Mobilizing Meaning: Religion and Spirituality Among Future Generations.

Religion and spirituality have long been known to impact both physical and mental health. Considering religion and spirituality as possible additions to social determinants of health, this article examines the current state of religion and spirituality in the United States and also discusses the ways in which they can contribute to the mental health of children and adolescents. Further, this article also discusses new approaches within religion and spirituality to address the changing needs of future generations.

Spirituality is associated with immune parameters and disease activity in primary Sjögren's syndrome: a cross-sectional study.

The role of spirituality in health and disease is a complex and emerging area of research. Incorporating spirituality into the bio-psycho-social model of health and disease leading to the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model provides a more comprehensive framework. In this context, chronic disorders like primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) are of interest due to their intricate interactions between biological, psychological, and spiritual factors. This study explored the relationship between spirituality, immune parameters, and disease activity in pSS patients. Data from 108 patients were analyzed, including self-assessed spirituality (answering to direct questions and completing the Spiritual Transcendence Scale), immunological parameters and disease activity scores. The findings revealed several associations. Individuals with spiritual attitudes or engaged in regular prayer/meditation showed lower serum levels of autoantibodies specific to pSS and lower disease activity scores. Spiritual engagement was also linked to decreased perceived skin and tracheal dryness, suggesting potential benefits for physical symptoms. These findings suggest that spirituality may play a significant role in modulating immune responses and disease activity in pSS patients. The study underscores the importance of considering spirituality as an integral part of the holistic approach to health and disease, further expanding the understanding of the interconnectedness of biological, psychological, and spiritual dimensions.

[Should fire cutters be thrown into the fire ?] / Faut-il jeter au feu les coupeurs de feu ?

Spirituality (in addition to laughter) is inherent to humans. When their health deteriorates, especially in the field of oncology, people often seek help through it. Prayer is the most commonly used tool and is sometimes entrusted to a particular person believed to possess certain powers referred to as a «fire cutter¼. It is then used in a targeted manner against specific symptoms such as burns. No biophysical effects are known. This intercession brings secondary benefits (positive effects on anxiety, stress, placebo effect) that can improve the patients' health. It is not the healthcare provider's mission to prescribe these spiritual practices, but they should be able to recognize them and openly discuss with patient who choose to use them, knowing that a benefit is likely to be reached.

La spiritualité (en plus du rire) est le propre de l'homme. Quand son état de santé se dégrade, en particulier en cancérologie, il y cherche souvent une aide. La prière est l'outil le plus souvent utilisé. Elle est parfois confiée à une personne particulière dotée de certains pouvoirs appelée «coupeur de feu¼. La prière est alors utilisée de manière ciblée contre une symptomatologie spécifique type brûlure. Aucun effet biophysique n'est connu. Cette intercession amène des bénéfices secondaires (effet sur l'anxiété, le stress, effet placebo) à même d'améliorer l'état de santé des patients. Le soignant n'a pas pour mission de prescrire ces accompagnements qui relèvent du spirituel, mais doit savoir les reconnaître et en discuter de manière ouverte avec le patient y ayant recours, sachant qu'un bénéfice sera vraisemblablement au rendez-vous.

"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.

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.

The Effect of Spiritual Well-being on the Self-efficacy Level of Individuals with an Intestinal Stoma.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the spiritual well-being and self-efficacy levels in patients with intestinal stomas. METHODS: For this descriptive study, researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with 51 participants. Data were analyzed using a descriptive characteristics questionnaire, the Stoma Self-efficacy Scale (SSES), and the Three-Factor Spiritual Well-being Scale (TF-SWBS). RESULTS: Participants had a mean SSES score of 56.98 ± 21.24. Education level and stoma type affected the SSES scores. Income level affected TF-SWBS scores. There was no correlation between SSES and TF-SWBS total scores. There was a positive correlation between TF-SWBS scores and stoma duration and age. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses should provide trainings to develop self-efficacy among and enhance psychosocial and spiritual support for patients with a stoma.

