Spiritual care for clients with mental illness from an Islamic background: Nursing students' perspectives.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Spirituality is an important aspect for clients with mental illness. Spirituality is essential to holistic care in mental health nursing. Nurses found an apparent disconnection between the theory and practice of spiritual care. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE: Nurses acknowledged that attitudes that allocate blame towards clients with mental illness have the most negative impact on clients' spiritual wellbeing. The conflicting worldviews between spiritual healing and a biomedical approach impact the provision of care as relationships among the mental health team are disrupted. The non-assessment of the client's spirituality hindered nurses from providing spiritual care. Language differences between nurses and clients impede nurses from providing spiritual care. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The use of spiritual therapy as an element of nursing care works if clients and nurses are both aware of the importance of spirituality. Nursing staff must also be aware of several issues that may make it difficult for nurses to provide such therapy, including specific symptoms of mental illness. Nurses can apply spiritual care effectively when they have significant spirituality. Nurses with good competency in mental health nursing skills are more likely to provide efficient spiritual care as part of holistic care. ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Spiritual care is essential to clients with mental illness. AIM: To explore mental health nursing students' perspectives on spirituality and spiritual care and how this impacts clients with mental illness in an Islamic context (Saudi Arabia). METHOD: Thematic analysis is used to analyse data from two focus groups of mental health nursing students (one comprising eight, the other six). RESULTS: Six themes emerged: factors affecting spirituality in mental illness, the impact of mental illness on spirituality, the use of spiritual healing in mental illness, nurses' use of spiritual healing; challenges in providing spiritual care and recommendations for improving spiritual care. DISCUSSION: Clients being blamed for having mental illness by health professionals and the community harmed their spirituality. The religious support of peers was a practical approach to spiritual therapy, asserted as a beneficial element of nursing care. However, nurses found providing such therapy challenging because of the language barrier and the lack of any assessment of clients' spirituality. It was also challenging when dealing with specific symptoms of mental illness. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The study asserts that spiritual therapy in nursing care will work if the client knows its importance. Nurses who have significant spirituality can apply it effectively.

The Role of Black Churches in Promoting Mental Health for Communities of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Black Americans.

OBJECTIVE: Churches in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods serve as safe havens in many Black communities. Churches provide faith and charitable services but often have limited resources to address the mental health needs of their communities. This article reports on a collaborative effort, driven by members of a Black church, to understand mental health needs, coping strategies, and resilience factors in a community of socioeconomically disadvantaged Black Americans. METHODS: A community-based participatory research effort was established among a church, a community mental health organization, clinicians, and researchers to interview and survey individuals residing near the church. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 59 adults, most of whom were ages 46-65 years, men (N=34, 58%), and unemployed (N=46, 78%). Mean scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (9.2±7.7) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (9.4±6.7) were almost three times higher than those reported by studies of other Black populations in the United States. Five themes emerged: prolonged poverty and daily exposure to violence trigger emotional distress, mental health stigma affects help seeking, spirituality promotes mental relief and personal recovery, spirituality helps in coping with poverty and unsafe neighborhoods, and church-based programs are needed. CONCLUSIONS: Uptake of traditional mental health services was low, and reliance on faith and resource distribution by the church was high. Church-led interventions are needed to promote mental health at the individual and community levels. Mental health stigma, and negative attitudes toward mental health promotion in the community, may be addressed by integrating traditional mental health services in church-based recreational and leisure activities.

[SUCCESSFUL AGING-A MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DIMENSION CONCEPT AN EMPHASIS ON THE END OF LIFE].

