and other providers are expected to demonstrate such sensitivity. Does it mean that a spiritual history is to be performed? Should religious and spiritual concerns be identified, and these concerns be addressed by the provider? Or, are psychotherapists expected to provide spiritually oriented psychotherapy? This article considers these questions and offer a framework for answering them. It begins by distinguishing 2 types of spiritual care: basic and specialized spiritual care, and reflects on the professional responsibilities associated with each type. Then, it describes efforts to specify clinical competencies and finally identifies some implications of these efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)(journal abstract) To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Spirituality in Clinical Practice3.2 (Jun 2016): 92-114.
Religion and spirituality are important aspects of human diversity that should receive adequate attention in cultural competence training for psychologists. Furthermore, spiritual and religious beliefs and practices are relevant to psychological and emotional well-being, and clinicians who are trained to sensitively address these domains in their clinical practice should be more effective. Our research team previously published a set of 16 religious and spiritual competencies based on a combination of focus group and survey research with the intent that they could be used to guide training. In the present study, we conducted a survey to determine whether these competencies would be acceptable to a broader population of practicing clinicians. Results indicate a large degree of support for the proposed competencies. Between 73.0 and 94.1% of respondents agreed that psychologists should receive training and demonstrate competence in each of the 16 areas. The majority (52.2%–80.7%) indicated that they had received little or no training, and between 29.7% and 58.6% had received no training at all, in these competencies. We conclude with recommendations for integrating these religious and spiritual competencies more fully into clinical training and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)(journal abstract) To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Come and visit our first pop-up library at Severn Fields, Shrewsbury 19th July 11.00am-3.00pm. Join the library, borrow and return books, get help finding information and evidence, set up an Athens account, find out what the library can do for you and your team.
Within the UK National Health Service (NHS), Spiritual and Pastoral Care (SPC) Services (chaplaincies) have not traditionally embraced research due to the intangible nature of their work. However, small teams like SPC can lead the way towards services across the NHS becoming patient- centred and patient-led. Using co-production principles within research can ensure it, and the resulting services, are truly patient-led.
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. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
This systematic literature review analyzed the construct of spirituality as perceived by people who have experienced or are experiencing a major life event or transition. You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you requesting.
A large Harvard study showed that predominantly white Christian nurses who attended religious services more than once a week had a 33% lower relative risk of dying over a 16-year period compared with similar women who did not attend religious services.
A sizeable chunk of the link was explained by social support (23%), smoking rates (23%) and, to a lesser extent, optimism differences (9%) between attenders and non-attenders.
The study was very large, precise, and as robust to bias and confounding as you could reasonably expect, so it can be considered reliable. But the lifestyle and social differences between the groups can't go unnoticed.
It's therefore possible that the regular pattern of social interaction associated with being part of a religious community, and the benefits this brings, is mainly responsible for the outcome seen in this research, rather than any specific religious or spiritual aspects.
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy8.3 (May 2016): 375-383.
Objective: Studies have identified spirituality to be a helpful resource for dealing with various types of trauma experiences. This coincides with a heightened focus on the role of spirituality within trauma-related theory (e.g., spiritual coping, meaning-making, and posttraumatic growth). Little remains known, however, about the relationship between trauma and spirituality among people with severe psychiatric disorders. Meanwhile, a high percentage of those with psychiatric disabilities are known to have trauma histories, whereas a majority self-identify as spiritual and/or religious. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
To explore nurse comfort with patient-initiated prayer request scenarios. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - request a copy of the article from the library - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Spirituality has received increased attention in the psychiatric literature; however, it remains underexplored on a global level. Knowledge about spirituality of persons with schizophrenia is often hampered by positive and negative symptoms, which limit their expression of spiritual needs and shift mental-health professionals’ focus from spiritual care to symptom control. Differences in the ways that the two parties understand spirituality may create different expectations and further hinder the provision of high-quality holistic care. This study investigated the meaning and roles of spirituality from the perspectives of persons with schizophrenia and mental-health professionals.
Spirituality in Clinical Practice3.1 (Mar 2016): 5-9.
Are religion and spirituality of relevance in psychotherapy? Reasons why they are are addressed and information is shared to illustrate their great importance in many clients’ lives and why they are relevant to the psychotherapy process. Recommendations regarding how psychotherapists advertise their services, informed consent, clinical competence, cultural competence, and boundaries and multiple relationships are provided so that psychotherapists may fulfill their ethical obligations to provide clients with the most relevant and efficacious treatment possible. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - request a copy of the article from the library - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Spirituality in Clinical Practice3.1 (Mar 2016): 14-17.
A systematic bias leading to clinically and ethically problematic neglect of spirituality in the mental health professions is discussed. Relevant data suggesting the presence of this bias are reviewed and the form the bias often takes in practice is illustrated through a composite case example. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - request a copy of the article from the library - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Spirituality in Clinical Practice 3.1 (Mar 2016): 1-4.
As mental health clinicians become more sensitive to the spiritual and religious concerns of clients, they are faced with the challenge of how to best respond to these concerns. Performing a spiritual assessment does not mean that clinicians can or should provide spirituality oriented psychotherapy. Because of the limits of scope of practice, the expectation is that all clinicians will respond in a spiritually sensitive manner when they do not have the requisite training and experience to provide spirituality oriented psychotherapy or other religious or spiritual treatments. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - request a copy of the article from the library - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Commentary on:
Skomakerstuen Ødbehr L, Kvigne K, Hauge S, et al. A qualitative study of nurses’ attitudes towards and accommodations of patients’ expressions of religiosity and faith in dementia care. J Adv Nurs 2015;71:359–69.
Implications for practice and research
Nurses and care workers should improve their knowledge of the religiosity and faith of dementia patients.
Spirituality/religiosity (S/R) issues in patient care should be introduced into nursing education and training.
Further research should include a study on how nurses’ religiosity influences the care and fulfilment of spiritual/religious needs of patients. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity 3.1 (Mar 2016): 71-79.
Spirituality has been widely associated with positive well-being within the general population. Although there is limited research on the impact of spirituality on sexual minority individuals, some evidence suggests it is associated with positive psychological outcomes and contributes to the development of a positive lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) identity. The present study aimed to elucidate the relationship between spirituality, gender normative beliefs, and LGB identity development. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details