Predictors of forgiveness in cancer patients after treatment.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate the level of forgiveness in the context of emotional experience and existential aspects of the life of cancer patients after treatment. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: One hundred and twenty-eight cancer patients aged 22-83 years completed methods administered to measure forgiveness (Heartland Forgiveness Scale), hope (Adult Dispositional Hope Scale), positive and negative affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and gratitude (Gratitude Questionnaire GQ-6) and questions measuring the perceived importance of the spiritual aspect of life and the practice of religious faith. RESULTS: Levels of forgiveness were related to levels of hope, gratitude, positive and negative affect, depression, anxiety, and rating of the importance of the spiritual aspect of life. Using a regression model, the rate of forgiveness was significantly predicted by gratitude and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that gratitude and anxiety could explain 35.4% of the variance in forgiveness.

Implementation of Spiritual Care in the Chronically Ill Population for Depression Reduction in the United States.

The purpose of this project was to implement intentional spiritual care in a community population with chronic illness in the United States to reduce risk of depression. A convenience sample (n = 10) of members of a congregation participated in scheduled spiritual care for 12 weeks. The PHQ-9 depression screening tool was given pre and postimplementation to evaluate efficacy of the spiritual care sessions on risk of depression. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected. All participants identified as having at least one chronic illness and considered themselves to be spiritual. Initial PHQ-9 scores indicated all participants had mild to moderately severe risk of depression. Postimplementation PHQ-9 scores indicated a decrease in score ranging from no risk to moderate risk of depression. Postimplementation PHQ-9 scores indicated a decrease in depression score of 2.8 points on average. The paired samples t-test result for the before versus after PHQ-9 were statistically significant with p < .01 and t(9) = 4.882. During this project, no participant experienced an increase or worsening of their illness. These results showed that identifying individual spiritual needs and incorporating intentional spiritual care can reduce the risk of depression and decrease exacerbation episodes in chronically ill patients.

Factors associated with health personnel-chaplain interactions in the hospital setting: a cross-sectional survey study.

Health personnel may seek chaplain support to discuss stressors related to complex patient cases, difficult team dynamics, and personal issues. In this survey study of 1376 healthcare interprofessional clinicians, participants reported interacting with chaplains most frequently over patient-related stressors in the prior 12 months. Factors associated with chaplain interactions to discuss all three stressors included: reporting chaplains provide spiritual support to health personnel, more years of service, seeking professional help to deal with stressors, and higher levels of secondary traumatic stress. Being a registered nurse (RN) and working in a critical care specialty were associated with increased odds of interactions with a chaplain to discuss patient-related stressors while identifying as Catholic or Protestant was associated with chaplain interactions to discuss team-related and personal stressors. Chaplains should tailor interventions to promote health personnel's spiritual well-being based on patient-related, team-related, and personal stressors. Healthcare institutions which do not employ chaplains should advocate for this resource. Leaders in healthcare settings with chaplains should promote increased staff awareness that chaplains are available to support wellbeing by discussing patient, team, or personal stressors.

Christ the Physician: A Theological Framework for Healing in Catholic Health Care.

The metaphor of Christ the physician features prominently in the gospels and the preaching of the Church Fathers, emphasizing that Jesus' work of healing extends beyond bodily ills to spiritual healing as well. Given that the end of medicine is "health," which involves wholeness of body and soul, Christ is uniquely able to accomplish this in us-beginning with grace in our souls in this life, and culminating in the resurrection of the body and restoration of body and soul in glory at the end of time. Drawing on the thought of the Church Fathers and Thomas Aquinas, this paper considers how Catholic health care is distinctly positioned to continue Christ's work of bodily and spiritual healing through medical and sacramental approaches-as we await our perfect and ultimate healing upon Christ's return in glory.

Catholic Health Care and the Mission Leader: A Religious Exercise.

