Journal of Religion & Health最新文献

One of the most common congenital defects affecting the orofacial areas worldwide is cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CL/P), which causes a range of social, psychological, and medical challenges for affected children and their families. Several socio-cultural beliefs and superstitions are attached to this condition, but little is known about how CL/P is framed by Muslim parents. The religious, spiritual, and cultural construction of CL/P is a significant yet often overlooked aspect of the subject covered in this study. It also discusses how parents of children with CL/P use spirituality and religion as coping strategies. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, data were gathered from 21 parents of children with CL/P at a cleft care hospital in Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab, Pakistan. The purposive sampling technique was used to ensure that participants had direct and relevant lived experience. By utilizing thematic analysis technique, four main and nine sub-themes were identified regarding parents' religio-spiritual and cultural construction of CL/P. In addition to understanding their children's condition through religious and cultural beliefs, the study also found that parents utilized religion and spirituality as coping mechanisms and saw CL/P as a 'test' from God. Many parents seemed to believe in superstitions embedded in Punjabi culture and associated CL/P with several cultural constructions and rituals. The study concludes that religious, spiritual, and cultural beliefs shape how Muslim parents in Punjab, Pakistan constructed and interpreted CL/P. Further, religious and spiritual belief gave optimism and courage to parents as they prayed to God for the quick recovery of their children.

Existing research has established a high prevalence of moral injury (MI) among healthcare workers and its association with severe negative outcomes, underscoring the need to elucidate its underlying mechanisms. Although personality traits are theorized to predispose individuals to MI, direct empirical evidence for this relationship remains scarce. This study recruited 439 physicians (240 female) and 562 nurses (527 female) from three hospitals in southern China. Participants were assessed for MI symptoms, Big Five (BF) personality traits, Light Triad (LT) traits, and Dark Triad (DT) traits. Using network analysis, we constructed the BF-LT-DT-MI network to identify the trait-to-symptom connections. Bridge expected influence (BEI) was computed to quantify the bridging role of these traits toward the MI symptoms cluster. In the BF-LT-DT-MI network, trait-to-symptom connections were distinct (e.g., Agreeableness-Loss of trust; Neuroticism-Loss of meaning; Conscientiousness-Loss of faith; Faith in Humanity-Loss of trust; Humanism-Loss of faith; Kantianism-Loss of faith; Machiavellianism-Self-condemnation; Psychopathy-Feeling betrayed; Psychopathy-Self-condemnation). Neuroticism, Machiavellianism and Psychopathy had the highest positive BEIs, whereas Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Faith in Humanity had the highest negative BEIs. Our findings provide novel insights into MI through the lens of personality and may offer empirical targets for early screening, prevention, and intervention among healthcare workers. The clinical implications are discussed.

This study examines the interconnectedness of spiritual intelligence and innovation by conducting a comprehensive bibliometric analysis using the Scopus database. Although prior reviews have separately addressed spiritual intelligence and innovation, integrated analyses of their relationship remain limited. Our analysis identified seven key research clusters, encompassing the role of spiritual intelligence in fostering organisational innovation, shaping culture, enhancing creativity, influencing ethical behaviour, employee performance, and leadership. The findings illuminate thematic developments, evolutionary trends, and emerging research directions, such as creativity, leadership, and culture, focusing primarily on countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, and the USA. This study contributes valuable insights to guide future research and practical applications in this evolving field.

Many physicians believe that spiritual care is a necessary component of holistic medical care. Despite the apparent importance of spiritual care, very few Australian medical schools include such content in their curricula. We used data from two previous research projects to develop the evidence base for an Australian medical school curriculum for spiritual care training. This curriculum paper describes the content and delivery of pilot workshops, assessment of their efficacy, along with details of the learning journey for both the students and the medical educator. Learning needs were identified in a pre-workshop interview with a simulated patient. Each student had the opportunity to demonstrate their new spiritual history-taking skills, during the workshop and in a formative assessment in the weeks following their training. Our aim for this paper is to share our methodology and our curriculum. We also describe how we approached the assessment of its efficacy, the outcome of which will be presented in a subsequent paper. We hope this will assist other educators in adopting this model of teaching spiritually focused holistic patient care.

Spiritual well-being is essential to overall well-being for healthcare providers. Furthermore, providing spiritual care depends on providers' spiritual well-being and competence in assessing patients' spiritual care needs. Including spiritual care in maternal healthcare represents an opportunity to improve the quality of patient care. We conducted interviews with 20 maternal healthcare providers to understand how to address spiritual care implementation goals. Through thematic analysis, the following themes were identified: defining spirituality, the interplay of provider spirituality and spiritual care, and the barriers and facilitators to support provider well-being. Opportunities to support provider well-being, an essential piece of developing spiritual care programs, are discussed.

