We conduct and support rigorous and comprehensive research studies in the field of health and spirituality.
Over the past decades there has been a growth in the field of spirituality and health research showing a positive influence of spirituality and spiritual care. Providing spiritual care to patients with serious illness has been associated with better end-of-life outcomes, and unmet spiritual needs can be associated with poorer patient quality of life and wellbeing. Spirituality should thus be incorporated into care for both illness and wellness, as well as being a vital part of future whole person-centered care. Focusing on spirituality in health care would mean caring for the whole subject, not just their disease.
One of the root causes for not accounting for spirituality in medical care is the lack of consensus on the understanding of what spirituality is, and how prevalent spiritual needs are. Spirituality is a broad and complex concept, with no single consensus definition in medical practice and is often considered taboo. According to the International Consensus Conference on Spiritual Care in Health Care, spirituality is the way individuals seek ultimate meaning, purpose, connection, value, or transcendence. Spirituality can include organised religion but extends beyond to include ways of finding ultimate meaning by connecting, for example, to family, community, nature, or things people hold sacred.