Inspired by the Divine Healer Jesus of Nazareth, Catholic healthcare has been a religious exercise since its inception. First practiced in the setting of the monastery in the earliest centuries AD and incarnated over two millennia by a variety of religious orders of consecrated men and women, Catholic healthcare today faces a crisis of identity. The role of the mission leader, envisioned by the religious brothers and sisters who founded various Catholic healthcare organizations, was a primary conduit to preserve the charisms of the founders and ensure the identity of Catholic healthcare as a religious exercise and ministry of the Church. With data from a recent survey of Catholic healthcare mission leaders, a number of critical challenges currently confront the role of mission leader and will potentially inhibit that role from fulfilling its original mandate. This article will present the findings of this survey, analyze the resulting challenges and present specific recommendations to strengthen the role of the mission leader and ensure Catholic healthcare will remain true to its ethos as a ministry of the Church and religious exercise.

Linking Multi-Dimensional Religiosity in Childhood and Later Adulthood: Implications for Later Life Health.

This study examines religiosity patterns across childhood and later adulthood and their associations with later-life health using an experimental module from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study (N = 1649; Mean Age = 64.0). Latent class analysis is used to categorize individuals by commonalities in religious attendance, religious identity, and spiritual identity. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations are then explored using probable depression, disability, and mortality as health indicators. Results reveal complex patterns, often characterized by declining attendance and fluctuating identity. Relationships with health appear stronger in cross-sectional analyses, suggesting that some associations may be non-causal. Individuals with consistently strong religiosity show significantly better psychological health compared to their relatively non-religious counterparts. Moreover, the absence of religiosity in later adulthood is associated with an increased risk of mortality. Overall, the findings support the promotion of religiosity whilst acknowledging individual variations and highlighting the need for more individualistic approaches to the study of religion and health.

Evaluation of Spiritual Care and Well-Being Levels of Individuals Diagnosed with Lung Cancer in Turkey.

This study aimed to assess the spiritual care needs and spiritual well-being levels of lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy (CT). This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 110 patients in the outpatient CT unit of a university hospital. Data were collected using a personal information form, the "Three-Factor Spiritual Well-Being Scale" and the "Spiritual Care Needs Scale." The average age of participants was 62.6 ± 8.0 years. Patients with a university or above education level, civil servants, self-employed individuals, those receiving only CT, and those with less than 5 CT cycles had significantly higher spiritual well-being scores (p < 0.05). Spiritual care needs scale scores were significantly higher for married individuals and those receiving only CT (p < 0.05). In conclusion, both spiritual well-being levels and spiritual care needs were observed to be high among lung cancer patients.

Secondary School Students' Views on Sexuality and Sexual Health Education.

Objective: This study examined the views of secondary school students on sexuality and sexual health education in Hong Kong, China. Methods: A total of 818 secondary school students (mean age = 15.3 years, SD = 1.6) participated in this study by completing a questionnaire consisted of items on sociodemographic characteristics, sexual attitudes, and other measuring scales. Results: Students were slightly permissive in sexual attitudes and supported sexual health education. However, students who were male, highly liberal in sexual attitudes, and low in religiosity and spirituality were less supportive. Conclusions: Educators may need to address these deterring factors of sexual health education before teaching specific sexual health topics.

Secondary school students in Hong Kong show liberal sexual attitudes. Liberal sexual attitudes may lead to risky sexual behaviors which may deleteriously affect students' physical and psychological health. To promote students' sexual health, school-based SHE should foster positive sexual attitudes among students, particularly students who are male, older, higher in year of study, or non-religious affiliated. Our data on students' responses to items of ATSS provide useful information on sexual topics that need to be addressed. School authorities may consider conducting intervention or workshops in schools to disseminate information about exogenous factors of liberal sexual attitudes and their associations with risky sexual behaviors. Students may be informed of the protective measures of sexual activities and forewarned about the negative health consequences of risky sexual behaviors. Although majority of the students are supportive of school-based SHE, students who are male, liberal in sexual attitudes, low in religiosity and spirituality showed negative attitudes toward school-based SHE. To facilitate effective implementation of school-based SHE, educators may need to spend special effort on students who are less supportive of school-based SHE. Negative influence on attitudes toward SHE may be addressed before teaching specific sexual health topics.

