Journal of Religion & Health最新文献

This study explores the relationship between spirituality, perceptions of spiritual care, and hopelessness among elderly care technician students in Türkiye. Using a descriptive-correlational design, data were collected from 284 students through a sociodemographic form, the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS), and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). The mean SSCRS score was 63.41 ± 8.76, indicating high spiritual sensitivity. Subscale scores were: Spirituality and Spiritual Care (26.58 ± 5.40), Religiosity (15.47 ± 1.83), and Individual Care (14.22 ± 2.88). The mean BHS score was 5.72 ± 4.86, reflecting low hopelessness. A weak negative correlation was found between spirituality and hopelessness. Despite students' limited ability to define the concepts of spirituality and spiritual care, their elevated scores on the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS)-particularly within the 'Spirituality and Spiritual Care' and 'Religiosity' subscales-indicate a strong internalization of these values. This suggests that, although theoretical understanding is insufficient, students recognize the practical significance of spiritual care and perceive religiosity as an integral component of holistic care. Furthermore, the strong performance in the Religiosity subscale implies that students view spiritual care not only as psychological or emotional support but also as encompassing faith-based dimensions, such as prayer and religious practices. Integrating theoretical and practical spiritual care education into elderly care programs may help students combine faith-based values with professional skills, maintain hope, and improve care quality.

This historical review aims not only to identify and analyse artistic depictions of miraculous healings of various injuries and orthopaedic pathologies affecting the foot and leg over the centuries, but also to explore the stories of the saints portrayed and the exceptional artists who brought these miracles to life through their masterpieces. By examining historical and artistic sources, this study traces the evolution of healing iconography from the earliest descriptions in the sixth century, through the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Special attention is given to the increasing anatomical accuracy in these works of art, influenced by Renaissance figures such as Andreas Vesalius, who collaborated with artists like Titian. An iconographic analysis reveals the symbolic and didactic roles of these artworks in both religious and medical contexts. Findings reveal that religious art functioned both as a vehicle for theological messages and as an educational medical tool, strengthening the belief in divine healing and promoting new perspectives in the advances of active and dynamic medical science. These depictions supported the rise of church-affiliated hospitals, marking a transition from purely miraculous healing to practices grounded in anatomy and empirical medicine. This study highlights how depictions of foot and leg healing in religious art functioned simultaneously as expressions of faith and as vehicles for medical education for embracing new medical insights. This dynamic interplay between art, religion and medicine laid the foundation for the integration of visual representation into modern medical science, ultimately shaping the evolution of orthopaedics and anatomical understanding in subsequent centuries.

The SOCOM Spiritual Fitness Scale (SSFS), originally developed to assess spiritual readiness in U.S. military populations, measures preparatory spiritual capacity within the Human Performance Optimization framework. This study investigated whether the SSFS could be successfully adapted to a civilian, non-American, non-English-speaking cultural context. Two studies with Polish adults examined the scale's psychometric properties and cultural validity. Study 1 (N = 1,145; 59.7% female; Mage = 37.64) employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, revealing that while the three-factor structure was maintained, empirical refinement from 17 to 14 items improved factorial clarity by eliminating problematic cross-loadings. The refined scale demonstrated acceptable to excellent reliability (α = .70-.98) and measurement invariance across gender. Study 2 (N = 250) examined construct validity, revealing culturally specific patterns: horizontal spiritual dimensions-Pursuing Meaning, Purpose, and Values (PMPV) and Service and Sacrifice for the Greater Good (SSGG)-showed strong positive correlations with positive mental health (r = .603, p < .001; r = .452, p < .001, respectively) and negative correlations with depression (r = -.375, p < .001; r = -.257, p < .001, respectively). In contrast, vertical spirituality (Personal Connection to a Higher Power; PCHP) showed weak correlation with positive mental health (r = .188, p < .001) and no significant correlation with depression (r = .020, p > .05). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that PMPV was the strongest predictor of both positive mental health (β = .55, p < .001) and depression (β = -.40, p < .001), while SSGG contributed no unique predictive variance beyond PMPV. Notably, PCHP emerged as a positive predictor of depression (β = .14, p = .031), suggesting a paradoxical pattern whereby stronger personal divine connection predicted elevated depressive symptoms, particularly among believers, despite negligible bivariate correlation. Six-month test-retest confirmed temporal stability across all dimensions. These findings demonstrate that spiritual fitness assessment can successfully cross cultural and contextual boundaries while revealing important cultural variations in how spiritual resources function.