Masculine Discrepancy Stress, Subjective Well-Being, and the Buffering Role of Religiosity.

Although several studies have reported an inverse association between masculine discrepancy stress-the perceived failure to conform to internalized normative expectations of masculinity-and well-being, researchers have yet to consider the potential moderating or buffering role of religiosity. Regression analyses of data collected from a national sample of men (n = 2,018), the 2023 Masculinity, Sexual Health, and Politics survey indicated that masculine discrepancy stress was consistently associated with lower levels of subjective well-being, including poorer self-reported mental health, less happiness, and lower life satisfaction. We also observed that these associations were attenuated or buffered among men who reported regular religious attendance and greater religious salience. Taken together, our findings suggest that different expressions of religiosity may help to alleviate the psychological consequences of masculine discrepancy stress. More research is needed to incorporate dimensions of religion and spirituality into studies of gender identity and subjective well-being.

Healthcare Students' Perceptions About Approaching Spirituality in Their Training and Patient Care: Online, Cross-Sectional Survey.

Objective: Recent scientific literature points out that religiosity and spirituality play a relevant role in many aspects of life, including health issues. We aimed to evaluate the healthcare students' perceptions about approaching spirituality in their training and patient care in Brazilian universities. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted following the STROBE guidelines. Through an anonymous online survey, adult healthcare students from two universities in the city of Pelotas (Brazil) answered a questionnaire about their perceptions on approaching spirituality in their training and patient care. Chi-squared tests were performed, and P ≤ .05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 163 students were included in the analysis. Most believed that spirituality is important for their training (74.8%) and patient care (84%). However, a minority had had contact with the theme of spirituality during their training (48.5%) or had experienced a situation in which the spiritual aspects of a patient were addressed (47.2%). The students from the private university had more contact with the theme of spirituality in healthcare during their training. Nursing students had significantly more contact with the theme of spirituality in healthcare (P = .008) and had experienced more situations in which the spiritual aspects of a patient were addressed (P = .031) than other students. Conclusion: Most students believed that the theme of spirituality in healthcare is important for their training and patient care. However, they still had insufficient contact with it during their education. More studies with greater statistical power are needed to better understand this situation globally.

Investigating spiritual care perceptions and religious coping methods among the relatives of terminally ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of Turkey.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey and around the world has had a profound impact on the families of terminally ill patients. In this challenging period, investigating the spiritual care perceptions and religious coping methods of patients' relatives is an essential step towards understanding the experiences in this process with the additional challenges brought by the pandemic and developing appropriate support services. This study aims to determine the spiritual care perceptions and the use of religious coping methods among the relatives of terminally ill patients in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The sample of this descriptive and correlational study consisted of the relatives of terminally ill patients (n = 147) who were receiving treatment in the Anesthesiology and Reanimation Intensive Care Unit of a state hospital in Turkey. Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale and the Religious Coping Scale to them using face-to-face interviews. Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman's correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 38.84 ± 11.19 years. Also, 63.3% of them were employed. The participant's total score on the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale was 57.16 ± 6.41, and it was determined that the participants' level of perception of spirituality and spiritual care concepts was close to good. When the Religious Coping Scale scores of the participants were examined, it was found that both Positive Religious Coping levels (23.11 ± 2.34) and Negative Religious Coping levels (9.48 ± 1.47) were close to high. There was no correlation between the scores of RCOPE and SSCRS (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: As a result, it was determined that the level of perception of spirituality and spiritual care concepts of the relatives of terminally ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic was close to sound, and their Positive Religious Coping levels were high. Epidemics are a reality of the world, and it is essential to learn lessons from this process and take precautions for the future. We offer a perspective to realize the coping power of religion and spirituality, which are integral parts of life. The needs of terminally ill patients' relatives, a sensitive group, become visible.

Spiritual places: Spatial recognition of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual perception.

