Effectiveness of spiritual intervention on religious struggle among COVID-19 patients

Background@#Spiritual struggle is a state of distress a person experiences when relationships with the sacred are fundamentally challenged or broken. Its presence has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. During the COVID-19 pandemic, attempts to address the whole being of patients, including spiritual well-being, were explored to improve outcomes of care. @*Objective@#The study determined the prevalence of spiritual struggle among COVID-19 related cases and assessed the effectiveness of a formulated spiritual regimen versus the standard pastoral care. @*Methods@#This is a randomized, triple-blind, controlled trial. COVID-19 patients tagged as having religious struggle were randomized into two equal groups (chaplain-led spiritual intervention and self-driven standard pastoral care). The Religious Struggle Screening Scale (RSSS) was measured at baseline and 4 weeks after the intervention in both groups. @*Results@#Prevalence of spiritual struggle among COVID-19 patients was 67%. Baseline patient demographics were similar for both groups. The overall RSSS slightly decreased throughout the 4-week duration for both groups. In addition, the six dimensions of the RSSS, namely: divine, demonic, interpersonal, moral, ultimate meaning and doubt were noted to have slightly improved. However, the differences in the two groups were not significant. @*Conclusion@#There is no difference in the effect on religious struggle of a formulated spiritual regimen and standard care given to COVID-19 patients.

La espiritualidad y religiosidad como factor protector en mujeres depresivas con riesgo suicida: consenso de expertos / Spirituality and religiosity as a protective factor in depressive women with suicidal risk: expert consensus

Se presenta un consenso de expertos sobre "La Espiritualidad y Religiosidad como Factor Protector en Mujeres Depresivas con Riesgo Suicida", que se obtuvo utilizando una metodología Delphi. Sus resultados se han organizado en cinco áreas enfocadas en aspectos referentes al diseño de una intervención espiritual/religiosa: a) encuadre; b) características yformación del interventor, c) elementos a resguardar, d) contenidos y e) fases. Se concluye que los aspectos espirituales y religiosos deben considerarse en cada caso, y que un acompañamiento en pacientes creyentes puede mejorar su evolución y prevenir nuevos episodios de de riesgo suicida. En algunos casos la religiosidad pudiera aumentar los montos de culpa, aumentando la severidad y complejidad del cuadro clínico.

This document presents the expert consensus produced by a working meeting in Santiago de Chile during 2010 about "The Spirituality and Religiosity as a protective factor in depressive women with Suicidal Risk". The consensus followed the steps suggested by Delphi methodology. Its results are organized in five areas referent to spiritual/religious interventions: a) setting, b) counselor training, c) elements, d) subjects covered, e) stages. The experts consulted concluded that spiritual and religious aspects need to be considerate in each case, and that in believers can improve progress and prevent relapses at suicidal risk. However in some cases religious can increase the amounts offault, amplifying the severity and complicating the evolution.