Spiritual Assessment Research Articles

Barriers and facilitators to resilience for rural cancer survivors during COVID-19.

The purpose of this study was to identify the barriers and facilitators of resilience for rural cancer survivors during COVID-19. A descriptive qualitative study design was used to achieve the study objected. We recruited six posttreatment cancer survivors, four caregivers of cancer survivors, and one survivor who also identified as a caregiver, all from rural Southwest Virginia. Participants completed 60-90 minute virtual interviews that were recorded, transcribed, and verified in Dedoose qualitative software. Data was analyzed using an inductive and deductive coding strategies, and thematic analysis was used to develop key themes. Four key themes emerged from the data: 1) Religious faith is a primary source of resilience, 2) Spiritual cancer care strengthens resilience, 3) Virtual platforms provide critical connections to faith communities, and 4) Fearful and fatalistic cancer beliefs reduce resilience. The findings provide critical descriptive evidence that faith facilitates resilience for rural cancer survivors, while rural cultural norms of fearful and fatalistic cancer beliefs reduce resilience. In the context of COVID-19, rural survivors prioritize utilizing virtual support groups to strengthen their resilience. Nurses should incorporate a spiritual assessment into survivorship care, and guide survivors to existing virtual support groups.

The myth of spirituality

This article is designed to open a conversation about the place of spirituality in social work, highlight possible ethical issues, and question whether spirituality, as defined by social work and popular culture, is an immutable part of human development. Additionally, the role of social work in conducting spiritual assessments and interventions is specifically challenged, along with examples of how the misuse of spirituality can harm clients. The article also suggests that the profession would benefit from adopting an evidence-based concept of spirituality and establishing accountability standards. Findings: Until more is known about spirituality, social workers may want to consider: (1) placing a moratorium on using and developing spiritual assessment instruments until the concept can be accurately defined; (2) omitting words linked to religious symbols such as soul, anointing, blessing, etc. in social work practice; (3) conducting spiritual screenings rather than complete spiritual assessments, and (4) referring clients with spiritual questions or wanting spiritual support to experts known not to blame or harm clients and trained in the specific area of concerns expressed by the person. Applications. The time has come for social work to establish ethics, accountability, and limitations on the practice of spirituality.

Spirituality and depression in mothers of children with leukemia

ABSTRACT Childhood cancer can affect meaning of life as well as spirituality, causing significant changes in the family members’ life, accordingly, the present study investigated the relationship between depression and spirituality among mothers of children with cancer. This study is a descriptive-analytical research of correlation type was conducted on 70 mothers of children with cancer in 2019 by available sample method. The measurement instruments utilized included “Beck depression inventory-II,” and spiritual attitude assessment” questionnaires. Results of this study indicated an inverse correlation between depression and spirituality in mothers of children with cancer. It seems that promoting the spiritual attitude of mothers can help them cope with depression.

Spiritually Oriented Trauma Healing in Nigeria: A Program Evaluation to Assess Trauma-Symptom Reduction and Spiritual Growth

There is a significant gap in the need for and provision of treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially in low- to middle-income countries such as Nigeria. This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a faith-based program in the reduction of PTSD symptoms and the improvement of relationship with God. Participants were all Nigerians living in the middle and northern parts of Nigeria, selected by a local church and a local Christian non-profit organization. Three 5-day workshops were completed in two locations with a total of 41 participants. The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition ( DSM-5) and the Spiritual Assessment Inventory were used as measures implemented pre and post intervention for program evaluation. Paired-sample t-tests showed significant reductions of PTSD symptoms, with a moderate effect on the whole group and a large effect on those who reached the cut-off for PTSD prior to the workshop. Improvement in relationship with God was also evident. Overall, the program appeared beneficial to participants, suggesting that culturally sensitive, faith-based workshops may be a strategic way to address high rates of PTSD in high-conflict areas.