Tibetan Buddhism, as an indigenous religion, has a significant and far-reaching influence in the Tibetan areas of China. This study, focusing on Lhasa, explores the integration of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual perceptions within urban spaces. Employing a novel approach that combines street view data and deep learning technology, the research aims to identify and map the spatial distribution of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual sites against the backdrop of the urban landscape. Our analysis reveals a notable concentration of these spiritual places near urban architectural and cultural heritage areas, highlighting the profound connection between residents' cultural life and spiritual practices. Despite challenges posed by modern urbanisation, these spiritual sites demonstrate resilience and adaptability, continuing to serve as cultural and spiritual pillars of the Tibetan Buddhist community. This study contributes to the fields of urban planning, religious studies, and digital humanities by demonstrating the potential of technology in examining the impact of urban development on cultural and religious landscapes. The research underscores the importance of protecting and integrating spaces of spiritual perception in urban development planning. It shows that safeguarding these spaces is crucial not only for cultural heritage preservation but also for achieving sustainable urban development and social harmony. This study opens new avenues for interdisciplinary research, advocating for a deeper understanding of the dynamic relationship between urban development and spiritual spaces from psychological, sociological, and environmental science perspectives. As urban landscapes evolve, the study emphasises the need to maintain a balance between material sustainability and cultural and spiritual richness in urban planning.

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.

The interplay of spiritual health, resilience, and happiness: an evaluation among a group of dental students at a state university in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Dental education is one of the disciplines where students are most significantly affected psychologically. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between spiritual health, resilience and happiness levels of dental students at a state university in Turkey. METHODS: This cross- sectional study included 212 students from the 3rd, 4th and 5th grades of the faculty of dentistry. A questionnaire consisting of 4 sections was used in the study. The sections of the questionnaire include students' general and academic information, Turkish adaptations of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, The Brief Resilience Scale, and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire-Short Form. Data analysis was performed with IBM SPSS 25 package program. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess the normal distribution of the data. The Mann-Whitney U test was preferred for comparisons between two categorical variables and one numerical variable. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was employed for comparisons involving two categorical variables and one numerical variable. The presence of a relationship between two numerical variables was examined using the Spearman test. RESULTS: In terms of resilience and happiness scores, males had higher scores than females. It was determined that third graders scored higher than fifth graders in harmony with nature scores, and third graders scored higher than fourth graders in deregulation scores. There was a positive correlation between happiness, spiritual well-being and resilience; a negative correlation between happiness and anomie. There was no significant relationship between age and happiness scores. As a result of multiple linear regression to determine the factors affecting happiness; increases in spiritual well-being and resilience will lead to an increase in happiness levels. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that increased levels of spiritual well-being and resilience among a group of dental students would lead to increased levels of happiness. However, further research is needed to understand the relationship between mental health, resilience and happiness levels during dental education.

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.

Is religiosity/spirituality in patients with Crohn's disease important to their quality of life?

The authors aim to study Religiosity/Spirituality (R/S) and Quality of Life (QoL) in patients with Crohn's disease and their correlation with the disease phenotypes. METHODS: Prospective cross-sectional cohort study with 151 consecutive patients enrolled from March 2021 to October 2021 at the Colorectal IBD Outpatient of Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP). Sociodemographic, Religiosity/Spirituality (Duke University Religion Index - Durel) questionnaires and QoL (Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire - Short IBDQ-S) were applied. When necessary, qualitative variables were evaluated using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test. The Mann-Whitney and Kruskall-Wallis tests were used to analyze quantitative variables and compare more than two groups, both non-parametric statistical techniques. RESULTS: The most frequent location was Ileocolonic followed by Ileal and colonic (41.1 %, 27.2 %, and 25.2 %); only 6.6 % of subjects had a perianal presentation. Inflammatory, stenosing, and penetrating behaviors showed 36.4 %, 19.1 %, and 44.4 % respectively. The majority of the population is Catholic, Evangelical, or Spiritualist (92.4 %). QoL score showed no significant difference in the phenotypes. The scores for DUREL domains were 61.4 % for organizational religiosity, 75 % for non-organizational religiosity, 98.6 %, 93.6 % and 89.3 % for intrinsic spirituality, with high results in all disease phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: The studied population presented homogeneous sociodemographic results and high religious and spiritual activity. R/S in a positive context were not associated with better QoL or phenotype. R/S is present in the patients' lives and could be seen as an important tool for adherence to treatment and the professional relationship between doctor and patient. The homogeneity of the sample difficult for an appropriate evaluation, which leads us to suggest new studies with more heterogeneous groups.

