Belief, Behavior, and Belonging: How Faith is Indispensable in Preventing and Recovering from Substance Abuse The original publication of this article (Grim and Grim 2019) contained the old name for a Department of Health and Human Services’ Center above the section “Faith’s Relationship with Substance Abuse in General”.

Confluence of Western Psychotherapy and Religious Teachings in Mental Healthcare of an Asian Buddhist Community: Sri Lanka Abstract Buddha lived 2600 years ago in Northern India, and his teachings were established in Sri Lanka in the third-century BC. In the nineteenth century, the British established the modern mental health services in Sri Lanka. This article aimed to highlight the association between Western psychotherapeutic techniques with Buddhist teachings and the relevance of this confluence to the mental health care in the country. Many schools of Western psychotherapy employ principles which are also described in Buddhist philosophy. Understanding this connection helps to deliver a culturally acceptable and relevant mental health care to the Sri Lankan population.

Go in Peace: Brain Death, Reasonable Accommodation and Jewish Mourning Rituals Abstract Religious objections to brain death are common among Orthodox Jews. These objections often lead to conflicts between families of patients who are diagnosed with brain death, and physicians and hospitals. Israel, New York and New Jersey (among other jurisdictions) include accommodation clauses in their regulations or laws regarding the determination of death by brain-death criteria. The purpose of these clauses is to allow families an opportunity to oppose or even veto (in the case of Israel and New Jersey) determinations of brain death. In New York, the extent and duration of this accommodation period are generally left to the discretion of individual institutions. Jewish tradition has embraced cultural and psychological mechanisms to help families cope with death and loss through a structured process that includes quick separation from the physical body of the dead and a gradual transition through phases of mourning (Aninut,Kriah, timely burial, Shiva, Shloshim, first year of mourning). This process is meant to help achieve closure, acceptance, support for the bereaved, commemoration, faith in the afterlife and affirmation of life for the survivors. We argue that the open-ended period of contention of brain death under the reasonable accommodation laws may undermine the deep psychological wisdom that informs the Jewish tradition. By promoting dispute and conflict, the process of inevitable separation and acceptance is delayed and the comforting rituals of mourning are deferred at the expense of the bereft family. Solutions to this problem may include separating discussions of organ donation from those concerning the diagnosis of brain death per se, allowing a period of no escalation of life-sustaining interventions rather than unilateral withdrawal of mechanical ventilation, engagement of rabbinical leaders in individual cases and policy formulations that prioritize emotional support for families.

The Relationship Between Religiosity and Anxiety: A Meta-analysis Abstract Several research studies from the USA and Western industrialized countries have reported a negative association between religiosity and anxiety. However, Arabic studies using mainly Muslim samples are limited. The objective of the present study was to apply meta-analysis statistical techniques to 10 Arabic studies of this association. All of the respondents were Arab citizens, ranging in age between 14 and 43 years, and the vast majority of them were Muslims. Religiosity and anxiety were assessed with seven different scales. In all of the studies, the administration of the scales was in small group sessions and in the Arabic language. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between the religiosity and anxiety scale scores. All the correlations were negative. All but one were statistically significant, ranging from − 0.16 to − 0.43. The mean effect size was − 0.22, and the impact of age and gender on the correlation was not significant. This result suggests that religiosity may affect anxiety by providing buffering and coping mechanisms.

‘Spirituality’ in Health Studies: Competing Spiritualities and the Elevated Status of Mindfulness Abstract The article investigates discourses of ‘spirituality’ in the field of Health Studies, among scholarly voices and the voices of the practitioners and patients these studies reflect. It examines current trends in contemporary spirituality as well as links with debates involving science, religion and secularisation. The article argues that, in the public domain, ‘spirituality’ is beginning to denote a collective practice rather than an individual search for meaning. Furthermore, the article identifies some common understandings of spirituality in the context of Health Studies and health environments, such as it being a tool that can facilitate closeness and emotional exchanges. Finally, it proposes that the success and, as I will show, elevated status of ‘mindfulness’ in this field points to ‘competing spiritualities’, despite shared understandings.