Spiritual Caregiving and Assessments for America’s Religious ‘Nones’: A Chaplaincy Perspective

One in four American patients now identify as religiously unaffiliated. This study utilizes thematic analysis to deliver qualitative results from in-depth interviews conducted with five chaplains at a premier cancer research institution in Florida to envision what care for their spiritual dimension should look like in practice. It demonstrates why the chaplains interviewed suggested that spiritual caregiving still contributes to their holistic wellbeing, and it suggests how spiritual care and assessments may be provided to so-called religious ‘nones’—or those who identify as spiritual but not religious, not religiously affiliated, secular humanist, atheist, agnostic, and so on. We conclude with a novel spirituality assessment for use while serving this patient population.

Factor analysis and reliability of the Assessment of Spirituality and Religious Sentiments (ASPIRES) Scale in an Iranian sample

ABSTRACT This study investigated the factor structure and reliability of the Assessment of Spirituality and Religious Sentiments (ASPIRES) Scale in an Iranian sample. A total of 409 subjects (213 females and 196 males) between the ages of 14 and 88 years (Mean = 34.37) were selected. Scores were submitted to a principal components analysis using an oblimin rotation. The resulting pattern loadings were then subjected to an orthogonal procrustean rotation that used US normative data as the target matrix. The resulting factor loadings were then compared to the US normative loadings and significant convergence was obtained, suggesting that the Iranian sample understood the underlying spiritual dimension in a psychologically similar manner as the US samples. Alpha reliability values were consistent with those obtained from US norms. The results suggest that the ASPIRES Scale generalized well and is a potentially useful instrument for use in an Iranian context.

Chaplains' perspectives on standardizing spiritual assessments.

Chaplains are an integral part of mental health treatment within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and over the past decade, efforts have been made to integrate chaplain services into behavioral health treatment. One unique duty of chaplains is to conduct spiritual assessments, which are characterized as collaborative discussions with veterans to understand their overall religious and belief system, identify spiritual injuries, and how to integrate one's spiritual values into medical care. Although spiritual assessments in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers have evolved throughout the years to adopt a more structured approach, spiritual assessments can vary depending on site, clinical setting, and medical center. The present study sought to examine chaplains' perspectives on standardizing spiritual assessments and incorporating empirically validated measures into the assessments. Thematic analysis was conducted on two focus groups of chaplains from a large VHA medical center. Overall, chaplains appeared interested in standardizing spiritual assessments, with an expressed desire to maintain their current conversational format. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The spiritual and mental health assessment of social workers working for Internally Displaced Persons during Covid-19 in Myanmar

This study applies the spiritual assessment viewpoint toanalyze the responses of participants who are working for InternallyDisplaced Persons (IDPs) in Kachin and Northern Shan State,Myanmar. It was an online survey of workers' work experience in April2022. The analysis applies a quantitative research method to explorethe spirituality of social workers who are working in conflict-affectedareas where works are stressful, and the guarantee of security isuncertain. To analyze participants’ spirituality, in quantitative method,the form of the Spirituality Assessment of Worker Working for IDPs(SASSIDPs) is designed as three dimensions of SASSIDPs: Healthyself-awareness (HSA), healthy relationship (HR), and healthy feeling(HF). The results are conducted with the Social Science StatisticsSoftware (SPSS) 22.0 for the statistical analysis. Most of theparticipants are female (66%) and 34% are male. The results of in threedimensions of the SASSIDPs are different from their socialcharacteristics: in gender, males and females are significantly differentin HF of SASSIDPs (t=-3.21**), female is higher than male; in termsof religion/faith, group of “Christianity” is significantly different fromthe group of “non-Christian” in HF(t=-2.833**), and “non-Christianity”group gets higher agree than “Christianity” group; in term of workingyears, people who have been working below 2 years has significantlydifferent from 3 years above in HSA (t=2.918**); in term of age, thereis no difference among the different age groups.

Spirituality and the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code

This series of articles will explore the intersections of spirituality with the delivery of contemporary healthcare within a number of healthcare and nursing environments. This third article will set out and explore issues around the assessment of spirituality and a range of tools that could be useful in assessing spirituality with patients or service users.