This study aims to reveal the psychometric properties of the spiritual empathy fatigue scale (SEFC), which was developed to assess spiritual empathy fatigue (SEFC), one of the unique forms of burnout experienced by professionals providing faith-based help. SEFC is structured on four theoretical dimensions at the intersection of empathy fatigue and spiritual burnout: Empathic Overload and Overexposure, Spiritual Isolation and Loneliness, Spiritual Burnout and Faith Conflict and Questioning. In the scale development process, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with the data obtained from the first sample (n = 301), followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the second independent sample (n = 296). The four-factor structure obtained with Varimax rotation explains 62.97% of the total variance. CFA results show that the model fit of the four-dimensional structure of the scale is at an acceptable level (RMSEA = .065, CFI = .917, SRMR = .048). The overall internal consistency coefficient of the scale was calculated as Cronbach's α = .926, and the α values for the sub-dimensions ranged between .857 and .894. In addition, test-retest reliability was found to be r = .831 at a 15-day interval (n = 37). Unlike the existing compassion fatigue, empathy exhaustion or religious coping scales in the literature, SEFC is the first culturally adapted scale that can assess the specific psychological burdens experienced by professionals working in spirituality-based relief services in a multidimensional manner. In this respect, the scale provides a valid and reliable assessment tool to be used in various professional practice areas, especially in disaster psychology, spiritual counselling, pastoral supervision and in-service training.

The study was conducted to determine the spiritual well-being levels of heart failure (HF) patients and to evaluate the relationship between spiritual well-being, symptom control, and medication adherence. A total of 224 HF patients treated in a hospital in Türkiye were included in this descriptive and correlational study. Data were collected using a patient information form, Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS-7), and Symptom Status Questionnaire-Heart Failure. The mean score of HF patients on the Spiritual Well-being Scale was 127.74 ± 4.54. Considering that the score range of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale is 29-145, it was determined that the scale score of the patients was high. The mean score of the ARMS-7 was 26.27 ± 1.41, and the mean score of the Symptom Status Questionnaire-Heart Failure was 33.12 ± 11.96. A high level of spiritual well-being was associated with decreased the impact of disease-related symptoms and increase medication adherence in HF patients (p < 0.05). Additionally, regression analysis revealed that transcendence was associated with symptom burden (adjusted R² = 0.046) and medication adherence (adjusted R² = 0.062) (p < 0.01). As a result of our study, spiritual well-being was found to be associated with medication adherence and symptom control, although at a low level. Within the framework of holistic care, it is essential to strengthen the spiritual well-being levels of HF patients to support disease management. Longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes may be recommended to examine the relationship between spiritual well-being, medication adherence, and symptom control variables in HF patients.

Undergoing infertility treatment greatly impacts people in every dimension of life, including their spiritual existence. Spirituality is an intrinsic part of human existence and comprises three essential attributes and two common qualities. The three key attributes are: (I) transcendence, (II) connectedness to self, others and the world, and (III) the human search for meaning and purpose. The two qualities that distinguish spirituality are (1) the capability for change and evolvement and (2) a personal way of 'being in the world.' However, very little attention has been paid in research to the specific spiritual needs of infertility patients. We conducted a narrative literature review to examine what is known, with the aim of coming to a thorough understanding of the spiritual concerns of patients of fertility clinics. Based on the search criteria, 48 studies from around the world were included. We found that spiritual concerns of infertility patients occur in the midst of life as it is lived. Analyzing the literature shows how the three attributes of patients' spirituality change profoundly, while the two qualities are revealed in the fluidity and open-ended nature of this change. We describe this change as the unraveling of the experienced unity of life. We conclude that current literature lacks a framework that looks at humanity as existing in and through relations. This would enhance the understanding of the spiritual needs of infertility patients.