Effectiveness of a spiritual adaptation of cognitive behavioural therapy in improving resilience, self-esteem and spirituality among clients with opioid use disorder: A quasi-experimental study.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a prevalent problem among Egyptian youth, and achieving recovery and abstinence is challenging. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a well-known approach, can be particularly beneficial when it addresses psychological aspects such as resilience and self-esteem. WHAT DOES THE PAPER ADD TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Our research is recognized as a trailblazer in integrating a spiritual adaptation of CBT with spiritual elements for treating patients with OUD in the Egyptian context. This innovative approach marks a significant advancement in the field. The study found a statistically significant increase in the mean scores of resilience, self-esteem, and spirituality (p < .001 each) following the spiritual adaptation of CBT sessions compared to the control group. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The findings can guide psychiatrists and nurses in providing more comprehensive and effective care to patients with OUD by incorporating a spiritual adaptation of CBT with spiritual components into treatment plans. ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a prevalent problem among Egyptian youth, and achieving recovery and abstinence is challenging. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a well-known approach, can be particularly beneficial when it addresses psychological aspects such as resilience, self-esteem and spirituality. AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a spiritual adaptation of CBT in enhancing these factors among clients with OUD. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study with a control group was conducted using a pretest-posttest design. The study included 49 clients with OUD and 46 clients in the control group. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale-Modified Arabic Version, Daily Spiritual Experience Scale, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used as measurement tools. CBT was delivered in 60-min group sessions. After 3 months, the questionnaires were re-administered to evaluate the effectiveness of a spiritual adaptation of CBT sessions. RESULTS: The study found a statistically significant increase in the mean scores of resilience, self-esteem and spirituality (p < .001 each) following a spiritual adaptation of CBT sessions compared to the control group. DISCUSSION: A spiritual adaptation of CBT effectively enhanced resilience, self-esteem and spirituality in clients with OUD. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Understanding the effectiveness of a spiritual adaptation of CBT in enhancing resilience, self-esteem and spirituality can enable psychiatrists and nurses to provide more comprehensive and effective care to patients with OUD.

Silence between words: Is solitude important for relatedness?

Chronic loneliness is a risk factor for physical and health problems, in part due to dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system. In contrast, temporary moments of positive solitude (passing good times alone and not feeling lonely) appear to have positive effects on mental health, social life, and creativity, and seems to be a buffer against loneliness. Herein, three ways of how solitude may have positive effects on health and relatedness are discussed, namely effects on enhancement of mind-wandering, interoceptive awareness, and spirituality. Solitude may facilitate (1) activation of the default mode network (DMN) underlying mind-wandering including daydreaming about other people; (2) activation of brain areas supporting interoceptive awareness; (3) deactivation of prefrontal cortex, or deactivation and decreased connectivity of the DMN, giving raise to susceptibility to spiritual experiences. The capacity to handle and enjoy solitude is a developmental process that may be difficult for many persons. Craving for social connections and external stimulation with digital technologies (e.g., internet, smartphones, social media) might be interfering with the development of the capacity for solitude and thereby increasing loneliness; this might be partly due to impaired interoceptive awareness and impaired functional mind-wandering (common in solitude). Congruently, overuse of digital technologies was associated with reduced activity, and reduced gray matter volume and density, in brain areas supporting interoceptive awareness, as well as with decreased connectivity of the DMN supporting creative insights. Solitude has been a relatively dismissed topic in neuroscience and health sciences, but a growing number of studies is highlighting its importance for well-being.

Postsecular, Christian, or Humanistic Spirituality in Social Work within Secular Europe.

The spirituality discourse within social work has been developing for several decades, albeit more in the USA than in the states of the EU. Europe or the countries of the EU were characterised as an exceptional case because of their secularity. Social work in Europe is also typically secular. Nevertheless, the spirituality discourse within social work is slowly developing also in Europe. In social services, chaplains, pastoral workers and assistants, and similar professions are often more responsible for spiritual care than social workers. Should social workers approach spiritual issues from the client's point of view or from a theological stance or rather just from the social work perspective? What reasons and arguments can we formulate and express? This text will discuss both these questions and their context as well as the possible answers.

