Patients' concepts of spirituality
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Patients' concepts of spirituality and perceptions of how spiritual needs are addressed by contemporary mental health services.
IRAS ID
171465
Contact name
Angela Barker
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 25 days
Research summary
For many years people have often understood the term spirituality as being the same as religion, for some people this is still the case however for many people it is not. During recent years the UK has become more diverse and multi-cultural and fewer people now identify themselves as belonging to a particular religious group. Various reasons have been given for this, the main ones being that many people believe religion is the cause of political unrest and conflicts in various parts of the world, also advances in science, knowledge and education are causing people to question their religious beliefs. However, even though people are generally becoming less religious, they appear still to need a more spiritual dimension to their lives.
Although the NHS has a duty to look after the spiritual needs of all its patients, evidence seems to suggest that patients’ spiritual needs, particularly in mental health services, are still not being met. The main reason given for this is that there is no single definition of spirituality; this has led to there being no clear direction as to how spiritual care in the NHS should be defined and provided.
The purpose of the research is to find out how patients define and understand the concept of spirituality, in particular how it relates to and affects their mental health. It will also explore patients’ thoughts on how they believe their spiritual needs have been met during their stay on the mental health inpatient unit and if they feel their spirituality has been acknowledged and supported by staff. It will explore how patients believe spiritual care should be provided; this will help the Trust develop its services to meet patients’ expectations and needs more effectively.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/YH/0032
Date of REC Opinion
25 Feb 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion