Spiritual Therapies

CONTEXT: Although epidemiological studies have reported protective effects of religion and spirituality on mental health, it is unknown whether spirituality can be used as an intervention to improve psychological well-being. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of a home study-based spirituality program on mood disturbance in emotionally distressed patients.

The impact of spiritual practices on job satisfaction remains unclear. This integrative literature review assessed the effectiveness of various spiritual interventions and found that mindfulness was the intervention most widely used. The most promising outcome measures were stress, burnout, mindfulness, and self-compassion. Future research recommendation includes longitudinal reinforcement of mindfulness.

BACKGROUND: The effects of cancer and associated treatments have a considerable impact on the well-being and quality of life of pediatric oncology patients. To support children and their families, complementary and alternative medicines are seen by nurses and doctors as practical to integrate to the services offered by hospitals. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to examine if the practice of complementary and alternative medicine, specifically spiritual care and treatments based on body manipulation, is likely to improve the health and well-being of children suffering from cancer.

BACKGROUND: This article explores the evidence base of efficacy and effectiveness of 'energy healing' for cancer patients. The term 'energy healing' refers to a wide variety of therapies which are based on the premise that the healer transfers energy to the patient. Among the most researched forms of energy healing are reiki, therapeutic touch and healing touch.

OBJECTIVE: Reviews of empirical work on the efficacy of noncontact healing have found that adopting various practices that incorporate an intention to heal can have some positive effect upon the recipient's wellbeing. However, such reviews focus on 'whole' human participants who might be susceptible to expectancy effects or benefit from the healing intentions of friends, family or their own religious groups.

Distant healing is one of the most controversially discussed methods of complementary medicine. In the first section this paper outlines the history of spiritual healing and describes some possible definitions and different methods of spiritual healing. Based on a literature search in Medline, EMBASE, Current Contents, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED) as well as a manual tracking, current distant healing studies (excluding therapeutic touch studies) (n = 16) and some review articles (n = 6) are outlined in the second section.

OBJECTIVE: Reviews of empirical work on the efficacy of noncontact healing have found that adopting various practices that incorporate an intention to heal can have some positive effect upon the recipient's wellbeing. However, such reviews focus on 'whole' human participants who might be susceptible to expectancy effects or benefit from the healing intentions of friends, family or their own religious groups.

BACKGROUND: This article explores the evidence base of efficacy and effectiveness of 'energy healing' for cancer patients. The term 'energy healing' refers to a wide variety of therapies which are based on the premise that the healer transfers energy to the patient. Among the most researched forms of energy healing are reiki, therapeutic touch and healing touch.

Very little work has addressed spirituality in relation to health and well-being using the therapeutic landscape framework. Certainly the larger geographical literature, and specifically that of cultural geography, has identified the spiritual aspects of landscapes/places, and in so doing, has highlighted their importance for both secular groups and broader society alike. The increased recognition of the positive relationship between being spiritually active and health begs the examination of spiritual places reputed for their healing and healthful qualities.

BACKGROUND: We compared the effectiveness of religiously integrated cognitive behavioral therapy (RCBT) versus standard CBT (SCBT) on increasing optimism in persons with major depressive disorder (MDD) and chronic medical illness. METHODS: Participants aged 18-85 were randomized to either RCBT (n = 65) or SCBT (n = 67) to receive ten 50-min sessions remotely (94% by telephone) over 12 weeks. Optimism was assessed at baseline, 12 and 24 weeks by the Life Orientation Test-Revised.