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and has multidimensional impacts, including physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects. Spiritual well-being (SWB), which encompasses religious and existential dimensions, is crucial in helping patients cope with the disease. However, its role in CHD patients has not been comprehensively mapped. This scoping review explores the concept of spiritual well-being, its dimensions, and its impact on CHD patients. This scoping review uses the Arksey and O'Malley framework and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Literature searches were conducted using the Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Springer, and ProQuest databases with keywords related to CHD and SWB. Inclusion criteria included original articles in English, full text, published between 2014 and 2025, and examining SWB in CHD patients. Of the 1,698 articles identified, eleven articles met the criteria for analysis. Most of the studies originated from Iran, followed by Turkey, Indonesia, and Brazil. The results showed that high spiritual well-being was associated with reduced anxiety, depression, and fear of death; lower severity of coronary heart disease; and improved quality of life. Spiritual well-being plays a crucial role in improving psychological aspects, promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, and improving the quality of life in patients with coronary heart disease.

Menopause represents a natural transition in a woman's life, profoundly shaping her psychological well-being and social identity. This study aimed to explore the spiritual and psychological experiences of women during menopause in Turkey and to understand how religious and spiritual practices influence their coping processes and perceptions of womanhood. A qualitative research design based on semi-structured interviews was used with 17 women aged 40-65 years, with diverse educational and occupational backgrounds. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that menopause is a multidimensional process encompassing emotional, social, and spiritual transformation. Participants frequently used religious and spiritual practices such as prayer and worship to manage emotional distress and enhance psychological resilience. Four major themes emerged: identity and social roles, continuity and transformation of life, emotional experiences, and spirituality and faith. Overall, the study highlights that spirituality serves as a significant source of coping and meaning-making during menopause. Incorporating spiritual perspectives into healthcare counseling and support programs, including midwifery services, may strengthen women's psychological well-being during this life stage.

It is essential to determine moral intelligence and spiritual caregiving levels among nursing students, who are professionals of the future, for delivering nursing care within a holistic framework and increasing the quality of their delivered care. The present research was conducted to determine the relationship between moral intelligence levels and spiritual care perceptions among nursing students. This research was planned as a cross-sectional and correlational study. This study's sample comprised 420 nursing students who received education in Türkiye between March and June 2022 and agreed to take part in the research. The questionnaires to be used in the study were delivered to nursing students online through their social media accounts (WhatsApp, LinkedIn, e-mail, etc.). The Descriptive Information Form, Moral Intelligence Scale, and Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale were used to collect the research data. Students' moral intelligence score was 1.90 ± 0.41, and their spirituality and spiritual care perceptions score was 36.04 ± 6.66. A positive, moderately significant correlation was identified between moral intelligence levels and spiritual care perceptions among students (p = 0.001). Furthermore, a statistically significant correlation was found between students' scale mean scores and their grade level, providing spiritual care in the clinic and considering spiritual care as necessary as physical care (p < 0.05). To improve students' moral intelligence and increase their competence in delivering the best spiritual care, it is recommended that studies be increased on the integration of moral intelligence and spiritual care into the curriculum at all grade levels and that diverse teaching techniques be employed.

Recent research has highlighted the profound connection between the gut microbiome and overall human health, particularly its impact on mental well-being. The potential of "psychobiotic" interventions to foster resilience and emotional stability is especially promising. Methodologically, this article offers a philosophical-theological exploration that interprets current microbiome research in dialog with Christian theological sources, emphasizing how human-microbe symbiosis shapes both mental health and theological understandings of the human person. The intricate relationship between the microbiome, mental health, and brain function, in turn, affects spirituality and challenges anthropocentric notions of human identity. Certain anthropological and theological perspectives suggest that the gut microbiome can be viewed as a divine gift that enhances human flourishing through symbiosis. Within this framework, the human person appears as a holobiont-a composite of body, soul, and microbial life-created for communion with God and others. As steward and priest of creation, the human-holobiont is called to actively participate in the divine work of creation and redemption through relational communion with others, including fellow humans, the natural environment, and the microbiota. Integrating scientific insights with theological reflection, this article proposes that microbiome care contributes not only to mental well-being but also to spiritual restoration and ecological ethics. A non-egocentric eco-Christological ethic could thus honor microbiome care as integral to human personhood and divine relationship, fostering harmony between humanity, creation, and the divine.

Chronic pain is a common medical challenge in Poland. Its impact is particularly significant because it affects all dimensions of patients' lives. Interestingly, the psychological and spiritual dimensions of quality of life appear to be closely intertwined. There is a scarcity of research explaining the beneficial or detrimental roles of religious coping on well-being in chronic pain patients. However, research on other populations indicates the importance of the existential factor within the two-dimensional spiritual well-being theory. We hypothesize that religious well-being is indirectly linked to mental health and quality of life through its role in facilitating meaning and purpose in life. We recruited 58 non-cancer chronic pain patients at the Pain Management Clinic of the University Clinical Hospital in Poznań, Poland, and examined them in two waves with a three-month interval between February and July 2025. The statistical analysis indicated that religious well-being significantly reduces depression and anxiety and increases quality of life, indirectly through improving existential well-being. We conclude that while belief in God may offer comfort, the psychological benefits of religiosity are conditional and depend on whether it fosters adaptive meaning-making. Purpose and hope may or may not be rooted in religious frameworks. These findings underscore the need for implementing interventions for patients with chronic pain in Poland, which focus on finding meaning and purpose-such as meaning-centered therapy or spiritually oriented conversations in clinical settings.