Developing a Google Form-based Instrument for Measuring the Spiritual Attitude of the Students Class XI

Purpose – This study aims to construct an instrument for assessing the spiritual attitudes of moral subjects and how much the contribution of these spiritual attitudes can be applied in everyday life.
 Design/methods/approach – The research approach used by RnD (Research and Development) with the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation) model. The subjects of this study were students of class XI. Data collection techniques use the Likert scale.
 Findings – The instrument was analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA); in the assessment of spiritual attitudes, there were four factors/dimensions, but the per-factor instrument variables did not correspond to the initial dimensions (obedience, thanksgiving, praying, and tasamuh) with the average value of the loading factor of each factor namely F1 = 0.650, F2 = 0.615, F3 = 0.578 and F4 = 0.774. In contrast, the instrument reliability test obtained a value of 0.705 with a high instrument category. The analysis results produce the findings by making new factors, namely tasamuh, gratitude, worship, and aqidah. 
 Research implications/limitation – This spiritual attitude assessment can be used in all Madrasah Aliyah in Indonesia. However, due to the limitations of researchers in distributing questionnaires, this research was only conducted in Sintang Regency.
 Originality/value – Further research is expected to construct an assessment of the spiritual attitudes of students in terms of more specific aspects of learning and daily life.

Differences in religious and spiritual practice variables between Canadian counselors and psychologists

This article investigates whether there are differences in religious and spiritual (R/S) beliefs, attitudes, practices, training, and self-assessed competence between counselors and psychologists in Canada. Researchers surveyed 307 mental health professionals in Canada with two standardized measures (the Assessment of Spirituality and Religious Sentiments Scale and the Duke University Religion Index) and various other questions corresponding to variables investigated or alluded to in past research. We hypothesized that, compared with psychologists, counselors would (a) have stronger personal R/S beliefs, (b) demonstrate more positive attitudes about the appropriateness of using R/S techniques with clients, (c) utilize R/S techniques more in sessions, (d) possess more positive attitudes toward training in this area, and (e) have higher self-assessed competence for working with R/S clients. These hypotheses were generally supported except for the last one: there were no significant differences found between counselors and psychologists in self-assessed competence in working with R/S clients. We compare our findings to those of extant research, particularly the study by Plumb who examined counselors in Canada. On the basis of our findings, we advocate for more systematic cultivation of R/S competence in programs for both counselors and psychologists in Canada.

When Patients Talk Politics: Opportunities for Recontextualizing Ministerial Theory and Practice.

Some chaplains and pastoral caregivers may regard political conversation in a care encounter as a distraction from spiritual work or a transgression of our professional role or ethical code. Yet politics is very often an expression of values that can shape a care recipient’s self-image, impact spiritual and emotional well-being, and humanize or dehumanize others. Recontextualizing political references in a care recipient’s personal and social history can reveal grief beneath grievance, trauma in need of healing, and sources of meaning and strength; hence, it is possible to integrate a care recipient’s politics into a spiritual assessment and plan of care. It is all the more important that we do so conscientiously at a time when care professionals are taking seriously, and sometimes wrestling with, the ethical demand for anti-racist witness and its relationship to our commitment to “meet patients where they are.” In order to provide ethical and effective interventions, we must first consider our own social location insofar as it impacts relationships and use of self. This article provides a framework for doing so as well as several suggestions for clinical practice.

Healthcare Providers' Perceptions about the Role of Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy Services in Substance Use Outpatient Treatment.

