According to a national survey, over three-quarters of the country identifies with at least one religious group or denomination. There is variation in the frequency of attendance of religious services and prayer, yet religiosity and spirituality remain significantly crucial for individuals in the United States [1]. It has been well-cited that spirituality can positively affect an individual’s mental and even physical health [2]. Despite this, few clinicians choose to integrate spirituality into their practice.
How to incorporate spirituality in healthcare
One way clinicians can incorporate spirituality into treatment is by using HOPE questions.
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.
Examples of questions include:
- What are your sources of hope, strength, comfort, and peace?
- Are you part of a religious or spiritual community? Does it help you? How?
- Do you believe in God? What kind of relationship do you have with God? [3]
By using this tool, the clinician can better understand how spirituality can help or even hinder the healing process. Patients can then be encouraged to use their own spiritual resources to cope with both mental and physical challenges.
More formally, clinicians can choose to use tools such as Religion based CBT. Religiously integrated CBT uses the client’s religious traditions to replace depressive or unhelpful thoughts. Positive principles found in religious texts can be used to form more helpful and accurate ways of thinking that are contrary to depression.
Benefits of religiously-based CBT include but are not limited to the following:
– Reduces rates of depression in patients
– Patients are less likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors
– Patients are less likely to use substances
– Increased optimism and life satisfaction for patients
– Patients experience more acceptance of circumstances
– Reduces suicidal ideation in patients [4], [5]
Given these benefits, it is evident that holistically caring for a patient’s spiritual needs is likely to produce better outcomes and lead to a better patient experience.
References
1. Pew Research Center’s April 2015 report “The Future of World Religions: Population Growth
2. Koenig HG. Religion, spirituality, and health: the research and clinical implications. ISRN Psychiatry. 2012;2012:278730. Published 2012 Dec 16. doi:10.5402/2012/278730 3. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2001/0101/p81.html
4. The link between religion and spirituality and psychological adjustment: the mediating role of optimism and social support. Shojaee, M. & French, C. (2014). The Relationship between Mental Health Components and Locus of Control in Youth. Psychology, 5, 966-978. doi: 10.4236/psych.2014.58107.
5. Ebstyne King, P., & Furrow, J. L. (2004). Religion as a resource for positive youth development: religion, social capital, and moral outcomes. Developmental Psychology, 40(5), 703–713. doi: https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.40.5.703
