Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — MedicalXPress, Tuesday 12 July 2022
Spirituality should be incorporated into care for both serious illness and overall health, according to a study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, published in JAMA on 12 July 2022. “This study represents the most rigorous and comprehensive systematic analysis of the modern day literature regarding health and spirituality to date. Our findings indicate that attention to spirituality in serious illness and in health should be a vital part of future whole person-centred care,” said lead author Tracy Balboni, senior physician at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center.
The researchers systematically identified and analysed the highest-quality evidence on spirituality in serious illness and health published between January 2000 and April 2022, with 371 articles on serious illness and 215 on health outcomes meeting strict inclusion criteria. The study found that for healthy people, spiritual community participation — as exemplified by religious service attendance — is associated with healthier lives, including greater longevity, less depression and suicide, and less substance use. For many patients, spirituality is important and influences key outcomes in illness, such as quality of life and medical care decisions. The 27-member expert panel included diverse spiritual and religious views — spiritual-but-not-religious, atheist, Muslim, Catholic, various Christian denominations, and Hindu. “Spirituality is important to many patients as they think about their health. Focusing on spirituality in health care means caring for the whole person, not just their disease,” said co-author Professor Tyler VanderWeele. “Overlooking spirituality leaves patients feeling disconnected from the health care system. Integrating spirituality into care can help each person have a better chance of reaching complete well-being,” added senior author Howard Koh.