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Religions
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Spirituality and Existential Issues in Health
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Spirituality and Existential Issues in Health

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Health/Psychology/Social Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 July 2022) | Viewed by 17864

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Suvi-Maria Saarelainen

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Guest Editor
School of Theology, Philosophical Faculty, University of Eastern Finland, 80101 Joensuu, Finland
Interests: spirituality in nursing and care; existential struggles; religious/spiritual coping; holistic care
Prof. Dr. Nigel King

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Guest Editor
Applied Psychology, School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK
Interests: patient and carer experiences in palliative and end-of-life care; interprofessional collaboration in palliative and end-of-life care; bereavement and "paranormal" experiences; the meaning of outdoor spaces, and its relationship to wellbeing; applied qualitative methods in psychology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

During the past two decades, the existential dimension has become more important in health-related studies (e.g., O’Connell & Skevington 2010; DeMarinis 2008; Moreira-Almeida & Koenig 2006). These focus on what people perceive as existentially meaningful—the way in which people process and construct what makes sense in their lives (DeMarinis et al. 2011). Thus, the existential dimension is crucial in understanding health and wellbeing (e.g., Assing Hvidt 2016). Seeking hope or trying to grasp the experience of meaning for sufferance, lost, or grief can be seen as personal expressions of spirituality (Wattis, Curran, and Rogers 2017). However, the concept of spirituality remains blurry (e.g., Visser et al. 2017; la Cour and Hvidt 2010); the only consensus is that no easy definitions exist, and that these types of concepts are poorly culturally transferable (e.g., Hermans 2014; Swinton and Pattison 2010; Corrigan 2004; Pargament 1999).

The specific scope of this Special Issue is to grasp a deeper understanding of the spiritual and/or existential issues that are linked to health and health care. We invite papers which look into the following areas:

  • Experiences of patients: How do people in care experience the care provided? Are their spiritual/existential needs for care met?
  • Care providers: How do care providers experience their competence in spiritual/existential care? What does spiritually/existentially competent care look like? What are the best practices or unmet needs?
  • Educational perspectives: What kind of education is being provided and developed? Are there elements in education that are still neglected in the field of spiritual/existential care?
  • Policy making: How should and could care system(s) be enhanced?

Articles that reflect on the themes addressed by this Special Issue through various theoretical, methodological, and empirical approaches are welcomed. The call is open to research from any discipline, including multidisciplinary approaches.

Dr. Suvi-Maria Saarelainen
Prof. Dr. Nigel King
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • spirituality in nursing
  • spirituality in care
  • existential issues in care
  • spiritually/existentially competent care
  • spiritual/existential needs in care
  • care policy
  • spiritually/existentially competent Education