INTRODUCTION: The concept of "successful aging" as coined by Rowe and Kahan in the late nineties of the last century, came to describe a period of old age with multi-functional abilities. The functions are physical, cognitive and social, without progressive chronic diseases and without disabilities. There is a change in the concept of successful aging beyond the physical dimension (daily function (ADL) and cognitive function) which is based on objective performance indicators towards subjective indicators based on the patients' feelings and their quality of life. Successful aging moves from the limited bio-physical aspect to an overall view of bio-psycho-socio which means mental-emotional-behavioral aspects, social involvement, and also an element of spirituality and even end-of-life decisions. Successful aging will be measured by objective and subjective measures that include the patient's feelings and experiences. The idea is to include and see in successful aging not only the absence of morbidity and disability as seen by Rowe and Kahan, but to a multidimensional function that includes physical and cognitive, mental and emotional, social and spiritual parameters and a dimension of the end of life in making decisions according to the wishes and preferences of the person himself and his family.

The Role of Social Media in the Experiences of COVID-19 Among Long-Hauler Women: Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: The extant literature suggests that women are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and at higher risk for developing long COVID. Due to pandemic mitigation recommendations, social media was relied upon for various aspects of daily life, likely with differences of usage between genders. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the role and functions of social media in the lives of long-hauler women. METHODS: Participants were purposively snowball-sampled from an online health promotion intervention for long-hauler women with COVID-19 from March to June 2021. During this time, one-on-one, semistructured interviews were conducted online until data saturation was agreed to have been achieved (ie, 15 interviews). Interview transcripts and field notes were analyzed using an emergent, inductive approach. RESULTS: In total, 15 women were enrolled. The main roles of social media included facilitating support group participation, experience sharing, interpersonal connections, and media consumption. Emergent themes demonstrated that participants rely on social media to fulfill needs of emotional support, social engagement, spirituality, health planning, information gathering, professional support, and recreationally for relaxation. As long-hauler women turn to social media to discuss symptom and health management as well as the intention to vaccinate, this study demonstrates both the associated benefits (ie, decreased isolation) and challenges (ie, misinformation, rumination, resentment, jealousy). CONCLUSIONS: The public health implications of these findings support the development of gender-tailored health promotion interventions that leverage the benefits of social media, while mitigating the negative impacts, for women with long COVID.

The impact of familial involvement on dropout in a culturally informed group therapy for people diagnosed with 'schizophrenia'.

Background: Individuals with schizophrenia diagnoses are high-risk for dropout from mental health treatments, yet few studies have examined whether familial involvement in therapy impacts dropout. Methods: We examined whether familial involvement and other demographic variables predicted dropout among 101 patients enrolled in culturally informed group therapy for schizophrenia (CIGT-S), which incorporates collectivistic principles and spiritual coping into treatment. We reviewed records and conducted follow-up calls to identify reasons for dropout, and performed survival analyses to identify when dropout was likely. Results: Familial involvement was linked to greater engagement with treatment and lower dropout, signifying a mechanism for improving treatment attendance in this group. Ethnic minorities and patients with higher symptom severity demonstrated higher rates of dropout. Most patients dropped out of CIGT-S before treatment began. However, significantly lower levels of dropout were observed among those who made it to session 9 (end of the spirituality module). An inability to maintain contact with participants was the most cited reason for dropout within records, and structural reasons (e.g., moving away) were commonly cited among participants who were successfully followed-up with. Discussion: Future work may identify whether family functioning or the quality of familial relationships may predict familial involvement and, consequently, treatment attendance.

Implementing spiritual care education into the teaching of palliative medicine: an outcome evaluation.

