"God is going to help me get through this": spirituality perspectives from Hispanic adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: Describe spirituality's role in a sample of Hispanic adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. METHODS: This phenomenology-informed convergent parallel mixed-methods study aimed to explore participants' lived experiences with hope during cancer treatments and cancer survivorship. A purposive sample of Hispanic AYAs who completed cancer treatments 2-5 years ago were virtually recruited for participation. Participants completed virtual semi-structured interviews about their experiences with hope during cancer treatments and cancer survivorship and prepared narratives about their experiences. Thematic analyses were iteratively performed across the data set to identify final themes. RESULTS: Ten Hispanic AYA cancer survivors (mean age 30.2, SD = 4.5) years participated in this pilot study. Seven participants (70%) were female, and three participants (30%) were male. Six participants (60%) experienced non-hematologic malignancies, and four participants (40%) experienced hematologic malignancies. Eight (80%) participants' language preference was Spanish, while two (20%) participants' language preference was English. The theme spirituality and subthemes living by faith, god as a resource, and spiritual gratitude were identified as concepts participants linked to their conceptualization of hope during cancer treatment and survivorship. CONCLUSIONS: Hope and spirituality may be conceptually linked to coping behaviors among Hispanic AYA cancer survivors. Hope through faith may be a learned spiritual value in Hispanic AYAs and might play a role in their spiritual and cognitive development. Further research is needed to explore the potentially protective value of hope and spirituality for the Hispanic AYA population.

Socio-cultural beliefs and perceptions influencing diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer among women in Ghana: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is currently the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Ghana and the leading cause of cancer mortality among women. Few published empirical evidence exist on cultural beliefs and perceptions about breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in Ghana. This systematic review sought to map evidence on the socio-cultural beliefs and perceptions influencing the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer among Ghanaian women. METHODS: This review was conducted following the methodological guideline of Joanna Briggs Institute and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses. The literature search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL via EBSCOhost, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Embase. Studies that were conducted on cultural, religious, and spiritual beliefs were included. The included studies were screened by title, abstract, and full text by three reviewers. Data were charted and results were presented in a narrative synthesis form. RESULTS: After the title, abstract, and full-text screening, 15 studies were included. Three categories were identified after the synthesis of the charted data. The categories included: cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs and misconceptions about breast cancer. The cultural beliefs included ancestral punishment and curses from the gods for wrongdoing leading to breast cancer. Spiritual beliefs about breast cancer were attributed to spiritual or supernatural forces. People had the religious belief that breast cancer is a test from God and they resorted to prayers for healing. Some women perceived that breast cancer is caused by spider bites, heredity, extreme stress, trauma, infections, diet, or lifestyle. CONCLUSION: This study adduces evidence of the socio-cultural beliefs that impact on the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer among women in Ghana. Taking into consideration the diverse cultural and traditional beliefs about breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, there is a compelling need to intensify nationwide public education on breast cancer to clarify the myths and misconceptions about the disease. We recommend the need to incorporate socio-cultural factors influencing breast cancer diagnosis and treatment into breast cancer awareness programs, education, and interventions in Ghana.

Should Healthcare Organizations Promote a Spiritually Healthy Work Environment?

Both personal spirituality/religiosity and perception of a spiritually respectful work climate are inversely related to burnout among nurses. In addition to briefly reviewing the empirical evidence that consistently supports these assertions, this essay offers some practical suggestions for how nurses can promote a spiritually healthy work environment.

Conversion practices in Aotearoa New Zealand: Developing a holistic response to spiritual abuse.

Research arising from conversion practices, also known as conversion therapy and sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts, has generally been underpinned by an emancipatory discourse that has evolved to counter harmful practices by evidencing associated harms and estimating prevalence. Little attention, however, has focused on what is required to support survivors, inclusive of those currently or those having previously experienced conversion efforts. Within a context of Aotearoa New Zealand having recently criminalised conversion practices, this study adopted an in-depth qualitative research design, informed by a dual adherence to life history and an empowerment methodology. Twenty-three religious conversion practice survivors, who had experienced religious conversion practices across a range of Christian identified faith settings, were interviewed. Participants had a median age of 34 and the majority identified as New Zealand European, cisgender, and gay. Participant narratives were discursively analysed. Three primary discourses were identified that inform the needed development of interventions and supports: 1) pervasive framing of conversion practices as harm, rather than spiritual abuse, has minimised the impacts of conversion practices. Rather, conceptualising conversion as spiritual abuse positions conversion practices as requiring urgent intervention and ongoing support, inclusive of the development of policy and operational responses; 2) the coercive nature of spiritual abuse needs to be appreciated in terms of spiritual, social, and structural entrapment; 3) the metaphor of a pipeline was enlisted to encapsulate the need for a multidimensional array of interventions to ensure those entrapped within spiritual abuse have a "pipeline to safety". Holistic survivor-centric conversion-related responses to spiritual abuse are required. These need to be informed by an understanding of entrapment and the associated need for holistic responses, inclusive of extraction pathways and support for those entrenched within abusive religious settings, support immediately after leaving abusive environments, and support throughout the survivors' healing journeys.

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.

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.

Bio-Psycho-Spiritual Perspectives on Psychedelics: Clinical and Ethical Implications.