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 463 KiB  
Article
Spirituality/Religiosity of Sexual and Gender Minorities in Brazil: Assessment of Spiritual Resources and Religious Struggles
by Zoé Tiago Silva da Rosa and Mary Rute Gomes Esperandio
Religions 2022, 13(9), 869; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel13090869 - 16 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1684
Abstract
Stigma and discriminatory attitudes create hostile and stressful environments that impact the mental health of marginalized populations. In view of these stressful situations, empirical research was undertaken with the objective of assessing the spiritual/religious resources employed by sexual and gender minorities to manage [...] Read more.
Stigma and discriminatory attitudes create hostile and stressful environments that impact the mental health of marginalized populations. In view of these stressful situations, empirical research was undertaken with the objective of assessing the spiritual/religious resources employed by sexual and gender minorities to manage such situations, identifying the presence of religious and spiritual struggles and the style of attachment to God. This is a cross-sectional quantitative exploratory-descriptive study. The applied instruments were a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Centrality of Religiosity Scale, the Brief SRCOPE Scale, the Religious and Spiritual Struggles (RSS) Scale, and the Attachment to God Inventory. In total, 308 people participated in the study. The sample was categorized as religious (M = 3.37, SD = 1.10), and the use of positive spiritual/religious coping strategies was considered medium (M = 2.83, SD = 1.18). They scored 2.10 on the RSS Scale (SD = 0.65), which is considered a modest level, and the predominant attachment style was avoidant. The results indicate that this group has specific stressors resulting from the minority status and that a small number of people use spiritual/religious resources to deal with stressful situations. Religious transit and, mainly, the process of religious deidentification seem to work as coping strategies to deal with struggles experienced in religious environments that are not welcoming of sexual and gender diversity. In these transition and migration processes, “religious residues” (i.e., previous modes of thinking and feeling persist following religious deidentification) may be present. Thus, identifying whether such residues are made up of beliefs that negatively affect the mental health of sexual and gender minorities is a process that needs to be looked at carefully by faith communities, health professionals, and spiritual caregivers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spirituality and Existential Issues in Health)
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15 pages, 346 KiB  
Article
The Correlation between Spiritual Well-Being and Burnout of Teachers
by Hok-Ko Pong
Religions 2022, 13(8), 760; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel13080760 - 19 Aug 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2440
Abstract
This study examines the correlation between spiritual well-being and burnout symptoms, including emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA), among Chinese secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. The data were collected from 427 Chinese secondary school teachers (189 males, 238 females) [...] Read more.
This study examines the correlation between spiritual well-being and burnout symptoms, including emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA), among Chinese secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. The data were collected from 427 Chinese secondary school teachers (189 males, 238 females) aged 25–37 from different schools with one to eight years of teaching experience. The participants completed the Spiritual Health and Life-orientation Measure (SHALOM) to evaluate the status of their spiritual well-being in the personal and communal, environmental, and transcendental domains. The Maslach Burnout Inventory—Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) was also used to measure the extent of burnout in the workplace. All domains of spiritual well-being were negatively associated with EE and DP, while the personal and communal domain and the transcendental domain of spiritual well-being were positively associated with PA. Multiple regression analysis revealed that all the specific domains of spiritual well-being explained 68.6% and 54.0% of the variance in teachers’ EE and DP, respectively. Meanwhile, the same analysis found that the personal–communal and transcendental domains explained 74.9% of the variance in teachers’ PA. The personal–communal domain of spiritual well-being was the strongest predictor of burnout. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spirituality and Existential Issues in Health)
15 pages, 296 KiB  
Article
Does the Tough Stuff Make Us Stronger? Spiritual Coping in Family Caregivers of Persons with Early-Stage Dementia
by Jocelyn Shealy McGee, Morgan Davie, Rebecca Meraz, Dennis Myers and Stephanie Clintonia Boddie
Religions 2022, 13(8), 756; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel13080756 - 19 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1640
Abstract
Spiritual coping may be conceptualized as relying upon spiritual beliefs, practices and/or relationships as an aspect of navigating stressful or traumatic experiences. There is evidence that spirituality may be used as a resource and may cultivate growth for some in the midst of [...] Read more.
Spiritual coping may be conceptualized as relying upon spiritual beliefs, practices and/or relationships as an aspect of navigating stressful or traumatic experiences. There is evidence that spirituality may be used as a resource and may cultivate growth for some in the midst of difficult life circumstances. There is limited research, however, on this phenomenon among family caregivers of persons living with a dementia, particularly those in the early stages. The purpose of the current study, therefore, was to gain insight into the nature of spiritual coping among caregivers of persons living with a dementia in the early part of their caregiving journey. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, interviews with 28 caregivers were analyzed. Five spiritual coping themes and corresponding subthemes emerged from their narratives: (1) spiritual relational coping; (2) spiritual behavioral coping; (3) spiritual belief coping; (4) spiritual coping to gain a sense of control; and (5) spiritual coping for constancy or life transformation. Three-fourths of the sampled caregivers reported growth in their spiritual lives during the early part of their caregiving journey. A sense of being “spiritually grounded” in the Divine (e.g., God, a higher power, a life philosophy) and oneself (as a spiritual being) was an important aspect of spiritual coping in this sample. Additionally, caregivers tended to use multiple forms of spiritual coping simultaneously while also navigating spiritual struggles. Finally, some caregivers viewed caregiving as a spiritual path that they were actively following rather than a passive spiritual experience. These findings speak to the importance of identifying and encouraging spiritual coping among caregivers as well as identifying spiritual struggles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spirituality and Existential Issues in Health)