BACKGROUND: The concept of "total pain" plays an important role in palliative care; it means that pain is not solely experienced on a physical level, but also within a psychological, social and spiritual dimension. Understanding what spirituality entails, however, is a challenge for health care professionals, as is screening for the spiritual needs of patients. OBJECTIVE: This is a novel, interprofessional approach in teaching undergraduate medical students about spiritual care in the format of a seminar. The aim of this study is to assess if an increase in knowledge about spiritual care in the clinical context is achievable with this format. METHODS: In a mandatory seminar within the palliative care curriculum at our university, both a physician and a hospital chaplain teach strategies in symptom control from different perspectives (somatic domain - spiritual domain). For evaluation purposes of the content taught on the spiritual domain, we conducted a questionnaire consisting of two parts: specific outcome evaluation making use of the comparative self-assessment (CSA) gain and overall perception of the seminar using Likert scale. RESULTS: In total, 52 students participated. Regarding specific outcome evaluation, the greatest gain was achieved in the ability to define total pain (84.8%) and in realizing its relevance in clinical settings (77.4%). The lowest, but still fairly high improvement was achieved in the ability to identify patients who might benefit from spiritual counselling (60.9%). The learning benefits were all significant as confirmed by confidence intervals. Overall, students were satisfied with the structure of the seminar. The content was delivered clearly and comprehensibly reaching a mean score of 4.3 on Likert scale (4 = agree). The content was perceived as overall relevant to the later work in medicine (mean 4.3). Most students do not opt for a seminar solely revolving around spiritual care (mean 2.6). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that implementing spiritual care education following an interprofessional approach into existing medical curricula, e.g. palliative medicine, is feasible and well perceived among medical students. Students do not wish for a seminar which solely revolves around spiritual care but prefer a close link to clinical practice and strategies.

The Development and Feasibility of a Novel Group Intervention to Support Helping Professionals in Metabolizing Suffering and Engaging Strengths: The CHRYSALIS Program.

This feasibility study reports on the development and initial evaluation of a novel online intervention for helping professionals (HPs; i.e. mental health professionals, chaplains, clergy) designed to (a) address occupational hazards, such as burnout and vicarious traumatization, and (b) promote well-being and flourishing at work. In contrast with competency and self-care focused models, the CHRYSALIS (Catalyzing Helping Professionals' Resilience, VitalitY, Spirituality, Authentic Living, and Inner Strength) intervention centers the self of the provider, explores cultural and spiritual contexts, and attends to systemic challenges. As part of a larger randomized controlled trial evaluating two program formats, the group format entails eight online sessions exploring strengths that can promote well-being, including processing, relational, vitalizing, orienting, and agentic capacities. To pilot test this framework and establish proof of concept, this study analyzed data from 41 HPs who had been randomly assigned to the group condition and completed surveys at four time points. Quantitative results indicated significant reductions in vicarious traumatization and burnout as well as increased well-being and meaning in work. Qualitative results suggest the intervention fostered relational support, cultivated new perspectives, and increased engagement with strengths, positively impacting participants' work and navigation of caregiving systems. Feedback about cohesion and group dynamic challenges in an online format informed further program development. This study provides initial support for the feasibility and efficacy of the group format of the CHRYSALIS intervention as a creative means to address HPs' risk for occupational hazards and promote holistic formation in a relational context.

The Need to Widen the Concept of Health and to Include the Spiritual Dimension.

For many, the World Health Organization's (WHO) definition of health does not reflect their own understanding of health, because it lacks aspects such as spiritual wellbeing. Responding to these concerns, the WHO called in 2023 for a vision of health that integrates physical, mental, psychological, emotional, spiritual, and social wellbeing. To date, medical practitioners are often reluctant to consider spiritual aspects, because of a perceived lack of statistical evidence about the strength of relations. Research on this topic is emerging. A recent study among 800 young people living with HIV in Zimbabwe showed how study participants navigated three parallel, at times contradicting health systems (religious, traditional, medical). Conflicting approaches led to multifaceted dilemmas (= spiritual struggles), which were significantly related to poorer mental and physical health. This illustrates the need for inclusion of spiritual aspects for health and wellbeing in research, and of increased collaboration between all stakeholders in healthcare.

