Spiritual and religious beliefs in acute illness—Is this a feasible area for study?

doi:10.1016/0277-9536(94)90260-7

Social Science & Medicine

Volume 38, Issue 4, February 1994, Pages 631-636

https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(94)90260-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the measurement of spiritual, religious and philosophical beliefs in patients admitted to hospital with acute physical illness. The discussion is based on the results of a preliminary study of the beliefs of 300 patients studied by face-to-face interview and questionnaire. Principal outcome measures at 6 months were self reported psychological and belief scores and physical state as reported in the medical records. Two thirds of patients reported a religious and/or spiritual belief system. Strength of belief was not associated with social, psychological or diagnostic factors. However, those patients with a religious and/or spiritual life view who expressed strong beliefs were likely to fare less well clinically. We conclude that empirical study of patients' beliefs is possible, though care must be exercised over the measures used. Beliefs were at least as predictive of outcome as other social and psychological factors. This area is of considerable importance to patients and should not be neglected by carers of researchers.

References (19)

S. Greer et al.
Patients' adjustment to cancer: the mental adjustment to cancer (MAC) scale vs clinical ratings
J. Psychosomatic Res.
(1989)
G.K. Jarvis et al.
Religion and differences in morbidity and mortality
Soc. Sci. Med.
(1987)
J.S. Levin et al.
Is frequent religious attendance really conducive to better health? Toward an epidemiology of religion
Soc. Sci. Med.
(1987)
K.A. Sherrill et al.
Adult burn patients, religious coping and recovery: classic issues in primary care for psychiatric epidemiology
P. Pressman et al.
Religious belief, depression and ambulation status in elderly women with broken hips
Am. J. Psyciat.
(1990)
J.M. Kirschling et al.
Measurement of spiritual well-being: a hospice caregiver sample
Hospice J.
(1989)
M.W. Hay
Principles in building spiritual assessment tools
Am. J. Hospice Care
(1989)
P.G. Reed
Religiousness among terminally ill and healthy adults
Res. Nursing Hlth
(1986)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (55)

