journalArticle Human Fertility (Cambridge, England) 3 2 Hum Fertil (Camb) Husain Fatima Reproductive issues from the Islamic perspective The Islamic faith is regarded by its followers, Muslims, as a complete way of life. A multitude of nationalities practise Islam and also various sects, and as a result there are various interpretations of Qur'anic guidance relating to almost every matter. Only a fully qualified jurist of the highest rank can issue edicts on problems that are not already clearly addressed in the Qur'an. This applies to contemporary issues and any Muslim is at liberty to debate and dialogue with the religious leader to obtain a ruling on a specific question. Marriage is described as half the faith in Islam and to have children is seen as a great blessing. There is no religious objection to an infertile married couple pursuing any form of infertility treatment including in vitro fertilization, surgical sperm retrieval and micro-assisted conception methods. However, there must be strict control to ensure that the gametes belong to the husband and wife. This relationship is described as 'halal' (permitted), whereas any union of gametes outside a marital bond, whether by adultery or in the laboratory, is 'haraam' (forbidden). Therefore, donor sperm pregnancies are strictly forbidden in all schools of Islamic law. The advent of ovum donation and surrogacy has led some Islamic scholars to allow this procedure between co-wives thereby avoiding the 'haraam' relationship between sperm and egg, but there is still debate on the definition of the mother. Similarly, treating any other situation outside a marriage relationship, for example fertilization of an ovum from cryopreserved sperm after divorce of the couple or death of the husband would be 'haraam' and strictly forbidden. The Qur'anic guidance is quite clear that the couple can pursue all permitted treatments but may need to accept that they may not achieve a pregnancy. Adoption is encouraged in Islam with the specific rule that the child must be able to identify its biological father by keeping his name. It must be emphasized that Muslims will vary on their degree of adherence to the faith and the practitioner should present all the options to the couple without assuming which treatments they will or will not accept. 124-128 2000 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/11844368 2009-11-02 18:50:22 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11844368 book Grand Rapids, Mich Chosen Books Pearson Mark A Health Religious aspects Spiritual healing Christian Healing: A Practical and Comprehensive Guide 2nd ed 1995 ISBN 0800792211 Christian Healing library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog BT732.5 .P415 1995 journalArticle Prynn Barbara 1-2 prepub Ageing, Disability and Spirituality: Addressing the Challenge of Disability in Later Life. Jul 29, 2009 Ageing, Disability and Spirituality http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19657940 2009-09-18 22:31:52 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19657940 Journal of Interprofessional Care J Interprof Care DOI 10.1080/13561820903078199 ISSN 1469-9567 book New York Crossroad Marty Martin E Doctrines Health Lutheran Church Medicine Religious aspects Health and Medicine in the Lutheran Tradition: Being Well 1983 ISBN 0824506138 Health and Medicine in the Lutheran Tradition library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog BX8074.H42 journalArticle Nooney Jennifer Woodrum Eric Religious Coping and Church-Based Social Support as Predictors of Mental Health Outcomes: Testing a Conceptual Model This study assesses religious coping and church-based social support as mechanisms explaining religious benefits to mental health. We build on recent research and test an explanatory model using the 1998 General Social Survey. The model considers both institutional and individual aspects of religiousness, and their interrelations, as predictors of mental health outcomes. It considers negative effects of religion along with the well-known positive effects. We found that benefits of attendance, a measure of institutional participation, are mediated by church-based social support. Benefits of prayer, an individual form of religiousness, are mediated by the similarly privatized religious coping. Institutional measures of religion were found to impact individuals' religious coping styles. Implications are suggested for the scientific study of religion as well as for the applied efforts of clergy, pastoral counselors, and lay church members concerned with improving religious benefits. 359-368 Jun., 2002 Religious Coping and Church-Based Social Support as Predictors of Mental Health Outcomes http://www.jstor.org/stable/1388014 2009-09-07 17:51:31 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Jun., 2002 / Copyright © 2002 Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 41 2 ISSN 00218294 journalArticle Francoeur R T Behavior Buddhism Cross-Cultural Comparison Culture Hinduism personality Psychology Religion Research Sexuality Sexuality and spirituality: the relevance of eastern traditions 1-8 1992 Apr-May Sexuality and spirituality http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/12343737 2009-11-09 05:46:29 NCBI PubMed PMID: 12343737 SIECUS Report 20 4 SIECUS Rep ISSN 0091-3995 journalArticle Longshore Douglas Anglin M Douglas Conner Bradley T Humans Religion and Medicine social support Spirituality Substance Abuse Treatment Centers Substance-Related Disorders Treatment Outcome Are religiosity and spirituality useful constructs in drug treatment research? Religiosity and spirituality (R/S) have been shown to be related to better outcomes in many health service areas, including drug abuse treatment. The latter area, however, lacks a fully emergent empirical framework to guide further study. Moreover, although scientists have tested isolated hypotheses, no comprehensive process model has been designed and validated, limiting conceptual development as well. This paper reviews the relevant R/S and health research literature with a primary focus on drug treatment processes. Then a conceptual model is suggested to guide future incremental study of R/S assessment and intervention development. Implications for addiction health services include increased efforts to empirically validate R/S interventions, to increase practitioner competencies in this area, and to disseminate relevant research findings. 