Psychosocial Correlates of the Experience of Caregiving Among Caregivers of Patients With Schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Family caregivers provide essential support to their loved ones with schizophrenia with profound outcomes for themselves. The caregiver burden fails to consider the entire caregiving experience, which also incorporates positive aspects of caring. Many potentially significant variables are associated with this. AIM: To examine the correlates of the experience of caregiving in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. The specific objectives were to examine the socio-demographic variables of the patients and caregivers, clinical variables of the patient, caregivers' knowledge of illness, caregivers' perspectives of family functioning, caregiver coping, their social support, psychological distress, quality of life, and their spirituality, religiosity and personal beliefs and the associations of these variables with the caregivers' experience of caregiving. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted between August 2018 and January 2021 at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. One hundred and fifty-eight dyads of patients with schizophrenia and their family caregivers were recruited using purposive sampling. Experience of Caregiving Inventory was used to evaluate the caregiving experience. The caregivers were also assessed on socio-demographics, knowledge of illness, family functioning, coping, social support, general mental health, quality of life, and spiritual, religious, and personal beliefs. Patient socio-demographics and clinical variables were also assessed. RESULTS: A negative experience of caregiving was reported by caregivers of patients who had higher positive or negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Impaired Communication, Roles, Affective Responsiveness, Affective Involvement, and General Functioning aspects of family functioning were associated with a negative experience of caregiving. Denial/blame and seeking social support as coping were also associated with a negative experience of caregiving. A negative experience of caregiving was significantly positively correlated with greater psychological distress and poorer quality of life. Greater inner peace was associated with a less negative experience of caregiving. Spiritual strength was associated with a more positive experience of caregiving. Knowledge of mental illness and caregiver social support were not significantly associated with the experience of caregiving. CONCLUSION: Experience of caregiving is a relevant construct, the understanding of which can help inform caregiver-directed interventions in the future. Specifically, family-based interventions, which include ameliorating patient symptomatology, improving the family environment, strengthening caregivers' coping strategies, attending to caregiver distress, and encouraging spirituality among caregivers, may lead to a less negative and more positive experience of caregiving; and a better quality of life for caregivers.

Perceptions of risk and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic among women and older adults.

The world's health, economic, and social systems have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With lockdown measures being a common response strategy in most countries, many individuals were faced with financial and mental health challenges. The current study explored the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological well-being, perception of risk factors and coping strategies of two vulnerable groups in Malaysia, namely women and older adults from low-income households (USD592). A purposive sample of 30 women and 30 older adults was interviewed via telephone during Malaysia's Movement Control Order (MCO) regarding the challenges they faced throughout the pandemic. Thematic analysis was subsequently conducted to identify key themes. The themes identified from the thematic analysis indicated a degree of overlap between both groups. For women, seven themes emerged: 1) Psychological challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic, 2) Family violence, 3) Finance and employment related stress and anxiety, 4) Women's inequality and prejudice, 5) Coping strategies, 6) Professional support, and 7) Women's empowerment. Similarly, there were six themes for the older adults: 1) Adverse emotional experiences from COVID-19, 2) Threats to health security, 3) Loss of social connections, 4) Government aid to improve older adults' psychological well-being, 5) Psychological support from family members and pets, and 6) Self-reliance, religion, and spirituality. The findings provide valuable information on the specific burdens faced by these groups, and support psychological interventions and mitigations that would be appropriate to improve well-being during the recovery phase.

Spiritual Experiences, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Yoga Practitioners: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study in Germany.