Does Religion Mitigate the Effect of Neighborhood Disorder on Cognitive Decline?: Evidence from A National Longitudinal Study of US Older Adults.

OBJECTIVES: This paper examines whether perceived neighborhood disorder is associated with trajectories of cognitive functioning and whether religion mitigates this association among US older adults. METHODS: Data are drawn from the 2006-2016 Health and Retirement Study (N=12,669). Religious belief and religious attendance are assessed as potential moderators. Growth curve models are used to estimate trajectories of cognitive functioning over time. RESULTS: We find that perceived neighborhood disorder is associated with lower cognitive functioning at baseline; however, religious belief mitigates the impact of perceived neighborhood disorder on the level of cognitive functioning. For instance, individuals with high religious belief, despite experiencing high perceived neighborhood disorder, show better cognitive functioning at baseline compared to those with high disorder but low belief. While frequent religious attendance is associated with higher cognitive functioning at baseline, it does not moderate the impact of perceived neighborhood disorder on cognitive functioning. DISCUSSION: This study underscores the protective role of religious belief against cognitive aging in the face of neighborhood disorder, suggesting that personal faith may provide a cognitive reserve or coping mechanism. Our findings also imply that the absence of religious belief, combined with high perceived neighborhood disorder, may produce a compounded negative impact on cognitive aging.

Spiritual Care in Palliative Medicine and End of Life: A Bibliometric Network Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Spiritual care is an essential component of care for the terminally ill, because of its potential to positively impact patient perception of quality of life and dignity. However, it continues to be the least cultivated or even most overlooked aspect of palliative care and end of life. We performed a methodological review using bibliometric analysis to provide a holistic view of the scientific output published on this topic in the literature at the same time outlining present perspectives and research trends. Methods: In accordance with the BIBLIO checklist for reporting the bibliometric reviews of the biomedical literature, pertinent articles were retrieved from the Web of Science (WOS) database. The search string included "spiritual care," "end of life," and their synonyms. The VOSviewer (version 1.6.17) software was used to conduct comprehensive analyses. Semantic and research networks, bibliographic coupling, and journal analysis were examined. Results: A total of 924 articles were identified in WOS, and 842 were retrieved. An increasing trend in the number of publications is observed from 1981 to date, with a peak in the 2019-2021 timeframe. Most articles focused on palliative care, spirituality, spiritual care, religion, end of life, and cancer. The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management contributed the highest number of published documents, while the Journal of Palliative Medicine was the top-cited journal. The highest number of publications originated from collaborations of authors from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. Conclusion: The remarkable increase in the number of publications on spiritual care observed in the years of the COVID-19 pandemic likely reflected global concerns, reasserting the importance of prioritizing spiritual care for whole-person palliation. Spiritual care is integrated with palliative care, in line with the latter's holistic nature and the recognition of spirituality as a fundamental aspect of end-of-life care. Nurses and chaplains exhibited more involvement in palliative-spiritual care than physicians reflecting the belief that chaplains are perceived as specialized providers, and nurses, owing to their direct exposure to spiritual suffering and ethos, are deemed suitable for providing spiritual care.

Executive Leadership Development of Corporate Healthcare Leaders: Integrating Spirituality into the Framework.

A faith-based healthcare system implemented a Leadership as Wholeness formation program, including a spiritual formation curriculum described here. The spiritual formation curriculum intends to connect leaders with their purpose and identity to ensure mission stability in the organizational culture, now and in the future. More research must be done to understand how, or even if, these types of programs make a meaningful difference in organizational mission initiatives and workforce stability.