Addressing patients’ religion and spirituality (R/S) needs has been associated with positive health outcomes. However, despite receiving extensive training in spiritual assessment and care, chaplaincy services are primarily confined to inpatient settings, with few studies occurring in outpatient settings. The study sought to understand mental health providers’ views about what shaped provider and patient motivation to engage in R/S discussions and seek referrals to chaplaincy services. We conducted five one-hour focus group sessions with a total of 38 staff members and thematically analyzed the resulting session and field notes. We identified four themes concerning provider knowledge and attitudes about R/S and chaplaincy services: Staff Information Needs, Staff Motivation to Discuss R/S and Refer, Patient Motivation to Use Chaplaincy Services, and Chaplain Accessibility. The study findings suggest that providers in outpatient substance use treatment clinics in the Veterans Health Administration are receptive to learning about R/S care and the possibility of expanding chaplaincy services. However, staff have misconceptions about the roles and responsibilities of chaplains. Attitudes about and experiences with R/S discussions varied. Trust and confidence in the benefits of chaplaincy services may be improved among both providers and patients by increasing chaplains’ accessibility and visibility within these outpatient settings.

Effect of spiritual care on stress and spiritual health of mothers of neonates hospitalized in NICU

Background: hospitalizing neonates in NICU is a critical feeling for the parents. The present research aim was the effect of spiritual care on stress and spiritual health of mothers of neonates hospitalized in NICU. Method: The present study was semi-experimental with pre-test and post-test design with control groupA total of 66 mothers with including criteria were selected and divided into two groups of control and randomly assigned test. For the test group, spiritual need assessment was performed using the spiritual need assessment guide and nine spiritual actions based on native culture and religion were implemented based on the needs of the mother. In the control group, intervention was not performed. In both groups, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Palutzian and Ellison Spiritual Health Questionnaire completed the pre and post-test pre-admission and discharge procedures. Findings: The results of the study showed that there was no significant difference between demographic characteristics in both control and test groups. Comparison of the level of anxiety and spiritual well-being before intervention was done between the two groups using independent t-test and paired t-test. There was no significant difference between them (P> 0.05). After the intervention, there was a significant difference between the groups (P <0.05).

A Call for Faith Integration Among Graduate Nursing Students.

Spiritual assessment and faith integration are essential components of faith-based graduate nursing education. However, there are limited resources on faith integration in the graduate nursing curriculum. The author provides a framework and examples of application of four major concepts that can assist Christian nurse educators to engage students in transformational integration of faith and learning.

ANALISIS KEBUTUHAN PENILAIAN SPRITUAL PADA PEMBELAJARAN ABAD 21

The assessment instrument used as a mandatory reference by teachers and students in the 21st century learning process. 21st Century learning integrates literacy skills, knowledge skills, skills and attitudes as well as mastery of technology. Therefore, an assessment that is not only cognitive is needed. This study aims to analyze the need for spiritual assessment in 21st century learning. This study used a qualitative method with data acquisition through observation and interviews with principals and teachers. The results showed that principals and teachers needed spiritual assessment.

Sociocultural Drivers of Spirituality in Indian Saints: A Principal Component Analysis

Human health is multidomain. However, the physical component has dominated health research. Spiritual health, the component traditionally considered the pivot for health and wellness has taken a back seat. Exploring its’ different determinants in the traditional preachers will enhance our understanding of them and will be a guide for their use in the common man’s life.
 Aim: To find out important sociocultural factors/drivers of the spiritual health of Indian Saints.
 Objectives: To identify the important social and cultural determinants of spirituality in the study group by factor extraction through Principal Component Analysis (PCA).
 Methodology: 958 connecting Indian Saints who congregated at Kumbh Mela in the holy city of Ujjain in 2016 were randomly selected in equal proportion from different sects(clans). Their sociocultural background and spiritual score were evaluated by a sociocultural questionnaire and SAI (Spiritual Assessment Inventory). The contribution of sociocultural factors to spiritual score was analyzed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and linear regression modeling. Statistical significance was established at p < 0.05.
 Results: 20 sociocultural factors were evaluated for component loading (factor extraction) and their impact on the spiritual score. The KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure) score of Sampling Adequacy, Bartlett's test of sphericity and Communalities extraction were 0.57, sig. of 0.00 and ≥ 0.4 respectively thereby supporting; factor analysis. On PCA 6 had an eigenvalue > 1. All of these 6 principal components were found maintainable on The Monte Carlo PCA for Parallel Analysis and they together explained 66.20% of the cumulative variance. Their respective taxonomies were emancipation (PC 1), family heritage (PC 2), stimuli (PC 3), faith (PC 4), education (PC 5), and self-hegemony (PC 6). On regression analysis, the four important influencers of spirituality were; participants’ origin from a joint family (p – 0.00), their daily routine for spiritual enhancement (p-0.01), respect for other religions (p-0.00), and self-motivation (p-0.01).
 Conclusion: Emancipation (freedom from family bondage), the presence of religious family background, a fixed daily routine, belief in all religions, an unremitting drive for spiritual education, and self-hegemony were dominant components that determined spirituality in Indian Saints. Translating these drivers for the benefit of commoners may enrich their overall health and wellness.

