Spiritual Care Intervention
Babamohamadi H, Sotodehasl N, Koenig HG et al (2017). The Effect of Holy Qur'an Recitation on Depressive Symptoms in Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Relig Health, 56(1):345-354.
Beitel M, Genova M, Schuman-Olivier Z, et al (2007). Reflections by inner-city drug users on a Buddhist-based spirituality-focused therapy: a qualitative study. Am J Orthopsychiatry. Jan;77(1):1-9.
Bormann JE, Gifford AL, Shively M et al (2006). Effects of spiritual mantram repetition on HIV outcomes: A randomized controlled trial. J Beh Med, 29(4): 359-76.
Bormann JE, Liu L, Thorp SR (2012). Spiritual well-being mediates PTSD change in veterans with military-related PTSD. Int J Beh Med, 19:496-502.
Carmody J, Reed G, Kristeller J et al (2008). Mindfulness, spirituality and health-related symptoms. J Psychosomatic Res, 64, 393-403.
Kemppainen J, Bormann JE, Shively M. et al (2012). Living with HIV: Responses to a mantram intervention using the critical incident research method. J Altern Complement Med. 18(1): 76–82.
Margolin A, Schuman-Olivier Z, Beitel M et al (2007). A preliminary study of spiritual self-schema (3-S+) therapy for reducing impulsivity in HIV-positive drug users. J Clin Psychol. Oct;63(10):979-99.
McCauley J. et al (2011). A randomized controlled trial to assess effectiveness of a spiritually-based intervention to help chronically ill adults. Int J Psychiatry Med, 41(1):91-105.
Moeini M, Sharifi S, Bagher Kajbaf M (2016). Effect of Islam-based religious program on spiritual wellbeing in elderly with hypertension. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res, 21(6): 566–571.
Moritz S. et al (2006). A home study-based spirituality education program decreases emotional distress and increases quality of life--a randomized, controlled trial. Altern Ther Health Med, Nov-Dec;12(6):26-35.
Moritz S. et al. (2011). A spirituality teaching program for depression: Qualitative findings on cognitive and emotional change. Complement Ther Med, Aug;19(4):201-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2011.05.006. Epub 2011 Jun 29.
Neff KD, Germer CK (2012). A pilot study and randomized controlled trial of the mindful self-compassion program. J Clin Psychology, 69(1), 28-44.
Pargament KI, Sweeney PJ. (2011). Building spiritual fitness in the Army: an innovative approach to a vital aspect of human development. Am Psychol. Jan;66(1):58-64.
Puchalski C.M., McSkimming S. (2006). Creating Healing Environments: An Initiative Seeks to Restore "Heart and Humanity" to Depersonalized Health Care. Health Progress, May/June, 87(3).
Rainbow THH, Sing CY, Wong VPY (2016) Addressing holistic health and work empowerment through a body-mind-spirit intervention program among helping professionals in continuous education: A pilot study. Social Work in Health Care, 55:10, 779-93.
Rozensweig S. et al. (2010). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for chronic pain conditions: Variation in treatment outcomes and role of home meditation practice. J Psychosom Res, Jan;68(1):29-36.
Ruini C, Fava GA. (2012). Role of well-being therapy in achieving a balanced and individualized path to optimal functioning. Clin Psychol Psychother, 19(4):291-304. See HERE.
Subica AM, Yamada AM (2017). Development of a Spirituality-Infused Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses. Psychiatr Rehabil J. doi: 10.1037/prj0000102. [Epub ahead of print].
Warber SL et al. (2011). Healing the heart: A randomized pilot study of a spiritual retreat for depression in acute coronary syndrome patients. Explore (NY), 7(4), 222-33. See HERE
Yang GM et al (including Christina Puchalski) (2017). Effect of a spiritual care training program for staff on patient outcomes. Palliat Support Care. Nov 29:1-10.
- The title describes it pretty well. The results are, “Yes, it helps.” 27 hemodialysis patients in Iran and Saudi Arabia. See HERE. Same folks, by the way, published a 2015 study that found the same benefits in hemodialysis patients’ experiences of anxiety.
Beitel M, Genova M, Schuman-Olivier Z, et al (2007). Reflections by inner-city drug users on a Buddhist-based spirituality-focused therapy: a qualitative study. Am J Orthopsychiatry. Jan;77(1):1-9.