Positive aspects of mental illness: A review in bipolar disorder
2011, Journal of Affective Disorders
Citation Excerpt :
Previous observational research has found other demographic variables such as age to be related to the strength of patients' beliefs and spiritual practices (Braam et al., 1997). Patients report influential relationship between their spirituality and the course of bipolar disorder in 14–37% of the cases (King et al., 1994; Mitchell and Romans, 2003). Those who seek spiritual healing seem to have better outcomes (course of illness, mood swings or episodes) than those who do not seek spiritual healing (69% vs. 42%).
There is growing interest to understand the role of positive psychological features on the outcomes of medical illnesses. Unfortunately this topic is less studied in relation to mental health, and almost completely neglected in relation to one of the most common severe psychiatric illnesses, bipolar disorder. Certain specific psychological characteristics, that are generally viewed as valuable and beneficial morally or socially, may grow out of the experience of having this affective disorder.
We describe the sources, research and impact of these positive psychological traits in the lives of persons with bipolar disorder based on the few published literature available to date. These include, but are not limited to: spirituality, empathy, creativity, realism, and resilience.
After an extensive search in the literature, we found 81 articles that involve descriptions of positive psychological characteristics of bipolar disorder.
We found evidence for enhancement of the five above positive psychological traits in persons with bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is associated with the positive psychological traits of spirituality, empathy, creativity, realism, and resilience. Clinical and research attention to preserving and enhancing these traits may improve outcomes in bipolar disorder.
Spirituality in coping with HIV/AIDS
2007, HIV and AIDS Review
This article creates a general framework for spirituality and HIV/AIDS as a chronic illness using a health care perspective. Spirituality provides an important function of helping people to find meaning and purpose in their lives. Various research findings that support the use of spirituality for coping with HIV/AIDS will be provided. Having been defined as one of the coping means with HIV/AIDS, spirituality is argued in this paper as an empowering resource in both well-being of the individuals with such a life threatening illness and their adaptation to the illness process. It has been observed in many researches held in varying research designs with various patient groups that as the functioning of spirituality in the patients with HIV/AIDS increases, depression, hopelessness and level of anxiety decrease; and adaptation, life satisfaction and quality of life proliferate. This paper argues it is extremely important that the professionals in the field of health support the patients who try to cope with especially the psychological and emotional effects of the illness process not only psycho-socially but also in forming meaning and goals about life as well as empower them spiritually.
Challenges and changes in spirituality among doctors who become patients
2005, Social Science and Medicine
Though spirituality can help patients cope with illness, several studies have suggested that physicians view spirituality differently than do patients. These issues have not been systematically investigated among doctors who become patients, and who may be able to shed critical light on this area. We interviewed fifty doctors from major urban US centers who had become patients due to serious illnesses about their experiences and views relating to religion and spirituality before and after diagnosis, and we explore the range of issues that emerged. These physician-patients revealed continua of forms and contents of spirituality. The forms ranged from being spiritual to start with; to being spiritual, but not thinking of themselves as such; to wanting but being unable to believe. Some continued to doubt and, perhaps relatedly, appeared depressed. The contents of beliefs ranged from established religious traditions, to mixing beliefs, or having non-specific beliefs (e.g., concerning the power of nature). One group of doctors felt wary of organized religion, which could prove an obstacle to belief. Others felt that symptoms could be reduced through prayer. At times, self-assessments of spirituality were difficult to make or inaccurate. Questions surfaced concerning whether and how medical education could best address these issues, and how spirituality may affect clinical work. This study is the first that we know of to examine spirituality among physicians when they become patients. Obstacles to physicians’ attentiveness to the potential role of spirituality arose that need to be further explored in medical education and future research. Increased a wareness of these areas could potentially have clinical relevance, strengthening doctor–patient relationships and communication, and patient satisfaction.
Energizing the ordinary: Biographical work and the future in stroke recovery narratives
2004, Journal of Aging Studies
Historically, the life course has been constructed as an organized and linear temporal progression. This holds true in various disciplines from education, to psychology, to counseling. The foundation of a life unfolding through temporal categorizations is documented in textbooks and theories that straddle these disciplines as well as many others, including the sociology of health and illness, which has often conceptualized the illness experience as embedded in a recovery trajectory.
Here, we take this to task. Using Gubrium and Holstein's [Sociol. Inq. 65 (1995) 207; Gubrium, J., & Holstein, J., (1997). The new language of qualitative method. New York: Oxford University Press] analytic vocabulary of biographical work, we analyze narratives of stroke survivors by emphasizing the ordinary resources used as discursive foundations for the narrative production of the future in illness. Ordinary resources focused on include God and spirituality, comorbidities, and activity and leisure. The discussion is embedded in overarching concerns with “healthy aging” in gerontology and geriatrics.
Spiritual beliefs in bipolar affective disorder: Their relevance for illness management
2003, Journal of Affective Disorders
Background: There has been growing interest in investigating religion as a relevant element in illness outcome. Having religious beliefs has been shown repeatedly to be associated with lessened rates of depression. Most of the limited published research has been restricted to elderly samples. Religious coping is thought to play a key role in religion’s effects. Strangely, psychiatric research has neglected this area. Methods: A questionnaire covering religious, spiritual and philosophical beliefs and religious practice was given to a sample of patients with bipolar affective disorder in remission. Results: Most patients often held strong religious or spiritual beliefs (78%) and practised their religion frequently (81.5%). Most saw a direct link between their beliefs and the management of their illness. Many used religious coping, and often religio-spiritual beliefs and practice put them in conflict with illness models (24%) and advice (19%) used by their medical advisors. Limitations: This was a cross-sectional design without a control group and thus it is not possible to determine causal associations from the data set. Conclusions: Religio-spiritual ideas are of great salience to many patients with bipolar disorder and shape the ways in which they think about their illness. Many reported experiencing significant paradigm conflict in understanding and managing their illness between medical and their spiritual advisors. These data suggest that the whole area of religion and spirituality is directly relevant to people living with a chronic psychiatric illness and should be firmly on the discussion agenda of clinicians working with patients with bipolar disorder.
Explicit spirituality, self-esteem and the mechanisms of social and temporal comparison
2023, Spiritual Psychology and Counseling

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

Spiritual and religious beliefs in acute illness—Is this a feasible area for study?

Abstract

J. Psychosomatic Res.

Soc. Sci. Med.

Soc. Sci. Med.

Adult burn patients, religious coping and recovery: classic issues in primary care for psychiatric epidemiology

Religious belief, depression and ambulation status in elderly women with broken hips

Am. J. Psyciat.

Measurement of spiritual well-being: a hospice caregiver sample

Hospice J.

Principles in building spiritual assessment tools

Am. J. Hospice Care

Religiousness among terminally ill and healthy adults

Res. Nursing Hlth