Current Mental Health Clients’ Attitudes Regarding Religion and Spirituality in Treatment: A National Survey

Holly K Oxhandler,Michelle J Pearce,Cassandra Vieten,Kenneth I Pargament,Kelsey M Moffatt

doi:10.3390/rel12060371

Holly K Oxhandler, Michelle J Pearce + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12060371

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Abstract

Over the last several years, there has been a growing interest in clients’ views toward integrating their religion and spirituality (RS) into mental health treatment. However, most of these studies have been limited to small samples and specific populations, regions, and/or clinical issues. This article describes the first national survey of current mental health clients across the US regarding their attitudes towards integrating their RS in treatment using a revised version of the Religious/Spiritually Integrated Practice Assessment Scale-Client Attitudes, version 2 (RSIPAS-CAv2) with a sample of 989 clients. Our findings indicate mental health clients have overwhelmingly positive attitudes regarding integrating their RS into mental health treatment. Additionally, we explored what background characteristics predict clients’ attitudes toward this area of practice and found the top predictor was their intrinsic religiosity, followed by whether they had previously discussed RS with their current provider, age, gender, organized and non-organized religious activities, belief in God/Higher Power, and frequency of seeing their mental health provider. The reliability and validity of the RSIPAS-CAv2 was also explored and this scale is recommended for future use. Implications and recommendations for practice, research, and future training efforts are discussed.

Highlights

There has been growing attention to mental health clients’ religion and spirituality (RS) as a critical component to be addressed in treatment across helping professions (American Psychological Association 2010; American Association for Marriage and FamilyTherapy 2012; American Counseling Association 2014; American Nurses Association 2015; National Association of Social Workers 2017)
A total of 2854 individuals who previewed the survey responded to whether they were currently seeing a mental health care provider. Of those 2854 individuals, 1246 saw a mental health care provider in the last month, 257 were removed for various reasons described in Oxhandler et al (2021b), resulting in a final sample of 989 current mental health clients
The results from this study indicate that most clients currently engaged in mental health treatment within the US have positive attitudes toward integrating their RS in treatment and that clients’ intrinsic religiosity is the top predictor of clients’ attitudes toward considering their RS in treatment

Summary

Introduction

There has been growing attention to mental health clients’ religion and spirituality (RS) as a critical component to be addressed in treatment across helping professions (American Psychological Association 2010; American Association for Marriage and FamilyTherapy 2012; American Counseling Association 2014; American Nurses Association 2015; National Association of Social Workers 2017). There has been growing attention to mental health clients’ religion and spirituality (RS) as a critical component to be addressed in treatment across helping professions Researchers and clinicians have recognized the salient role RS play in clients’ lives, appearing in both positive and negative forms of coping (Exline 2013; Pargament 2007), various spiritual needs (van Nieuw AmerongenMeeuse et al 2020), heightened self-esteem (Colbert et al 2009), improved health and mental health treatment outcomes (Koenig et al 2001, 2012), and greater life satisfaction (Leondari and Gialamas 2009). States (US) tend to see these terms as overlapping, with over half identifying as moderately/very religious and 65% identifying as moderately/very spiritual (Smith et al 2016).

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