Journal of Religion & Health最新文献

Data from a cross-sectional survey with options for free text statements revealed that people who identify themselves as part of the LGBTQI+ community (n = 417) experienced both acceptance and discrimination by church members. Their negative experiences affected their relationship with God in terms of spiritual dryness and loss of faith. In regression analyses, the best predictors of life satisfaction and psychological well-being were self-acceptance and low spiritual dryness. This self-acceptance as a resource, mediated the link between spiritual dryness and life satisfaction. Nevertheless, 96% still wish for a church/faith community that welcomes all people-and accepts them as they are and feel.

This study examined the mediating role of forgiveness and hope in the relationship between religiousness and satisfaction with life in late adults in Poland. Participants were 237 people (165 females and 72 males) aged between 60 and 92. The mean age of the sample was 68.37 years (SD = 6.92), and the most represented religious affiliation was Roman Catholic (98.3%). Satisfaction with life is related to the centrality of religiousness. In the surveyed seniors, hope and tendency to forgive mediated the relationship between the centrality of religiousness and satisfaction with life.

This study examines religious experiences (REs) and their transformative aftereffects (TAs) among pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. Analyzing 32 travelogue testimonies and survey data from 501 participants, it identifies three key dimensions of post-RE transformations: heightened Unity and Love, a strong commitment to the Apostolic Mission, and expanded Spirituality, Wisdom, and Detachment. Pilgrims report a shift toward greater love, unity with nature, and sharing insights, as well as increased spirituality and reduced materialism. The study finds significant correlations between TAs and individuals prioritizing their relationship with God and regular religious practices, highlighting REs' impact on societal values and beliefs.

Most children with a rare disease are cared for by their family members but parenting such a child is extremely demanding due to the complexity and severity of symptoms, with serious physical, emotional, social, and financial consequences for caregivers. Although religion may serve as a positive coping strategy, little is known about its role in helping caregivers manage the stress related to the burden of caregiving in Poland. Therefore, we surveyed 925 Polish family caregivers of children with rare diseases to understand the association between caregivers' religiosity and their caring experiences. The findings suggest that parents' religiosity is associated with a more positive caregiving experience, perceived quality of life, and experienced caregiving burden. While religious caregivers reported experiencing less distressing emotions and stressed the encouraging impact of their child's disease on their life more often, non-religious caregivers experienced role captivity and role overload more frequently. Since religion may serve as a source of strength and a protecting factor against mental health problems and the burden of caregiving, healthcare professionals should be aware of the importance of religious and spiritual care, and caregivers' religiosity should be considered an integral part of a holistic approach.

Antisemitism has been rising for decades and worsened following the events of Oct 7, 2023. Although anecdotal evidence suggests that these trends extend into the US medical community, quantitative data have been lacking. To address this gap, we quantitated publications about antisemitism, analyzed social media posts from the accounts of 220,405 healthcare professionals, and disseminated a survey to members of Jewish medical associations. Publications and social media posts about antisemitism rose > fivefold, while posts promoting antisemitic stereotypes increased 2-fourfold. Most Jewish-identifying medical students and professionals (75.4%) reported exposure to antisemitism. Together, our results suggest that antisemitism is escalating within the US healthcare community.

This paper is a reflection on the word, "ministry" within the ministry of public health, and draws attention to the religious connotation to enunciate the breadth and depth of the ministry mandate in public health service, education and practice in developing countries.

This study aimed to examine the barriers and facilitators of the public toward deceased organ donation in Chandigarh, and Chennai, India, from three major religious groups, Hinduism, Islamism, and Christianity. Twenty-five focus groups were conducted (n = 87) stratified by study region, religion, sex, and age. Data were analysed using framework analysis. The results revealed that individuals were primarily willing to donate their organs. However, their religious views regarding death, after-life beliefs, funeral ritual practices, and lack of knowledge regarding their religion's position toward deceased organ donation created tension and ambiguity in the decision-making. However, younger age groups (18-30 years) appeared more open and positive toward deceased organ donation. The conclusion demands a clear need for religious leaders and stakeholders to address their religion's stance, which creates tension and ambiguity in any uncertainties surrounding cultural and religious-based views among the Indian population.

The purpose of this project was to implement intentional spiritual care in a community population with chronic illness in the United States to reduce risk of depression. A convenience sample (n = 10) of members of a congregation participated in scheduled spiritual care for 12 weeks. The PHQ-9 depression screening tool was given pre and postimplementation to evaluate efficacy of the spiritual care sessions on risk of depression. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected. All participants identified as having at least one chronic illness and considered themselves to be spiritual. Initial PHQ-9 scores indicated all participants had mild to moderately severe risk of depression. Postimplementation PHQ-9 scores indicated a decrease in score ranging from no risk to moderate risk of depression. Postimplementation PHQ-9 scores indicated a decrease in depression score of 2.8 points on average. The paired samples t-test result for the before versus after PHQ-9 were statistically significant with p < .01 and t(9) = 4.882. During this project, no participant experienced an increase or worsening of their illness. These results showed that identifying individual spiritual needs and incorporating intentional spiritual care can reduce the risk of depression and decrease exacerbation episodes in chronically ill patients.

Forgiveness is an important component of many of the world's religions that also has benefits for individuals' health and relationships. Research on the health benefits of forgiveness is couched predominately in the stress and coping framework, which views forgiveness as buffering the stress associated with unforgiving feelings. This exploratory study (N = 47) elaborated on the stress and coping framework by investigating it in conversation with an evolutionary approach. Specifically, this study examined one's own forgiveness index (i.e., the interaction of exploitation risk and relationship value) as moderating an association between forgiveness and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibodies. The results indicated that forgiveness shared no significant association with EBV antibodies at low (16th percentile) levels of relationship value (b = - 11, p = .643), but shared an increasingly significant negative association at moderate (50th percentile: b = - 49, p = .038) and high (84th percentile: b = - 84, p = .009) levels, suggesting that forgiveness was more strongly linked to enhanced immune function when occurring in higher valued relationships. Implications for religion, theory, and methodological comparison are discussed.