Spiritual care interventions for palliative care patients: A scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: To identify and map spiritual care interventions to address spiritual needs and alleviate suffering of patients in the context of palliative care. METHODS: A scoping review using the PRISMA ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist was conducted according to the JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) guidelines. The search was conducted from October 2022 to January 2023 using 9 electronic databases and gray literature. Studies on spiritual care interventions in palliative care were included. Disagreements between the 2 reviewers were resolved by discussion or a third reviewer. RESULTS: A total of 47 studies were included in this review. All selected articles were published between 2003 and 2022. In total, 8 types of spiritual care interventions were identified to assess spiritual needs and/or alleviate suffering: conversations between the patient and a team member, religious practice interventions, therapeutic presence, guided music therapy, multidisciplinary interventions, guided meditation, art therapy, and combined interventions with multiple components such as music, art, integrative therapy, and reflection. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Our study identified few spiritual care interventions in palliative care worldwide. Although this review noted a gradual increase in studies, there is a need to improve the reporting quality of spiritual care interventions, so they can be replicated in other contexts. The different interventions identified in this review can be a contribution to palliative care teams as they provide a basis for what is currently being done internationally to alleviate suffering in palliative care and what can be improved. No patient or public contribution was required to design or undertake this methodological research.

Multidisciplinary oncology clinicians' experiences delivering spiritual care to patients with cancer and their care partners.

PURPOSE: To understand multidisciplinary healthcare clinicians' meaningful and challenging experiences providing spiritual care to patients with cancer and their care partners. METHODS: Multidisciplinary clinicians who participated in a communication training program supported by the National Cancer Institute or a palliative care training for nurses (N = 257) responded to two, open-ended questions about meaningful and challenging experiences of providing spiritual care. A thematic analysis of responses using an iterative, inductive approach was conducted until saturation was reached. RESULTS: Participants from nursing (68%), social work (22%), and chaplaincy (10%) responded to open-ended survey questions. Three themes related to meaningful experiences of providing spiritual care emerged: building authentic interpersonal connection with patients and care partners; creating intentional space for patients and care partners to inform spiritual care; and actively supporting patients and care partners in their processes with spirituality. Three themes related to challenging experiences of providing spiritual care emerged: contextual factors and clinical circumstances complicate provision of spiritual care; facing barriers to providing high-quality, patient-centered care; and navigating ethical and logistical issues that affect spiritual and other care. CONCLUSION: Clinicians derive meaning from a range of experiences throughout their provision of spiritual care to patients with cancer. However, they also face many challenges in delivering person-centered spiritual care in cancer settings, with some challenges reflecting significant gaps in spiritual care knowledge and training. Findings can guide future training and educational endeavors for multidisciplinary clinicians in the domain of spiritual care.

The moderating role of workplace spirituality on the effect of organizational justice on job satisfaction.

The study's goal is to investigate the moderating effect of the workplace spirituality of employee on the relationship between their organization's justice perception and job satisfaction. The study included a sample of 360 employees from two Turkish airline companies. The findings show a relationship between organizational justice and job satisfaction. The study also finds that workplace spirituality moderates the effect of organizational justice on job satisfaction. Employees with high workplace spirituality are more satisfied than those with low workplace spirituality. The study is important, especially in examining the moderator role of workplace spirituality between these two variables, and fills a gap in the literature. Empirical data of Turkiye's two largest airline companies, which aim to become and remain competitive in the aviation industry, were shared. This research-based approach provides guidelines for this industry on the effects of workplace spirituality on job satisfaction and organizational justice.

Religious Coping Styles Used by Young Black Women Who Experience Dating Violence.

Young Black women experience higher rates of dating violence victimization compared to their White peers. Religion is a cornerstone of African American culture, suggesting that Black women may use religious coping after experiencing trauma like dating violence. However, research has not explored the patterns of religious coping following dating violence experiences. The current study analyzed survey data from 481 young Black women aged 18-19 years on their religious coping behaviors, acceptance of violence beliefs, and dating violence victimization experiences. Results showed that victimization was positively associated with negative religious coping. Findings indicate that one way young Black women cope with dating violence victimization is through feelings of spiritual discontent, and they may see their victimization as a punishment from God.