The present study aimed to analyze the extent to which yoga practitioners (n = 784) live by their faith/spirituality and how this influences their perceived prosocial behaviors. For that purpose, the model of transformational spirituality was applied. This model assumes that people who experience the sacred in their lives change their attitudes and behaviors and take responsibility in the world. Data from this cross-sectional anonymous online survey with standardized questionnaires (e.g., Franciscan-Inspired Spirituality Questionnaire, Awe/Gratitude Scale, World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index) showed that for most of the enrolled yoga practitioners, yoga is a conscious way of life and a path of spiritual development. Thus, they search for the Divine in the world, live in accordance with their spiritual convictions, and regard their faith/spiritual convictions as an orientation in their lives. Moreover, they score highly on peaceful attitudes and respectful treatment of others, and on commitment to disadvantaged people and the environment. Although the frequency of asana (postural) or pranayama (breathwork) practices was only marginally related to the indicators of spirituality, the frequency of meditation and studying the philosophical background of yoga was weakly to moderately related to Spiritual Experiences, Awe/Gratitude, and Living by Faith. Respondents' well-being was best predicted by experiential aspects of spirituality, inner congruence/emotional involvement with yoga, and with yoga seen as a spiritual path (R2 = 0.21). Regression analyses (R2 = 0.32) further showed that participants' inner congruence with yoga practices could best be predicted by the experiential aspects of spirituality and, to a lesser extent, by the frequency of asana practices, duration of yoga practice, and Peaceful Attitude/Respectful Treatment. The core dimension of faith and the related experiential aspect of spirituality were thus crucial for the ways the enrolled yoga practitioners behave in the world and interact with others and the environment.

Religiosidade/espiritualidade no processo de formação do profissional de saúde: relato de experiência / Religiosity/spirituality in the health professional training process: experience report / Religiosidad/espiritualidad en el proceso educativo de profesionales de la salud: relato de experiencia

INTRODUÇÃO: Por muito tempo os profissionais de saúde seguiram um modelo com uma visão fragmentada do cuidado, focado apenas na doença. Atualmente, esse modelo tem mudado e os profissionais têm adotado uma visão integral do sujeito, ampliando o entendimento de saúde para aspectos biopsicossociais e espiritual no conceito multidimensional de saúde. OBJETIVOS: analisar o processo de formação do profissional de saúde durante a pós-graduação sobre a inclusão da religiosidade e espiritualidade como prática de cuidado em saúde, e identificar as etapas vivenciadas. MÉTODO: Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, que tem como base metodológica um relato de experiência de março de 2021 a novembro de 2022, a partir da prática de uma residente fisioterapeuta do Programa Multiprofissional em Clínica da Pessoa e da Família. RESULTADOS E DISCUSSÃO: Foram definidos a divisão e o compartilhamento de algumas fases de aprendizado durante a residência: (1) Desconhecimento sobre o tema na graduação, (2) Introdução teórica ao tema da Espiritualidade e (3) Abordagem com os pacientes e os impactos na minha formação. A análise das etapas foi realizada com base nas leituras de artigos científicos realizadas para embasamento do presente estudo. CONSIDERAÇÕES FINAIS: É importante que mais estudos sobre o tema sejam desenvolvidos, com objetivo de incentivar discussões sobre o assunto nas universidades, para que futuros profissionais de saúde tenham uma formação humanizada, ademais, desenvolver métodos eficazes para integração da espiritualidade na prática clínica e construir/validar escalas no Brasil.