Hope is a multidimensional construct that plays a fundamental role in the human experience and in the processes of health and illness. Previous research has demonstrated its association with greater resilience, improved coping, and better treatment adherence; however, evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions designed to promote hope remains heterogeneous. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the effect of hope-based interventions on health outcomes. To this end, a systematic review was conducted using the databases PsycInfo, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science (2015-2025), with no language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials and controlled studies evaluating interventions designed to foster hope in adult populations with various health conditions were included. Predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and two independent reviewers performed study selection, data extraction, and synthesis. From an initial sample of 967 records, 36 studies met the inclusion criteria. The results indicated that cognitive-behavioral, positive psychology, mindfulness, narrative, and spiritual care interventions showed significant improvements in hope levels, accompanied by reductions in depression, anxiety, and hopelessness. Moreover, combined psychotherapeutic and spiritual interventions yielded broader effects on psychological and spiritual well-being; nevertheless, some studies reported inconclusive or delayed clinical effects. In conclusion, interventions focused on promoting hope have a positive and clinically relevant impact on mental, spiritual, and physical health outcomes. Their effectiveness depends not only on the techniques applied but also on individual, contextual, and professional factors, including the clinician's competencies and ability to foster realistic expectations. Thus, hope emerges as both a cross-cutting indicator of change and a key therapeutic objective for holistic, person-centered care.

Despite the success of health programs conducted within Latino churches, research has been limited in understanding facilitators and barriers that exist when conducting adult health programs within Latino churches. Thus, the objective of this study is to systematically review the literature to identify facilitators and barriers that exist when conducting adult health programs within Latino churches, based on the perception of church pastors/leaders and church members, using a socio-ecological approach. A comprehensive literature search in Medline, CINAHL, and Embase was conducted. Studies were included if they were conducted in the U.S., had church pastors/leaders or church members as study participants, and if they identified facilitators and barriers within the study. Facilitators and barriers from each study were also stratified using the Socio-Ecological model (SEM). Out of 123 articles, only seventeen were included. Fifteen articles discussed facilitators and barriers that were specific to conducting health programs such as diabetes or HIV/AIDS. Two articles discussed facilitators and barriers that were specific to conducting health promotion activities within Latino churches. In this study, facilitators were identified within each level of the SEM, except at the policy level. Moreover, barriers were identified within each level of the SEM. It is important for researchers and practitioners to consider these factors to ensure that health programs as well as health promotion activities carried out within Latino churches are successful.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between spiritual well-being and the supportive care needs of individuals diagnosed with breast cancer. This descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 148 patients diagnosed with breast cancer who applied to the oncology clinic of a university hospital between October 2022 and January 2023. Data were collected using the "Patient Descriptive Information Form," "Spiritual Well-Being Scale," and "The Supportive Care Needs Scale Short Form." The subscale meaning of high school graduates is significantly higher than literate-primary school education. The meaning of the subscale of employed is significantly higher than unemployed. Those who did not need supportive care during the illness had significantly higher scores in the meaning, peace, and faith subscales. A significant, negative relationship was found between meaning, peace, faith, and patients' age and the Supportive Care Needs Scale Short Form. It was found that as the levels of meaning, peace, and faith in patients increased, their supportive care needs decreased. Spirituality can be used in a cost-effective and efficient manner to meet their supportive care needs. Therefore, nurses should consider the spiritual care needs of patients with breast cancer during the diagnosis and treatment process. Several limitations are noted with regard to this study.