Espiritualidad, vocación y sentido. Recursos generales de resistencia para profesionales de enfermería según la figura de San Juan de Dios / Espiritualidade, vocação e significado. Recursos gerais de resistência para profissionais de enfermagem segundo a figura de São João de Deus / Spirituality, vocation, and meaning. General resistance resources for nursing professionals according to the figure of Saint John of God

Este artículo tiene como objetivo elaborar una reflexión haciaaquellos elementos que actuaron como recursos espirituales enel proceso de formación de San Juan de Dios como enfermeroy elaborar una serie de aportaciones actuales para reforzar elsentido de coherencia de las enfermeras post pandemia. Seutilizó la metodología historiográfica aplicada a historia de laenfermería para la reconstrucción de la memoria profesional,tomando como referencia y ejemplo la figura de San Juan deDios y se recogieron los elementos siguiendo la herramientade valoración espiritual FICA. Los textos muestran a Juan deDios con un sentido de coherencia interna que se hizo posiblea través de los recursos psico-espirituales de la época. Éstosfacilitaron encontrar y desarrollar la vocación propia y lamotivación para desarrollarla y alcanzar la autorrealización.La propuesta es contemplar en la profesionalización enfermeraun cuidado por paraklesis, que implica presencia personal,actitud dialogal y palabra sapiencial, luminosa y alentadorasiguiendo el modelo de San Juan de Dios, y su relación conel modelo de valoración espiritual FICA.(AU)

This article aims to elaborate a reflection on the elementsthat were spiritual resources during the formation of SaintJohn of God as a nurse.It is also to elaborate a series of current contributions to reinforcethe nurses’sense of coherence within post-pandemic context.The historiographical methodology applied to nursing history was used for the reconstruction of professional memory, takingthe figure of Saint John of God as a reference and example.Thetexts show John of God with a sense of internal coherence.It was possible through the psycho-spiritual resources of thetime. These made it easier for him to find and develop hisown vocation and the motivation to develop it and achieveself-realization. Our proposal is to contemplate in nursingprofessionalization a care for paraklesis, which impliespersonal presence, dialogical attitude and wise, luminousand encouraging word following the model of Saint John ofGod and it relationship with FICA evaluation Model.(AU)

Este artigo tem como objetivo elaborar uma reflexão sobre oselementos que atuaram como recursos espirituais no processode formação de São João de Deus como enfermeiro e elaboraruma série de contribuições atuais para reforçar o sentidode coerência das enfermeiras pós-pandemia. Foi utilizada ametodologia historiográfica aplicada à história da enfermagempara a reconstrução da memória profissional, tendo comoreferência e exemplo a figura de São João de Deus, e oselementos foram coletados seguindo a ferramenta de avaliaçãoespiritual FICA. Os textos mostram São João de Deus comum sentido de coerência interna que se tornou possível pormeio dos recursos psico-espirituais da época. Estes facilitaramencontrar e desenvolver a vocação própria, bem como amotivação para desenvolvê-la e alcançar a autorrealização. Aproposta é contemplar na profissionalização da enfermeiraum cuidado por paraklesis, que implica presença pessoal,atitude dialógica e palavra sapiencial, luminosa e encorajadora,seguindo o modelo de São João de Deus e sua relação como modelo de avaliação espiritual FICA.(AU)

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.

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.

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.