INTRODUCTION: For a long time, health professionals followed a model with a fragmented view of care, focused only on the disease. Currently, this model has changed and professionals have adopted an integral view of the subject, expanding the understanding of health to biopsychosocial and spiritual aspects in the multidimensional concept of health. OBJECTIVES: analyze the training process of health professionals during postgraduate studies on the inclusion of religion and spirituality as a health care practice, identifying the stages experienced. METHOD: This is qualitative research and its methodological basis is an experience report from March 2021 to November 2022, based on the practice of a physiotherapist resident of the Multiprofessional Program in Clínica da Pessoa e da Família. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: It was defined the division and sharing of some learning phases during the residency: (1) Lack of knowledge about the subject in graduation, (2) Theoretical introduction to the theme of Spirituality and (3) Approach with patients and the impacts on my training. The analysis of the stages was carried out based on the readings of scientific articles carried out for the basis of the present study. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: It is important that more studies on the subject be developed with the aim of encouraging discussions on the subject in universities so that future health professionals have a humanized training, in addition, to develop effective methods for integrating spirituality into clinical practice and to build/validate scales in Brazil.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Durante mucho tiempo, los profesionales de la salud siguieron un modelo con una visión fragmentada del cuidado, centrado únicamente en la enfermedad. Actualmente, ese modelo ha cambiado y los profesionales han adoptado una visión integral del tema, ampliando la comprensión de la salud a aspectos biopsicosociales y espirituales en el concepto multidimensional de la salud. OBJETIVOS: analizar el proceso de formación de los profesionales de la salud durante los estudios de posgrado sobre la inclusión de la religión y la espiritualidad como práctica de atención a la salud, identificando las etapas vividas. MÉTODO: Esta es una investigación cualitativa y su base metodológica es un relato de experiencia de marzo de 2021 a noviembre de 2022, basado en la práctica de un fisioterapeuta residente del Programa Multiprofesional en la Clínica da Pessoa e da Família. RESULTADOS Y DISCUSIÓN: Se definió la división y puesta en común de algunas fases de aprendizaje durante la residencia: (1) Falta de conocimiento sobre el tema en la graduación, (2) Introducción teórica al tema de la Espiritualidad y (3) Acercamiento con los pacientes y los impactos en mi entrenamiento. El análisis de las etapas se realizó a partir de las lecturas de artículos científicos realizadas para la base del presente estudio. CONSIDERACIONES FINALES: Es importante que se desarrollen más estudios sobre el tema con el objetivo de incentivar discusiones sobre el tema en las universidades para que los futuros profesionales de la salud tengan una formación humanizada, además de desarrollar métodos efectivos para integrar la espiritualidad en la práctica clínica y para construir/validar escalas en Brasil.

Link between individual resilience and aggressiveness in dental students and the mediating effect of spirituality: A path analysis.

BACKGROUND: The role of spirituality in people's lives, particularly the lives of health professionals, as well as its impact on mental health issues like anger and aggressiveness and resilience, are particularly significant. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the link between the propensity for violence and personal resilience in dental students by taking into account the function of spirituality as a mediator. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional questionnaire survey, 211 volunteer dentistry students participated from a government institute in Jammu and Kashmir, India using a stratified sample procedure. The Spiritual Orientation Scale, Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to gather the data. SPSS version 20.0 was used for conducting a bivariate analysis to ascertain the directionality connection between the research variables. In addition; structural equation modelling analysis was conducted by Smart PLS. RESULTS: According to the findings, resilience and spirituality have a substantial and positive link (r = 0.468 r = 0.023). Aggressiveness and resilience revealed a statistically significant inverse link (r = 0.325, P = 0.04), but aggression and spirituality had no significant correlation. Spirituality played a substantial mediation influence in the indirect pathway of violence on resilience (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: According to the study's findings, spirituality can help pupils become more resilient as individuals and can act as a helpful intermediary between aggressiveness and resilience.

Belief in omens and superstitions among patients with chronic neurological disorders.

