Spirituality & Healing
THE ISSUE
Researchers at a recent conference on faith, aging and healthcare at Duke University demonstrated how studies show people who attend religious services on a regular basis, live longer and use fewer health care resources. Further, people who perform volunteer work for religious institutions do even better than those who just attend religious services. They also showed that the relationship between spirituality and health is particularly strong among women. In general, women are more likely to be religious than men, they are more likely to pray and use religion when coping with stressful situations, and they are more likely to be involved in religion within their communities. Studies show that women who incorporate religion into their daily lives exhibit a greater mental health, and it is widely known that a greater mental health is tied to a greater physical health.
This positive correlation between religious participation and health has prompted new programs like parish nursing. There are approximately 5 thousand parish or congregational nurses with degrees or certificates. According to Mindy Beard coordinates the parish nursing program at Duke, where it is a masters program with the nursing and divinity schools. She explains that a parish nurse is primarily a health educator and counselor who develops support groups when needed, coordinates volunteers in the delivery of various health ministries. The primary role of the parish nurse is to be a health advocate to help a parishioner navigate the health care system and integrating faith with health through all these different dimensions.
Although in recent times there has been a split between healthcare and religion, the connection can be viewed in a historical context. Religious organizations and their leaders built the first hospitals in the fourth century. Religious institutions were the first to hand out licenses to practice medicine. Parish nursing is a return to this ideal of uniting spirituality and healing. It seeks to treat the whole person, the mind, body and spirit.
Somewhere in the 20th Century, there was a split between science and religion. In general, health practitioners were discouraged from integrating spirituality into patient care. In fact, doctors and nurses were never even supposed to talk to patients about religion or the patient's spiritual beliefs. Praying with a patient was most definitely taboo.
Now with America facing the beginnings of a healthcare crisis, proponents of re-linking healthcare and religion and spirituality say using religious institutions as healthcare resources could greatly reduce the overall health cost to America. There are presently 35 million older Americans, and that number is supposed to double over the next 30 or 40 years. Even though people are living longer lives, they are not necessarily living comfortable lives. Many of these 35 million older people are living with chronic pain, and therefore, reliant on healthcare resources in this country.
Researchers are trying to isolate the key component in this positive relationship between spirituality and health that contributes to a patient's physical well being. Experts believe that if they can uncover this special healing ingredient - they may be able to present this concept in a way that attracts others who do not subscribe to organized religion.
LINKS AND RESOURCES
The John M. Templeton Foundation
George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health
Spirituality & Health: The Body, Spirit Connection
To the Contrary's Report on Mind-Body Medicine
