Spirituality in bedlam: exploring professional conversations on acute psychiatric units.

Abstract

The inclusion of spiritual conversations in occupational therapy is congruent with the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement, which identifies spirituality as the core of every human being. Research indicates that spirituality can be a resource for mental health recovery. This manuscript reports on Part 2 of a research study that explored the experience of spiritual conversations for patients (Part I) and mental health professionals (Part 2) on acute psychiatric units. Eight acute-based mental health professionals (MHPs)/participants, representing a variety of disciplines, participated in a focus group or individual interview. Community-based participatory research, appreciative inquiry, and interpretive description provided methodological and analytic guidance. MHP/participants described challenges in setting boundaries related to spirituality conversations and discerning spiritual experience from psychosis. MHPs/participants emphasized the importance in providing an empathetic presence while also engaging in spiritual networking. Therapists can incorporate spiritual conversations with patients in acute psychiatric settings by taking specific actions to enhance their openness and engaging in spiritual networking.