The Relationship of Forgiveness and Values with Meaning in Life of Polish Students Abstract The purpose of this article was to show the relationship of terminal values and forgiveness with meaning in life in Polish students who consider themselves faithful and practicing. The study involved youth studying at the Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow. It was carried out among 368 students. The age of the participants ranged between 19 and 23. Three tools were applied: Rokeach Value Survey, Forgiveness Scale by Toussaint, and the Purpose in Life Test of Crumbaugh and Maholick. The analysis of the results obtained proves that terminal values and forgiveness have a statistically significant relationship with meaning in the life of the studying youth.

Opinions, Knowledge and Attitudes Concerning “Spirituality, Religiosity and Health” Among Health Graduates in a Spanish University Abstract This study aims to investigate the opinions, knowledge and attitudes concerning spirituality, religiosity and health among 75 health MSc graduates from a Spanish university. The questionnaire “Religion and Spirituality in Medicine, Perspectives of Physicians” was used. Most students had low levels of religious activities, agreeing that S/R could have a high influence on the health professional–patient relationship (62.6%). Nevertheless, they felt little prepared to address these issues (90.6%) and believed that universities were not providing enough information on this topic (91.9%). The most common barriers for addressing R/S were insufficient time (34.7%) and fear of offending the patients (31.9%). Nurse students tended to believe more on the influence of R/S on patients’ health and on the appropriateness of addressing R/S issues. However, religious beliefs were not associated with students’ R/S opinions. The incorporation of such topic could potentially promote the spiritual sensitivity of health professionals, improving the holistic care.

Community Intervention for Syrian Refugees in Baltimore City: The Lay Health Educator Program at a Local Mosque Abstract This study focused on a partnership with a mosque in Baltimore, MD, and its impact on the local Syrian refugee population through a peer-to-peer healthcare training program. We implemented the Lay Health Educator Program over a 6-week period in an effort to teach members of the mosque about healthcare-related topics that they could then disseminate to the Syrian refugee population that attends the mosque. Physicians and nurses instructed community members on health, healthcare resources, and healthcare information during 2-h long sessions once a week. A total of 18 community members took part in the program, and their participation highlighted that the most significant health issues for the Syrian refugees are “access to healthcare,” “mental health,” and insight into certain noncommunicable disease. Finally, the community program graduates implemented several health-related campaigns over 2 years in an effort to disseminate information taught to them. In doing so, they significantly impacted the ability of the refugees to assimilate to the US healthcare system.

The Role of the Chaplain as a Patient Navigator and Advocate for Patients in the Intensive Care Unit: One Academic Medical Center’s Experience Abstract Effective communication between intensive care unit (ICU) staff, and patients and their families, can help increase understanding, trust, and goals-of-care decisions. Many strategies focus on enhancing communication by increasing family meetings or adding patient navigators. In our ICU, we implemented both strategies, uniquely appointing a chaplain for the patient navigator role. We then surveyed ICU staff on their perceptions of the chaplain/patient navigator, which yielded several valuable insights. Although all staff supported a strong chaplaincy presence, many had concerns about the dual chaplain/patient navigator role. Based on our mixed results, we encourage further exploration to optimize the chaplain role in the ICU.

Understanding the Diverse Forms of Spiritual Expression of Older People in Residential Aged Care in Australia Abstract The ability of older people to express their spirituality is an important component of aged care. Spirituality is not specifically religiousness although, for some, religion offers a means for spiritual expression. This paper aimed to explore what constitutes spiritual life for residents in three residential aged care facilities in South Australia. The findings of the research demonstrated that the majority of older resident participants defined spirituality as ‘connection/s’. Three unexpected results of the study became obvious during analysis, reported here as ‘loss’, ‘adaptation’ and ‘they’re busy’. It is offered here that these adjustments enabled participants to compensate for their losses.