15 pages, 275 KiB  
Article
Does God Work in All Things to the Good of Those Who Love Him? Family Caregivers of Persons with Early-Stage Dementia Share Their Spiritual Struggles
by Jocelyn Shealy McGee, Morgan Davie, Rebecca Meraz, Dennis Myers and Michaela McElroy
Religions 2022, 13(7), 645; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel13070645 - 13 Jul 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1801
Abstract
Spiritual struggles are distressing thoughts, feelings, or shifts in behaviors pertaining to faith/life philosophy in response to traumatic/stressful experiences. There is limited research on this phenomenon among family caregivers of persons in the early-stages of dementia (PWD). The purpose of this qualitative study, [...] Read more.
Spiritual struggles are distressing thoughts, feelings, or shifts in behaviors pertaining to faith/life philosophy in response to traumatic/stressful experiences. There is limited research on this phenomenon among family caregivers of persons in the early-stages of dementia (PWD). The purpose of this qualitative study, therefore, was to better understand spiritual struggles in this population. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, we analyzed interviews of 28 caregivers of PWD in the early stages. There were three broad areas for spiritual struggles in their narratives: (1) transpersonal spiritual struggles (e.g., struggles with God or a higher power in the context of caregiving); (2) interpersonal spiritual struggles (e.g., struggles with communities of faith related to the lived experience of being a caregiver of a loved one with dementia); and (3) intrapersonal spiritual struggles (e.g., struggles around beliefs, morality or ultimate meaning related to caregiving). Themes and subthemes under each of these areas are expounded upon. The importance of identifying/addressing spiritual struggles among family caregivers of PWD and areas for future research are highlighted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spirituality and Existential Issues in Health)
13 pages, 276 KiB  
Article
Significance of Self-Transcendence for Rehabilitation and Relapse Prevention among Patients with Substance Use Disorder: A Qualitative Study
by Torgeir Sørensen and Lars Lien
Religions 2022, 13(6), 491; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel13060491 - 29 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1881
Abstract
A complex variety of restrictive and promoting factors are in play when people with substance use disorder face challenges concerning rehabilitation and relapse prevention. Self-transcendence sources are strongly associated with meaningfulness, and meaningfulness is found to be associated with less alcohol and drug [...] Read more.
A complex variety of restrictive and promoting factors are in play when people with substance use disorder face challenges concerning rehabilitation and relapse prevention. Self-transcendence sources are strongly associated with meaningfulness, and meaningfulness is found to be associated with less alcohol and drug use severity and relapse prevention. The aim of the present qualitative study was to investigate self-transcendence among patients with substance use disorders and to discuss its significance for treatment and relapse prevention. An exploratory qualitative research design was employed, with individual interviews in a strategic sample of four patients with substance use disorder recruited from a religiously founded rehabilitation clinic in Southeast Norway. The transcribed material was analysed through systematic text condensation. A search for objects beyond immediate needs through self-transcendence was revealed, related to generativity and an unselfish prosocial commitment to family and the surroundings, strengthening the participants’ self-efficacy, confidence, and safety. Spirituality and confidence in a higher power or destiny generated order in life. The use of rituals contributed to tranquillity. Values gave new directions, and private confession helped to start over in life. For patients in rehabilitation aiming at relapse prevention, self-transcendence seems to be significant as part of the recovery process. Possible implications for rehabilitation and relapse prevention are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spirituality and Existential Issues in Health)
10 pages, 253 KiB  
Article
Caring for Elderly People with Severe Conditions: Do Religious Education and Values Make a Difference?
by Lluis Oviedo, Josefa Torralba and Jose Luis Ripoll
Religions 2022, 13(5), 412; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel13050412 - 30 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1384
Abstract
Western societies are experiencing a demographic shift towards an increased elderly population that is often affected by limiting conditions. This growth is not always balanced by a greater concern and assistance from younger cohorts, which could perceive that demand as a heavy burden, [...] Read more.
Western societies are experiencing a demographic shift towards an increased elderly population that is often affected by limiting conditions. This growth is not always balanced by a greater concern and assistance from younger cohorts, which could perceive that demand as a heavy burden, especially under conditions where children often move to work far away from their families. The present research tries to understand this challenging situation by studying the attitudes of preadolescents and adolescents towards the elderly. This study has explored the reactions of students between 12 and 17 years old towards images and experiences around the oldest and most frail. The collected data indicate the positive role of religion and spirituality in their concern, and the moderating factor of empathy, with gender and age being less significant in their attitudes towards the elderly in their social environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spirituality and Existential Issues in Health)
13 pages, 264 KiB  
Article
Spiritual Care Competences among Health Care Professionals in Pakistan: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Survey