- Group-based, manual-guided, spiritually-focused intervention for addiction and HIV-risk behavior. “Spiritual self-schema (3-S)” therapy, drawing on cognitive and Buddhist perspectives. Premise that addictive behaviors follow when people live on “auto pilot” with destructive beliefs (“self-schema”) about themselves. Program aims to help people cultivate ways to be more consistently aware of their true selves. Original article available HERE. Lots of free downloadable material, as well, including therapist manuals and client workbooks. See http://www.3-s.us/.
Bormann JE, Gifford AL, Shively M et al (2006). Effects of spiritual mantram repetition on HIV outcomes: A randomized controlled trial. J Beh Med, 29(4): 359-76.
- Group with individual f/u intervention in which they instructed people in the selection of meaningful words or phrases and had them repeat them throughout the day. Examples of mantram included “Om Mani Padme Hum” from Buddhism, “Rama Rama” from Hinduism, “Lord have mercy” from Christianity [I say this a lot when the Red Sox are losing a game they should be winning], “Shalom” from Judaism, “Allah” from Islam, and “O Wakan Tanka” from Native American spiritual traditions.” They tracked people’s attentiveness to mantram with golf counters (ah, 1960s technology!). They found that both participation in the group intervention and actual mantram practice were associated with managing psychological distress and “enhancing spiritual well-being in adults living with HIV/AIDS.” See HERE
Bormann JE, Liu L, Thorp SR (2012). Spiritual well-being mediates PTSD change in veterans with military-related PTSD. Int J Beh Med, 19:496-502.
- More f/u on mantram. Mantram intervention resulted in beneficial changes in PTSD symptoms with 66 veterans and was attributed statistically to positive changes in existential spiritual well-being. See HERE.
Carmody J, Reed G, Kristeller J et al (2008). Mindfulness, spirituality and health-related symptoms. J Psychosomatic Res, 64, 393-403.
- 44 participants in 8-week Mindfulness-based stress reduction class at U Mass showed improvements in spirituality, state and trait mindfulness, psychological distress and self-reported medical symptoms. See HERE.
Kemppainen J, Bormann JE, Shively M. et al (2012). Living with HIV: Responses to a mantram intervention using the critical incident research method. J Altern Complement Med. 18(1): 76–82.
- Follow up on the Bormann study of mantram. Working with participants in a 5-weekly group mantram intervention, explores mechanisms of therapeutic effects: “increased calm/peace,” “changed my viewpoint,” “increased spirituality” etc. See HERE
Margolin A, Schuman-Olivier Z, Beitel M et al (2007). A preliminary study of spiritual self-schema (3-S+) therapy for reducing impulsivity in HIV-positive drug users. J Clin Psychol. Oct;63(10):979-99.
- More on spiritual self-schema (3-S) therapy with HIV-positive drug users. See HERE.
McCauley J. et al (2011). A randomized controlled trial to assess effectiveness of a spiritually-based intervention to help chronically ill adults. Int J Psychiatry Med, 41(1):91-105.
- Creative video and workbook intervention with 100 older, chronically ill adults. Increased energy reported, with non-significant improvements in pain, mood and health perceptions. They comment… inoffensive, no clinician time and beneficial with the measure of energy. “Partial credit,” right? See HERE
Moeini M, Sharifi S, Bagher Kajbaf M (2016). Effect of Islam-based religious program on spiritual wellbeing in elderly with hypertension. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res, 21(6): 566–571.
- 8 session intervention in Iran with 52 elderly patients with hypertension. Program, as advertised, based on Islamic practices with gratitude, forgiveness, participation in charity affairs, prayer, pilgrimage, meditation on verses from the Quran. Significant improvement in spiritual and existential well-being. Assuming the Iran J of Midwifery Res is not to be found in a library near you, you can see the full text article online. See HERE.
Moritz S. et al (2006). A home study-based spirituality education program decreases emotional distress and increases quality of life--a randomized, controlled trial. Altern Ther Health Med, Nov-Dec;12(6):26-35.
- Eight-week audiotaped spirituality home study program with primary care population. Improvements in mood and quality of life. See HERE
Moritz S. et al. (2011). A spirituality teaching program for depression: Qualitative findings on cognitive and emotional change. Complement Ther Med, Aug;19(4):201-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2011.05.006. Epub 2011 Jun 29.