Spirituality, Religion and Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Affirmative Care with Youth and Families: Guidelines and Recommendations.

An increasing number of transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) youth are seeking gender-affirming medical treatments and affirmative mental health supports. The field currently lacks guidelines or recommendations for the integration of spirituality and religion into such care. Providers must consider spirituality and religion when working with this population because it may reduce the burden of adversity and may also improve the likelihood of positive outcomes among this population. Informed by an adapted version of the Minority Stress Model and the cultural humility framework, our manuscript details recommendations for interdisciplinary care with TGNC youth and families in the following areas: functional assessment of spirituality and religion as they relate to gender identity, parental support, medical decision making, coping; religious/spiritual referral; psychotherapy referral; and community advocacy. Recommendations offer providers in interdisciplinary settings applicable frameworks and guidelines for integrating spirituality and religion into care with TGNC youth and families.

Bireysel Psikoloji’nin Maneviyatla İlişkisi Üzerine Bir Derleme Çalışması

Individual psychology is a theory developed by Alfred Adler that significantly contributed to the psychology literature both in theory and practice. Spirituality, on the other hand, is an area that cannot be ignored in human life. This article reviews the perspective of individual psychology on spirituality, its relationship with spirituality, how it makes spiritual assessments, and how it can be used with clients with a spiritual/ religious orientation. The review considers both Adler’s own texts and articles by later researchers who adopted his theoretical orientation. Individual psychology evaluates each individual by considering their own phenomenological field. It therefore does not ignore clients’ spiritual/religious dimensions in the counseling process and accepts that spirituality has an important place in the life of individuals. Given that spirituality has a structure that supports well-being, hope, and insight while providing an important coping mechanism, Adler’s inclusion of spirituality in his theory is clearly important. The case examples included in the article also support this and reveal in general terms how individual psychology handles and assesses spirituality during counseling.

Supportive care needs of women with advanced breast cancer in Ghana.

Most women with breast cancer in Ghana are initially diagnosed with advanced disease, however, there is limited research about Ghanaian women's experiences of living with advanced breast cancer. The study aimed to understand the perceived (felt) and expressed needs of women with advanced breast cancer. Using a cross-sectional design, this study assessed the supportive care and spiritual needs, as well as the supportive care service use, of women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer (n=176) with the Supportive Care Needs Survey-Long Form, the Spiritual Need Assessment for Patients and the modified Client Service Receipt Inventory. Most participants (96.6%) had financial needs and needs in relation to having access to professional counselling. The most prevalent supportive care needs reported were related to health system issues and information needs (90.3%-96.6%). Compared to older women (51.7%), younger women (48.3%) reported greater psychological (p=0.002) and sexuality needs (p<0.001) and less religious needs (p=0.048). Most participants (92.1%) had at least one spiritual need. Many of the available outpatient services were not accessed by the majority of participants (>63%). The study participants reported high supportive care needs even so, most did not access available relevant services. Study findings indicate that most of the participants were unaware of the health and supportive care services that were available to them or that these services were not easily accessible due to their financial status or geographical location. Targeted interventions are needed to assist the women to address their supportive care, spiritual and service needs.