Journal of Religion & Health最新文献

Little discussion of including the spiritual domain in physical therapy (PT) education in the US has occurred despite support from PT practitioners and students. The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of practicing physical therapists regarding the role that their own spirituality, prior professional education, and the usefulness of including spirituality in PT practice may play in several aspects of clinical practice. A random sample of 800 physical therapists working in acute/sub-acute rehabilitation settings selected from the APTA membership was surveyed. This cross sectional study achieved a response rate of 57.5% (n = 460). Outcomes consisted of 57 Likert-scale items focused on the role that spirituality might play in PT clinical practice. Internal consistency reliability of these items was excellent (α = .97). The importance of including spirituality in patient care (total score) was significantly related to respondents' self-identified belief system (where religious/spiritual were more positive relative to atheist/agnostic/other) (p < 001/h2 = .178) andperceptions of usefulness of including spirituality in patient care (where positive perceptions related to positive outcomes) (p < .001/d = -1.856). Although those with prior exposure to spirituality through professional education tended to agree more with the outcomes, only three of the five topic areas were statistically significant, but the total score was not significantly related (p = .237/d = -.154). Study results contribute to the existing literature supporting the importance of addressing spirituality in PT education. Educating physical therapists in this area would enhance the profession's goal of providing holistic patient-centered care and improving cultural competence.

This mixed-methods study examines the complex relationship between religious coping, moral injury, and burnout among Muslim healthcare professionals in the post-pandemic context. Quantitative data from 312 clinicians revealed that negative religious coping strongly correlated with both moral injury (r = 0.48, p < 0.001) and burnout (r = 0.52, p < 0.001), while positive religious coping served as a protective factor against burnout (r = - 0.34, p < 0.001) though showed limited impact on moral injury itself. Qualitative findings from 28 in-depth interviews identified four key themes: the dual nature of divine trust (Tawakkul) and predestination (Taqdir), the burden of sacred responsibility (Amanah), spiritual solace in ritual practice, and experiences of institutional and communal invalidation. The study demonstrates that Islamic religious frameworks function as both protective resources and potential sources of distress, highlighting the urgent need for spiritually informed support systems that address the unique psychological and theological dimensions of moral injury in Muslim clinicians.

Marriage and religion often reinforce one another, though both are individually related to improved health and well-being across many domains. Moreover, emerging adulthood is a foundational period in which many religious beliefs crystallize, and behavioral patterns solidify, often coinciding with decisions to marry and attend college. However, it is unclear how social and subjective well-being may be different between those emerging adults who are religious and married and those who are religious but not married. Moreover, gender differences have yet to be explored in this domain. The current study addressed these issues by administering an online survey to 2352 religiously active emerging adult students at a Latter-day Saint university in the USA, with 182 (7.7%) being married. Results demonstrated a consistent pattern, with married participants indicating significantly (p < .05) higher subjective well-being along with lower loneliness, interpersonal conflict, and time spent on social media. However, unmarried students had higher levels of social interaction with their peers. Gender differences emerged, such that married men fared better in terms of lower loneliness, more close friendships, and less negative affect than married women. These results support marriage as a strong protective factor for social and subjective well-being while supporting religious affiliation as a health protection factor for both married and unmarried students. Gender differences suggest that religious men, at least early in their marriage, may benefit in their social well-being disproportionately more than women. Some implications for these findings in religious universities are explored.

Pregnancy termination is a significant event in women's lives and can be considered a traumatic experience that can assess grief reactions. Couples who accept the decision to have a medical termination due to fetal anomaly face not only anxiety and feelings of loss, but also difficulties adapting to and coping with the termination process. This study aims to examine the relationship between perinatal grief and spiritual well-being in women who experience termination due to fetal anomaly. The study sample consisted of 256 women who had undergone termination during pregnancy. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (percentage, mean, standard deviation), the Mann-Whitney U test for independent samples, the Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses. The participants' mean score on the Perinatal Grief Scale was 112.87 ± 15.04. The spiritual well-being scale subscale scores were 56.13 ± 8.69 for the transcendence subscale, 25.27 ± 2.94 for the harmony with nature subscale, and 26.58 ± 3.18 for the anomie subscale. The correlation between the mean scores of the scales indicated that perinatal grief level was positively and significantly related to both the transcendence (r = 0.454; p < .001) and harmony with nature (r = 0.571; p < .001) subscales, while there was a strong negative correlation between perinatal grief and the anomie subscale (r = -0.762; p < .001). In conclusion, the study results indicate that perinatal grief is significantly related to various dimensions of spiritual well-being. These findings support the idea that supporting spiritual well-being in individuals experiencing perinatal grief can strengthen psychosocial adjustment.

This study explored perceptions of mental illness and mental health programming in Christian places of worship in Accra, Ghana. Interviews were conducted with religious leaders (n=15) and congregants (n=15). Data was analyzed thematically. The results showed that mental illness was conceptualized largely from spiritual perspectives, with a few psychosocial explanations. Churches leveraged both internal and external resources to promote mental health awareness through informational programs, sermons, and counseling services. The implementation of mental health programs was hindered by financial constraints, stigma, confidentiality concerns, and low participation. The findings highlight the critical role of churches in mental health advocacy.