Psychedelics have again become a subject of widespread interest, owing to the reinvigoration of research into their traditional uses, possible medical applications, and social implications. As evidence for psychedelics' clinical potential mounts, the field has increasingly focused on searching for mechanisms to explain the effects of psychedelics and therapeutic efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). This paper reviews three general frameworks that encompass several prominent models for understanding psychedelics' effects-specifically, neurobiological, psychological, and spiritual frameworks. Following our review, the implications of each framework for ethics and professional competencies in the implementation of psychedelics as medicines are explored. We suggest that interdisciplinary education may be necessary to improve communication between researchers, develop models that effectively incorporate multiple levels of analysis, and facilitate collaboration between professionals with diverse backgrounds in the implementation of psychedelic medicines. We also address pitfalls associated with overemphasis on neuro-mechanisms, risks associated with instigating vulnerable states of consciousness, and hurdles associated with the integration of spiritual frameworks in medicine. Ultimately, as psychedelics push the boundaries of explanatory frameworks focused on one level of analysis, developing new and more useful models to reflect knowledge being produced in this field should be a central aim of psychedelic science going forward.

Attitude towards Spirituality and Spiritual Care among Nurses of Bharatpur Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Understanding spirituality and spiritual care is a prerequisite for holistic care in nursing. Spirituality is an important dimension of human existence with a crucial role in health promotion. The objective of this study was to assess the level of attitude towards spirituality and spiritual care among nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional analytical study design was used among 208 nurses to assess attitude toward spirituality and spiritual care among nurses of Bharatpur Hospital. A pretested semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The instrument spirituality and spiritual care rating scales were used. Collected data were coded and entered in Microsoft office excel and SPSS version 22 was used for analysis. RESULTS: The finding of the study revealed that, out of 208 respondents, the majority (74.0%) of respondents were of age 20-29 years with a mean and SD of 28.2±5.510. Among all, 125(60.1%) respondents had a moderate attitude score of 32-62, 83(39.9%) had a high level of attitude score of 63-92, whereas 0.5% had a low level of attitude towards spirituality and spiritual care score (0-31).There is no statistically significant relationship between the level of attitude and socio-demographic variables. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that most of the respondents had a moderate level of attitude. In-service education and awareness on providing spiritual care among nurses needs to be focused.

Nurses, Clergy, Chaplains, Parkinson's Disease, Workplace Religiosity, Women's Health and Family Issues.

This issue of JORH explores a broad range of topics looking at the professions of nursing, clergy and chaplains. This issue also concludes the series on Parkinson's disease (Part 2), and for the first time, JORH presents a collation of articles relating to workplace religiosity. Finally, this issue revisits the topics of women's health and family issues in relation to religiosity and spirituality.

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.

The COVID-19 Crisis, Religiosity and Spirituality Among Seventh-Day Adventist Older Adults.

This study highlights the lived experience of Seventh-day Adventist older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, while focusing on their religious and spiritual practices during this event. The researchers conducted 10 in-depth qualitative interviews and found participants experienced notable changes in their personal spirituality and practices. Furthermore, findings showed participants categorizing the events of the pandemic in light of their understanding of the Bible. The analysis highlights the all-encompassing influence of spirituality and religiosity upon participants' experience of the world. The findings assist social workers to consider the importance of assessing and integrating older adults' spirituality as means to enhance their well-being.

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.

Spirituality, Security, Compassion, and Play: Innovative Ways Group Psychotherapy Addresses Human Suffering.

We are surrounded by trauma, grief, pandemics, health care inequality, poverty, climate change, and social injustice, not to mention increases in suicide, depression, and loneliness. How can group therapists address these issues and thrive? The current special edition focuses on how groups foster compassion, provide spiritual healing, and address human suffering in effective and innovative ways. Instead of focusing on symptom reduction alone, group therapists and researchers are exploring ways that group therapy can provide healing and resources to people including health care providers, and those who are on the front lines. The current special edition will highlight how spiritual interventions, compassion and attachment-focused interventions, and group interventions can engender positive outcomes for diverse group members that include parents of inner-city children to first responders. If there ever was a time for us to focus on compassion, faith, and forgiveness, it is now.

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.

Spiritually Integrated Group Psychotherapy for First Responders: Forgiveness, Trauma, and Alcohol Use.

First responders (e.g. firefighters, law enforcement, paramedics, corrections officers) experience high rates of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Despite the relevance of both spirituality and forgiveness to PTSD and AUD among first responders, spiritually integrated group interventions for this population are rare. This article discusses a forgiveness session of a spiritually integrated group psychotherapy protocol for first responders (SPIRIT-FR) in acute psychiatric care. This brief group psychotherapy intervention includes (a) psychoeducation about the intersection of PTSD, AUD, and forgiveness (b) discussion of the relevance of forgiveness to PTSD and AUD, and (c) the integration of spiritual beliefs and behaviors to move toward forgiveness. We discuss relevant clinical theory as well as the potential clinical application of this protocol.

Faith and Science: Sacred Decision-Making in Cancer Care.

Many people view health, wellness, and illness through a lens of religion and spirituality (R&S), modern science, and culture. Faith and science are not dichotomous in health care; they are complementary and even intercon.

Tribal Healing, Suicide, Ethical Issues, Cancer and Measuring Religiosity and Spirituality.

This issue of JORH considers the 'good, the bad and the ugly' of tribal or traditional healers, as well as articles relating to ethical challenges due to contemporary medicine and environmental issues. The concluding series on suicide (Part 2) is also finalized in this issue, as well as a number of research articles from multiple countries relating to cancer. Similar to previous issues, JORH once again adds to its increasing collection of articles relating to the empirical measurement of religion, spirituality and health. Readers are also reminded of the European Congress on Religion, Spirituality and Health (ECRSH) (Salzburg, Austria, May 2024), as well as the inaugural International Moral Injury and Wellbeing Conference (IMIWC) (Brisbane, Australia, September 2024).