- Results of 8-week spirituality teaching program of audio CDs for home-based use. Improvements in thinking, self-esteem and mood, primarily associated with practicing forgiveness, compassion, gratitude and acceptance. See HERE
Neff KD, Germer CK (2012). A pilot study and randomized controlled trial of the mindful self-compassion program. J Clin Psychology, 69(1), 28-44.
- Neff, at UT Austin, and Germer, at Harvard, are leading researchers in self-compassion. This is a pilot study of an intervention program that resulted in increases in self-compassion, mindfulness and wellbeing (the latter measured with various instruments looking at connectedness, happiness, life satisfaction and so forth). Six and 12-month follow-up. See HERE
Pargament KI, Sweeney PJ. (2011). Building spiritual fitness in the Army: an innovative approach to a vital aspect of human development. Am Psychol. Jan;66(1):58-64.
- Pargament is a long-time expert in spiritual/religious coping, Sweeney is a behavioral science faculty member at West Point. Spirituality as “searching for the sacred in one’s life” and spiritual “fitness” as identifying and maintaining awareness of one’s “spiritual core.” Description of three-tier “human spirit education program” for uniformed personnel as part of a 2011 million-person “Comprehensive Soldier Fitness” program. See HERE.
Puchalski C.M., McSkimming S. (2006). Creating Healing Environments: An Initiative Seeks to Restore "Heart and Humanity" to Depersonalized Health Care. Health Progress, May/June, 87(3).
- Elegant initiative in seven medical centers across the country “to develop and test strategies that encourage clinical caregivers to attend to patients' spiritual concerns; and, second, to better understand the organizational values and infrastructure that support increasing the spiritual care that caregivers provide.” Go to the hyperlink for the article in Volume 87, Number 3 HERE.
Rainbow THH, Sing CY, Wong VPY (2016) Addressing holistic health and work empowerment through a body-mind-spirit intervention program among helping professionals in continuous education: A pilot study. Social Work in Health Care, 55:10, 779-93.
- 3-day body-mind-spirit intervention with graduate students in behavioral health, incorporating a variety of approaches (such as expressive arts, mediation, qigong and group work) to foster self-awareness, self-care, developing strengths, and finding meaning. Benefits of significantly lower levels of negative affect and physical distress, less “spiritually disorientation,” and enhanced levels of daily functioning, positive affect, spiritual resilience, and tranquility. See HERE
Rozensweig S. et al. (2010). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for chronic pain conditions: Variation in treatment outcomes and role of home meditation practice. J Psychosom Res, Jan;68(1):29-36.
- Outcomes of 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction group and home-practice program with 133 patients with a variety of pain problems. Different effects with different pain complaints, generally showing benefits in pain, distress and functional capacities. Greater home practice helped. See HERE
Ruini C, Fava GA. (2012). Role of well-being therapy in achieving a balanced and individualized path to optimal functioning. Clin Psychol Psychother, 19(4):291-304. See HERE.
- Summarizes a number of randomized, controlled trials of “Well-being therapy.” Report decreased vulnerability to mood issues in high-risk populations after intervention. Essential elements… supporting positive self-evaluation, sense of continued growth and development, belief that life is purposeful and meaningful, quality relationships with others.
Subica AM, Yamada AM (2017). Development of a Spirituality-Infused Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses. Psychiatr Rehabil J. doi: 10.1037/prj0000102. [Epub ahead of print].
- Development of cognitive-behavioral intervention “Spiritual Strategies for Psychosocial Recovery” (SSPR) to support coping among target group. Pilot testing shows that the program is acceptable and meaningful for ethnically-diverse patients and providers, with objective evaluation of effects to follow. See HERE
Warber SL et al. (2011). Healing the heart: A randomized pilot study of a spiritual retreat for depression in acute coronary syndrome patients. Explore (NY), 7(4), 222-33. See HERE
- Four-day “Medicine for the Earth” nondenominational spiritual retreat (guided imagery, meditation, drumming, journaling and nature-based activities) shows better results than lifestyle change program or “usual care” in increasing hope and reducing depression in patients with ACS.
Yang GM et al (including Christina Puchalski) (2017). Effect of a spiritual care training program for staff on patient outcomes. Palliat Support Care. Nov 29:1-10.
- A spiritual care training program for doctors and nurses resulted in improved quality of life (but not improved spiritual well-being) for 144 palliative care patients. See HERE.