This study adopted a cross-sectional moderation analysis to examine whether religious attendance buffers the negative effects of role overload on caregivers' health. A total of 1455 family caregivers of older persons (mean age = 63.05 years; 67.4% female) drawn from the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC IV) in the United States in 2021 constituted the sample and were measured by the three-item Role Overload Scale, a single-item self-rated health measure, the four-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4), and a six-item physical health scale. Caregivers, on average, reported moderate to high ratings of self-rated health (M = 3.43, SD = 1.03), mental health (M = 13.99, SD = 2.39), and physical health (M = 25.18, SD = 4.55). Additionally, 54% of caregivers had attended religious services in the past month. Regression analyses demonstrated that role overload was a significant negative predictor of self-rated health (B = - 0.188, p < 0.001), mental health (B = - 0.576, p < 0.001), and physical health (B = - 1.075, p < 0.001). Religious attendance significantly moderated the associations between role overload and self-rated health (B = 0.083, p = 0.004) and mental health (B = 0.176, p = 0.009), but not physical health (B = 0.213, p = 0.097). The findings highlight that religious or spiritual engagement may contribute to buffering the health consequences of caregiving-related stress. Health professionals and religious leaders should consider working collaboratively to promote religious involvement, integrate spiritual support into caregiver services, and develop community-based interventions that address both psychological and physical health needs of family caregivers.

The study aimed to determine the relationship between religious coping and the quality of life of hemodialysis patients in Somalia. This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 174 -12 Health Survey hemodialysis patients in April-July 2024 in the hemodialysis unit of a Training and Research Hospital in Somalia. The data were collected using the Patient Identification Form, Religious Coping Scale, and Short Form (SF-12). A significant positive correlation was found between patients' positive religious coping scores (r = 0.270; p < 0.05), physical (r = 0.177; p < 0.05), and mental quality of life and age (r = 0.363; p < 0.05). Additionally, there was a negative correlation between physical quality of life and hemodialysis duration (r =  - 0.170; p < 0.05) and a negative correlation between mental quality of life and age (r =  - 0.231; p < 0.05). In the multiple linear regression analysis, 15.2% of the total variance in physical quality of life was explained by occupation, positive religious coping, and duration of hemodialysis (F = 10.171. p = 0.000. R² = 0.152; R = 0.390). The total variance at the mental quality of life level was explained by living with whom and vascular access with a rate of 13.8% (F = 5.363. p = 0.000. R² = 0.138; R = 0.372). Positive religious coping was associated with improved mental and physical health-related quality of life in hemodialysis patients.

Pakistan is a religiously pluralistic society that has been plagued by inter-religious conflict. Given that religious tolerance is key to a progressive and harmonious society, it is essential to understand the impact of engagement with religious texts on the tolerance and mental health of people in the country. This mixed methods study aims to quantitatively identify (i) the relationship between engagement with religious text, religious tolerance, and mental health, and (ii) which religious groups show comparatively better religious tolerance. In the second phase, the study aims to collect qualitative data to understand whether religious texts influence religious groups in Pakistan in terms of inter-religious tolerance and what challenges they face in achieving interfaith harmony. We purposively collected data in Lahore, Pakistan, from graduate degree holders who regularly visit religious centers. Quantitative data revealed that higher engagement with religious texts among educated individuals who read them with a critical understanding is associated with improved religious tolerance and mental health. Qualitative analysis from 289 respondents revealed that religious text from all six groups-Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus, Muslim Sunnis, Muslim Shias, and Sikhs-promotes tolerance, peace, humanitarianism, and service and trade with each other. Challenges to interfaith harmony include fear of misuse of religious misinterpretations and laws, illegitimate scholars, political agents, illiteracy, and unregulated social media. The study concludes with salient recommendations to promote interfaith harmony in the country and support the mental health of religious minorities.

Spirituality and religiosity play an important role in medical practice, helping patients cope with illness and treatment. Despite this relevance, gaps in medical education persist. This study, conducted in Brazil, evaluated the knowledge acquired during medical school and students' perceptions of the importance of spirituality in patient care and psychological well-being. This cross sectional, quantitative, exploratory study used a self-administered 19-item questionnaire developed by the researchers. A total of 300 medical students from the last two years of a six-year program participated. The sample consisted of 205 women and 95 men, with a mean age of 23.9 ± 3.4 years. Most students (84%) recognized the importance of knowledge about spirituality, yet 93% reported no academic exposure to the topic. Just over half (55.7%) felt comfortable obtaining a patient's spiritual history, while 97% agreed that addressing spirituality enhances the doctor-patient relationship, including cultural beliefs and life purposes. A significant sex difference emerged regarding the importance of assisting patients with relaxation and stress-reduction activities (p = 0.017). An exploratory logistic regression analysis examining the perceived importance of knowledge about spirituality indicated that age, gender, and academic cycle were not significantly associated with the outcome (all p > 0.05). In conclusion, integrating spirituality and religiosity into medical education is essential for strengthening the doctor-patient relationship and improving patient follow-up, contributing to better clinical outcomes.

The experience of discrimination is associated with worse health outcomes. Religious attendance associated with positive health is theorized to buffer the harmful effect of stressors (e.g., discrimination). Using data from the 2020 Canadian General Social Survey, we examined whether discrimination moderated the religious attendance-health relationship. The effects of religious attendance on well-being were modest and not uniformly linear. Additionally, the current results did not support that religious service attendance mitigated the adverse impacts of religious discrimination. The results highlight a need to revisit theoretical models of buffering to consider additional factors that influence the R/S-health relationship amid discrimination, including the nature, frequency, and intensity of discrimination experiences.