Little research has examined the potential protective influence of religiosity against problem gambling; a common addictive behavior, and one with a host of associated negative health and social outcomes. The aims of this study were to examine (1) the potential longitudinal association between religiosity and problem gambling among adults and (2) the potential moderating role of gender on this association.
We examine Foreman’s assertion that assessing, addressing and utilising a patient’s faith is warranted. After a brief background, we examine when faith-integrated therapy is indicated, the need for training, an example of such a therapy, and what to do when the faith of the therapist conflicts with that of the patient. Also emphasised is the need for a clear definition of terms.
It is time to improve clinical approaches to faith in mental healthcare, particularly in psychotherapy. Understood as a psychological trait, faith has potentially great personal salience and introduces socially desirable biases into human reasoning. Therapies may have faith-informed components, either explicitly, or (as with some forms of mindfulness) implicitly, which may modify the patient’s faith as well as producing symptomatic change. In this narrative review, the ethics of faith’s inclusion in therapy is briefly appraised. The psychology of faith is discussed, and a model of the influence of the practitioner’s faith on therapeutic choice is presented. Finally, faith-informed approaches to practice, including their impact on therapeutic effectiveness, are considered and recommendations made for their optimal implementation. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Many studies show that people experiencing psychosis find religion and spirituality to be helpful during times of distress, yet nurses often lack training and confidence to respond to the spiritual needs of their patients. This article begins with an overview of the largely medical model through which psychosis is assessed and addressed in the UK, followed by some definitions of spirituality and religion. Then using a case study of Lucy, a 60-year-old African-Caribbean woman, a critical analysis considers if and how engagement with her religious beliefs in an acute inpatient setting could have improved the nurse-patient relationship and promoted recovery from an acute psychotic episode. The impact of task-driven nursing care upon meaningful engagement is explored and nurses are encouraged to focus on quality rather than length of nurse-patient interactions. The association between religiosity and psychopathology is then considered in terms of impact upon person-centred care. The value of co-creating a narrative with patients in order to promote engagement and recovery is discussed. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology85.10 (Oct 2017): 937-949.
Objective: People dealing with serious mental illness frequently report turning to religion to help cope with the disorder. However, little is known about how religion impacts commitment to psychotherapy programs for people with schizophrenia and their caregivers. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
The FMR1 premutation, caused by a CGG trinucleotide repeat expansion on the FMR1 gene, has been identified as a genetic risk factor for mood and anxiety disorders. Building on recent studies identifying increased risk for mood and affective disorders in this population, we examined effects of potential protective factors (optimism, religion, hope) on depression and anxiety diagnoses in a prospective, longitudinal cohort. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Spirituality in Clinical Practice4.2 (Jun 2017): 113-128.
Buddhist counseling is a process of reducing suffering in individuals using wisdom and interventions from Buddhism, which aims to train the human mind to attain a state of equanimity, joy, and liberation. In the last 2,500 years, Buddhism has been a choice of healing method for millions of individuals but little is known about the components of Buddhist counseling from a psychological perspective. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
We’ve just heard that SSOTP will not be renewing their agreement with SSSFT LKS for library services for this financial year. Because of this we will be reviewing our Be Aware bulletins. Sadly we won’t be accepting any new sign-ups from SSOTP staff and will be withdrawing some of the physical healthcare bulletins that we…
To gain insight into the quantity and quality of spiritual care provided by nurses in curative cancer care, from the perspectives of both patients and nurses. 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.
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.