177-188 Apr 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19023659 2009-11-14 00:36:37 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19023659 The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 36 2 J Behav Health Serv Res DOI 10.1007/s11414-008-9152-0 ISSN 1556-3308 journalArticle Rostosky Sharon S Danner Fred Riggle Ellen D B Adolescent Adult Age Distribution Attitude to Health Child Cohort Studies Confidence Intervals Female Health Behavior Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Humans Longitudinal Studies Male Minority Groups Odds Ratio Prevalence Probability Psychosexual Development Religion Risk Assessment Sex Distribution Sexual Partners Spirituality Substance-Related Disorders United States Is religiosity a protective factor against substance use in young adulthood? Only if you're straight! PURPOSE: Previous research has documented that substance use peaks during young adulthood and that religiosity provides a protective effect against binge drinking, marijuana use, and cigarette smoking. The majority of these studies do not examine sexual identity as it relates to these factors. Drawing on social influence and developmental theories, we tested the hypothesis that religiosity would provide a protective effect for heterosexual but not sexual minority young adults. METHOD: Waves 1 and 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health provided data for the study. Three young adult sexual identity groups were formed: sexual minorities who did not report same-sex attraction at Wave 1 (NA), sexual minorities who did report same-sex attraction at Wave 1 (SSA), and heterosexuals (HET) (sample n = 764). RESULTS: Religiosity measured at baseline had no significant effect on past-year substance use, measured six years later in sexual minority young adults. For heterosexual young adults, each unit increase in religiosity reduced the odds of binge drinking by 9%, marijuana use by 20%, and cigarette smoking by 13%. CONCLUSIONS: Religiosity was not protective against substance use in sexual minority young adults, cautioning against over-generalizing previous findings about the protective effects of religiosity. Future studies that 1) consider the social context for sexual identity development, 2) model both risk and protective factors, and 3) use multidimensional measures of religiosity (and spirituality) and sexual identity are needed to build the necessary knowledge base for effective health promotion efforts among sexual minority youth and young adults. 440-447 May 2007 Is religiosity a protective factor against substance use in young adulthood? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17448402 2009-11-13 22:37:26 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17448402 The Journal of Adolescent Health: Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 40 5 J Adolesc Health DOI 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.11.144 ISSN 1879-1972 journalArticle Jesse D Elizabeth Reed Pamela G Adaptation, Psychological Adolescent Adult Appalachian Region Attitude to Health Female Health Behavior Health Status Humans Maternal Behavior Nursing Methodology Research Pregnancy Prenatal Care Quality of Life Questionnaires Self Concept Spirituality Stress, Psychological Effects of spirituality and psychosocial well-being on health risk behaviors in Appalachian pregnant women OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationships of spirituality and psychosocial well-being to health risk behaviors in pregnant Appalachian women. METHOD: Descriptive study of 120 women between 16 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. The instruments used were the Spiritual Perspective Scale and religiosity items from the Jarel Well-Being Scale. Psychosocial well-being was measured by the Prenatal Psychosocial Profile. Four items measured health risk behaviors. RESULTS: Higher levels of spirituality (spiritual perspective and religiosity) were significantly correlated with greater satisfaction with social support, higher levels of self-esteem, and decreased levels of smoking. Sociodemographic, psychosocial, and spiritual variables explained 25% of the variance in frequency of smoking, and in the logistic regression analysis, psychosocial stress was the only variable that significantly predicted substance use. CONCLUSION: Higher levels of spirituality and lower levels of stress are associated with decreased health risk behaviors among pregnant women from Appalachia. Increasing spiritual resources and decreasing stress during pregnancy offer the potential to improve health promotion efforts in pregnancy with women from Appalachia. 739-747 2004 Nov-Dec http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15561662 2009-11-13 18:08:55 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15561662 Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing: JOGNN / NAACOG 33 6 J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs DOI 10.1177/0884217504270669 ISSN 0884-2175 book Sage Publications, Inc Levin Jeffrey S. Religion in Aging and Health: Theoretical Foundations and Methodological Frontiers 1993-10-20 ISBN 0803954395 Religion in Aging and Health Amazon.com journalArticle Cohen Marc M Penman Stephen Pirotta Marie Da Costa Cliff Adult Aged Attitude of Health Personnel Australia Complementary Therapies Delivery of Health Care, Integrated Family Practice Female Health Services Needs and Demand Health Services Research Humans Male Middle Aged Physician's Practice Patterns Primary Health Care Questionnaires The integration of complementary therapies in Australian general practice: results of a national survey METHODS: Australian general practitioners' (GPs) attitudes toward and use of a range of complementary therapies (CTs) were determined through a self-administered postal survey sent to a random sample of 2000 Australian GPs. The survey canvassed GPs' opinions as to the harmfulness and effectiveness of CTs; current levels of training and interest in further training; personal use of, and use in practice of, CTs; referrals to CT; practitioners; appropriateness for GPs to practice and for government