Religiosity and Health: A Holistic Biopsychosocial Perspective

Abstract

The resurgence of interest in the influence of religion and spirituality on health is examined within the context of the holistic paradigm and historical connection between nursing and spirituality. While nursing and spirituality often intersect with end-of-life considerations, this article presents findings from studies that demonstrate that religious involvement favors health and longevity across the life course. Examples include protective associations with stress, depression, self-rated health, and infant birth weight. Theoretical and empirical explanations for this relationship are offered, such as social and psychological resources and healthy behaviors. The effects of religion on biological functioning, including allostatic load and telomere length, are also discussed, although this area is understudied. Considerations for the "dark-side" of religious involvement are also offered. Suggestions for nurses wishing to protect and promote the health of their patients using a holistic approach include expanding knowledge of research on religion and health and advocating for patients' spiritual needs by conducting a comprehensive spiritual assessment in primary, secondary, and tertiary clinical settings.

Validation of the Belief Into Action Scale (BIAC) in Portuguese Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

“…Nursing seeks to provide a holistic person-centered approach to care, addressing the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs of patients, where all of these needs are important and should be addressed equally (Lepherd, 2014; McSherry, 2015; Page, Peltzer, Burdette, & Hill, 2018). Recently, Rosa (2017) mentioned that holistic nursing is flourishing and the holistic approach is essential in clinical practice as a “way of being.” Although many recent studies report that the spiritual and/or religious needs of patients are not always addressed, this is still an important aspect of clinical practice (Martins, & Caldeira, 2018; Romeiro, Caldeira, Brady, Timmins, & Hall, 2017; Timmins, & Caldeira, 2017).…”

Lived experiences of pregnant and new mothers during COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative analysis of YouTube birth stories

“…They saw the situation as a way to affirm strength and power over their minds and bodies.A mom who delivered alone and spent two days at the hospital was sad because her husband had to watch their older child at home, said: "..., so I was already kind of mentally preparing myself, and I was telling myself like you are strong, you've got this...you giving birth alone is not the end of the world it's not the biggest deal...you are going to be really proud of yourself...so I kept telling myself things like that." Faith Faith or belief in God or a higher being can provide a source of strength and support for women during childbearing 18. In the context of the pandemic, a person's faith may play a substantial role in enhancing coping skills to mitigate stress and worries that come from the pandemic's sequelae.…”

Dimensão da espiritualidade na gestão do cuidado de enfermagem

“…A ciência tem procurado solucionar a metade do problema: uma base sistemática tem fornecido o entendimento do corpo e de suas doenças. A outra metade: o que fazer com a pessoa em sua subjetividade, permanece arte, que tem sido explorada com habilidades individuais e com o subjetivismo das relações para ambos, pacientes e profissionais de saúde (SANTOS, 2010;PAGE et al, 2018).…”

“…Um dos aspectos que caracteriza essa arte é a capacidade de se interconectar a diferentes dimensões na abordagem holística (RE, 2018). Essa arte ainda fortaleceu adequações para uma melhor integração da espiritualidade ao cuidado, com uma mudança na visão normativa da profissão, o foco na espiritualidade no crescente movimento de autoajuda e atenção ao impacto espiritual dos novos sistemas de prestação de cuidados (PAGE et al, 2018).…”

“…A importância da abordagem holística, sob a ótica da integralidade humana do cuidado, tem reforçado a tendência de investigações científicas acerca da relação entre a saúde e a espiritualidade. Espiritualidade é uma dimensão subjetiva e emocional que perpassa as demais dimensões humanas, envolvendo um significado íntimo da vida e da existência (PAGE et al, 2018). Enquanto fenômeno psíquico e social, a espiritualidade tem o potencial de transcendência da experiência humana de um nível isolado para um nível mais abrangente e universal, com um sentido de totalidade (SANTOS, 2010;LAVORATO NETO, 2016).…”