by Malik Muhammad Sohail, Eckhard Frick and Arndt Büssing
Religions 2022, 13(4), 370; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel13040370 - 16 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2593
Abstract
Introduction: There is a gap in healthcare literature related to the spiritual competence of physicians and nurses practicing in South Asian Muslim communities. To fill that gap, the Spiritual Care Competence Questionnaire (SCCQ) was applied which was developed to address multi-professional spiritual care [...] Read more.
Introduction: There is a gap in healthcare literature related to the spiritual competence of physicians and nurses practicing in South Asian Muslim communities. To fill that gap, the Spiritual Care Competence Questionnaire (SCCQ) was applied which was developed to address multi-professional spiritual care competences. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study among 294 health professionals (61% physicians, 17% nurses, and 22% other professions) in 10 hospitals in Punjab, Pakistan. Results: The highest scoring competences were “Dealing with patients/Communication competences”, while “Team Spirit” scored lowest. There were no gender related differences, but there were effects related to professions. “Team Spirit”, “Dealing with patients/Communication competences”, and “Empowerment competences” scored significantly higher in nurses as compared to physicians and other health care professionals, while there were no significant differences for their “Perception/Documentation competences”. These competences were not relevantly related to the intensity of their prayer/meditation activity. Conclusions: Health care professional from Punjab were preferred to tolerate the pain and the suffering of patients and their relatives rather than to talk about spiritual care issues. Their spiritual care competences were less developed. Thus, there is a clear need for further specific education and training of health professionals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spirituality and Existential Issues in Health)
18 pages, 2639 KiB  
Article
Existential Dimension and Spiritual Assistance in the “A. Gemelli” University Hospital in Rome: A Cross-Disciplinary and Sacramental Enhanced Dynamical Approach in Palliative Care
by Alessandro Mantini, Maria Adelaide Ricciotti, Eleonora Meloni, Anita Maria Tummolo, Sabrina Dispenza and Christian Barillaro
Religions 2022, 13(1), 53; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel13010053 - 06 Jan 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1559
Abstract
In the A. Gemelli university hospital in Rome, the presence of highly specialized inter-professional palliative care teams and spiritual assistants who are dedicated to their role in the service of inpatients is valuable to person-centered healthcare. Spiritual needs are commonly experienced by patients [...] Read more.
In the A. Gemelli university hospital in Rome, the presence of highly specialized inter-professional palliative care teams and spiritual assistants who are dedicated to their role in the service of inpatients is valuable to person-centered healthcare. Spiritual needs are commonly experienced by patients with sudden illness, chronic conditions, and life-limiting conditions, and, consequently, spiritual care is an intrinsic and essential component of palliative care. This paper focuses on the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to demonstrate the importance of spiritual care as an integral part of palliative care and highlights the need for all interdisciplinary team members to address spiritual issues in order to improve the holistic assistance to the patient. Over a 3-year period (October 2018–September 2021), data about the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick administered by the hospitaller chaplaincy were collected. A total of 1541 anointings were administered, with an average of 514 anointings per year, excluding reductions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 98% of cases, the sacrament was requested by health personnel, and in 96% of cases, the same health personnel participated in the sacrament. These results demonstrate that, at the A. Gemelli polyclinic in Rome, the level of training that the care team has received in collaboration with the chaplains has generated a good generalized awareness of the importance of integrating the spiritual needs of patients and their families into their care, considering salvation as well as health, in a model of dynamic interprofessional integration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spirituality and Existential Issues in Health)
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43 pages, 1379 KiB  
Review
‘Existential’ in Scandinavian Healthcare Journals: An Analysis of the Concept and Implications for Future Research
by Marianne Rodriguez Nygaard, Anne Austad, Torgeir Sørensen, Oddgeir Synnes and Wilfred McSherry
Religions 2022, 13(10), 979; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel13100979 - 17 Oct 2022
Viewed by 2283
Abstract
The concept of ‘existential’, used frequently in Scandinavian healthcare journals, is associated with various, often unclear, meanings, highlighting the need for a more accurate understanding of the concept. In this integrative review we analyse how the concept has been used in Scandinavian healthcare [...] Read more.
The concept of ‘existential’, used frequently in Scandinavian healthcare journals, is associated with various, often unclear, meanings, highlighting the need for a more accurate understanding of the concept. In this integrative review we analyse how the concept has been used in Scandinavian healthcare journals from 1984 to 2020, exploring the trajectory of the concept, its definitions and its applications. A secondary aim is to offer some clarity regarding how the concept may be used in future healthcare research and provide a definition of ‘existential’ based on our findings. Our findings show that while the concept is increasingly used, it is rarely defined, and there appears to be no consensus on the concept’s meaning. We categorise applications of the concept into five overarching themes: (1) Suffering and re-orientation, (2) Meaning and meaninglessness, (3) Existential philosophy in relation to health (4) Existential questions as approaches to care and (5) Usage and demarcation of existential, spiritual and religious concepts. Based on the findings, we propose a definition of the concept of ‘existential’ in the healthcare context. The study contributes to, and underscores advantages and limitations of, the use of the concept in healthcare research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spirituality and Existential Issues in Health)
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