Introduction: Chronic neurological disorders may affect various cognitive processes, including religiosity or superstitious belief. We investigated whether superstitious beliefs are equally prevalent in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), people with epilepsy (PWE), patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls (HCs). Methods: From late 2014 to early 2023 we conducted a cross-sectional in-person anonymous paper-based survey at the tertiary clinic of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos among outpatients and HCs by asking them to ascribe meaning or report belief for 27 culturally adapted statements (9 omens and 18 superstitions). The sum of items that a respondent believes in was labeled the superstition index (SI). The SI was compared between groups by means of the Kruskal-Wallis (H) test and negative binomial regression modeling. A two-step cluster analysis was performed to discern different subgroups based on answers to the items of the SI. Results: There were 553 respondents who completed the questionnaire (183 PWE, 124 patients with PD, 133 with MS and 113 HCs). Complete SI scores were collected for 479 (86.6%) participants and they were lower in patients with PD (n = 96, Md = 1, IQR = 0-5.75) in comparison to those with epilepsy (n = 155, Md = 6, IQR = 1-14), MS (n = 120, Md = 4, IQR = 0-12) or HCs (n = 108, Md = 4.5, IQR = 1-10), H (3) = 26.780, p < 0.001. In a negative binomial regression model (n = 394, likelihood ratio χ2 = 35.178, p < 0.001), adjusted for sex, place of residence, income and education, female sex was the only characteristic associated with the SI (ß = 0.423, OR = 1.526, 95% CI = 1.148 to 2.028). Both female sex (ß = 0.422, OR = 1.525, 95% CI = 1.148 to 2.026) and Parkinson's disease (ß = -0.428, OR = 0.652, 95% CI = 0.432 to 0.984) were significant predictors of the SI when age was removed from the model. Two-step cluster analysis resulted in individuals with PD being grouped into "extreme non-believer," "non-believer" and "believer" rather than "non-believer" and "believer" clusters characteristic for PWE, patients with MS and HCs. Conclusion: Our study suggests that individuals with PD believe in less superstitions than patients with MS, PWE or HCs. The results of this investigation should be independently confirmed after adjusting for PD-specific variables.

Spirituality, Intolerance and Fear of COVID-19: Psychological Distress Among Older Adults in Pakistan.

The present study aimed to investigate the role of spirituality, intolerance of uncertainty (IU), and fear of COVID-19 as correlates and predictors of psychological distress among older adults in Pakistan and also assess the gender differences among research variables. Using a quantitative correlational survey research design, a sample of 150 (75 = Men, 75 = Women) older adults aged 55 years and above from different cities of Pakistan were approached through a non-probability purposive sampling strategy. Participants completed the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale IUS-12, Fear of COVID-19, and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-K10. Spirituality has a significant negative relationship with psychological distress. Whereas, IU (Inhibitory anxiety and prospective anxiety) and fear of COVID-19 have a significant positive relationship with psychological distress. Results also showed that spirituality, IU dimensions, and fear of COVID-19 emerged as significant predictors of psychological distress among older adults after controlling for the effect of covariates. In addition, elderly females significantly showed more spirituality, less IU, and fear of COVID-19 as compared to elderly males. It is proposed that mental health care plays an important role in treating the psychological needs of older adults in pandemic situations and that further study is needed to develop effective solutions for older persons in stressful situations such as pandemics.

Spirituality and people with psychosis: A content analysis of influential primetime television programs.

OBJECTIVE: This mixed methods study examined depictions of spirituality among people with psychosis in influential television programming. Spirituality is a central strength for many people with psychosis. Yet, despite the important role media plays in shaping perceptions, little research has examined the intersection between spirituality and psychosis in popular media. METHODS: To address this gap, we conducted a content analysis of the 50 most viewed primetime fictional television shows over a 10-year period as determined by the Nielsen rating organization. Characters with psychosis were identified via keyword searches of online sources (wikis, IMDb, etc.) and subsequently independently coded by two individuals. Characters were rated on 18 items in three domains related to demographics, life status, and character framing. Inter-rater reliability ranged from good to excellent across variables. RESULTS: Of 120 identified focal characters with psychosis, just 16 percent (n = 19) had a spiritual identity. Analysis revealed few differences between spiritual and secular characters on demographic and life status variables. Conversely, an examination of framing variables revealed spiritual characters were comparatively less attractive, exhibited a greater negative impact on society, and were more likely to be referred to pejoratively (as a psychopath) and engage in criminal activity. Trend analysis indicated portrayals of spiritual characters decreased over time. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest media depictions of spirituality contribute to the stigmatization of spirituality among people with psychosis, potentially mitigating access to important coping resources and discouraging professional help-seeking. Primary care physicians should consider incorporating a spiritual assessment into care to operationalize spiritual coping assets.

Spirituality, Quality of Life, and Health: A Japanese Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Current reports suggest a positive association between spirituality and quality of life (QoL) in elders. While most studies are qualitative studies and there has been little validation in quantitative studies using scales to measure spirituality. Hence, we aimed to study the effect of spirituality on mental health and QoL in older people residing in Kumejima Town in Japan. METHODS: An interview-based survey was conducted between September 2010 and 2011 on residents of Kumejima Town aged 65 years or older. This survey-based study employed the Spirituality Health Scale for the Elderly (SP Health Scale) alongside assessments of basic attributes (e.g., age, sex); physical, mental, social health, spirituality, and QoL. We conducted a causal structure model to explore causal relationships between these factors. RESULTS: Our study included 338 participants, including 72.5% female with an average age and standard deviation of 77.2 ± 6.4 years. Our analysis revealed a significant association between spiritual health and QoL even after accounting for the impact of physical and mental health, which challenged the conventional belief that QoL inevitably diminishes with age and declining health. These results suggest that enhancing spirituality may offer a means to prevent declines in QoL, fostering a positive outlook on life as individuals age. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that improving spiritual health can enhance QoL, even in the presence of health challenges and aging. This novel perspective opens doors to redefining health as a state that coexists with illness, with spirituality serving as an integral component. A shift in our understanding of health that prioritizes spirituality, could benefit people of all ages, offering a more holistic approach to well-being that aligns with new medical technologies and evolving perceptions of health.

Spirituality for Social Isolation in a Patient with Cognitive Impairment: A Case Report.

Background: Social isolation is very common and has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To study if spiritual reconnection as part of a multi-component intervention can reduce social isolation in older adults with cognitive impairment. Methods: A longitudinal case study framework was used. A 68-year-old female with mild cognitive impairment presented with social isolation exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. She participated in a telephone-based psychosocial intervention program called Connection Plans for 8 weeks. Motivational interviewing techniques were used to encourage the patient to pick goals to improve the mind, body, and connections. In her connections goal, the patient expressed a desire to make spiritual reconnection. Connecting back to her spirituality was one of the key interventions in this patient. Social isolation, resilience, self-efficacy, and cognition were assessed using standardized rating scales before and after the intervention. Results: The patient was able to identify goals to enhance connections and physical and mental well-being. She successfully reconnected with her spirituality while maintaining COVID prevention measures. At an 8-week follow-up, compared to the baseline visit there was an improvement in measures of social isolation (22/30 to 14/30, a 36% reduction), resilience (12/20 to 20/20, a 67% improvement), and confidence (4/20 to 16/20, a 300% improvement). No improvement was noted in cognition. Conclusions: Spiritual reconnection as part of a multi-component intervention may protect against social isolation in older adults with cognitive impairment. Caution must be exercised in reaching this conclusion as this is a report of a single patient. Systematic studies are needed.

Explaining the lived experiences of school principals regarding the promotion of psychological capital of high school girls through promoting their health.

BACKGROUND: Psychological capital, a vital factor in adolescents' success, interacts with health and the dimensions of health and is especially important in adolescent girls. The purpose of this research is to explain the lived experiences of school principals regarding the promotion of psychological capital of high school girls through promoting their health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study, which is based on a qualitative approach and a descriptive phenomenological method, has been carried out through studying 23 participants who were the principals of girls' high schools in Tabriz in 2022. Purposive sampling method was used and 23 semistructured interviews were conducted until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis was conducted based on the Colaizzi's seven-step method. RESULT: Findings indicate that the lived experiences of school principals regarding the promotion of psychological capital of high school girls through promoting their health can be classified as follows: physical health including physical activity and sports, healthcare (teeth and mouth, eyes, skin, and hair), disease prevention, nutrition, and physical fitness; mental health including spirituality, life skills, academic skills, counselling, and peer relationships; and puberty health including awareness of puberty, appropriate modeling, and sex education. CONCLUSION: The programs and behaviors related to health dimensions at schools are among the key grounds promoting psychological capital of high school girls.