regulation; perceived patient demand and the need for undergraduate education. RESULTS: The response rate was 33.2%. Based on GPs' responses, complementary therapies could be classified into: nonmedicinal and nonmanipulative therapies, such as acupuncture, massage, meditation, yoga, and hypnosis, that were seen to be highly effective and safe; medicinal and manipulative therapies, including chiropractic, Chinese herbal medicine, osteopathy, herbal medicine, vitamin and mineral therapy, naturopathy, and homeopathy, which more GPs considered potentially harmful than potentially effective; and esoteric therapies, such as spiritual healing, aromatherapy, and reflexology, which were seen to be relatively safe yet also relatively ineffective. The risks of CTs were seen to mainly arise from incorrect, inadequate, or delayed diagnoses and interactions between complementary medications and pharmaceuticals, rather than the specific risks of the therapies themselves. CONCLUSIONS: Nonmedicinal therapies along with chiropractic are widely accepted in Australia and can be considered mainstream. GPs are open to training in complementary therapies, and better communication between patients and GPs about use of CTs is required to minimize the risk of adverse events. There is also a need to prioritize and provide funding for further research into the potential adverse events from these therapies and other therapies currently lacking an evidence base. 995-1004 Dec 2005 The integration of complementary therapies in Australian general practice http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/16398590 2009-11-09 05:43:27 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16398590 Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.) 11 6 J Altern Complement Med DOI 10.1089/acm.2005.11.995 ISSN 1075-5535 journalArticle Slagter Heleen A Lutz Antoine Greischar Lawrence L Nieuwenhuis Sander Davidson Richard J Adult Analysis of Variance Attentional Blink Brain Mapping Consciousness Contingent Negative Variation Female Humans Male Middle Aged Negotiating Photic Stimulation Reaction Time Theta Rhythm Time Factors Young Adult Theta phase synchrony and conscious target perception: impact of intensive mental training The information processing capacity of the human mind is limited, as is evidenced by the attentional blink-a deficit in identifying the second of two targets (T1 and T2) presented in close succession. This deficit is thought to result from an overinvestment of limited resources in T1 processing. We previously reported that intensive mental training in a style of meditation aimed at reducing elaborate object processing, reduced brain resource allocation to T1, and improved T2 accuracy [Slagter, H. A., Lutz, A., Greischar, L. L., Francis, A. D., Nieuwenhuis, S., Davis, J., et al. Mental training affects distribution of limited brain resources. PloS Biology, 5, e138, 2007]. Here we report EEG spectral analyses to examine the possibility that this reduction in elaborate T1 processing rendered the system more available to process new target information, as indexed by T2-locked phase variability. Intensive mental training was associated with decreased cross-trial variability in the phase of oscillatory theta activity after successfully detected T2s, in particular, for those individuals who showed the greatest reduction in brain resource allocation to T1. These data implicate theta phase locking in conscious target perception, and suggest that after mental training the cognitive system is more rapidly available to process new target information. Mental training was not associated with changes in the amplitude of T2-induced responses or oscillatory activity before task onset. In combination, these findings illustrate the usefulness of systematic mental training in the study of the human mind by revealing the neural mechanisms that enable the brain to successfully represent target information. 1536-1549 Aug 2009 Theta phase synchrony and conscious target perception http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/18823234 2009-09-26 19:43:27 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18823234 Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 21 8 J Cogn Neurosci DOI 10.1162/jocn.2009.21125 ISSN 0898-929X journalArticle Bhobe S Holistic Health Humans Medicine, Ayurvedic Spirituality Yoga Integrated approach to yoga Yoga is a science of Holistic living and not merely a set of Asanas and Pranayama. It is a psycho physical and spiritual science, which aims at the harmonious development of the human body, mind and soul. Yoga is the conscious art of self-discovery. It is a process by which animal man ascends through the stages from normal man to super man and then the divine man. It is an expansion of the narrow constricted egoistic personality to an all-pervasive eternal and blissful state of reality. Yoga is an all round development of personality at physical, mental intellectual, emotional and spiritual level. 33, 42 Feb 2000 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/15326755 2009-11-09 05:44:45 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15326755 The Nursing Journal of India 91 2 Nurs J India ISSN 0029-6503 book New York Guilford Press Good Charles M Africa Healing Traditional medicine Ethnomedical Systems in Africa: Patterns of Traditional Medicine in Rural and Urban Kenya 1987 ISBN 0898627796 Ethnomedical Systems in Africa library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog GR350 .G6 1987 journalArticle Narayana A History, Ancient India Medicine Medicine, Ayurvedic Science Medical science in ancient Indian culture with special reference to Atharvaveda A high quality of Medical Knowledge was prevalent in ancient India. The present day Archaeological evidences of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa imparts the high civilization in matters of sanitation and hygiene. An analysis of the material in the Vedas reveals that, all the four Vedas replete the references regarding various aspects of medicine. The Atharva Veda is deemed to be an encyclopaedia for medicine "Interalia", and Ayurveda (the science of life) is considered as Upa Veda (supplementary subject) of the Atharva Veda. A few glimpses of medical Science as prevalent in the ancient India have been presented here. 100-110 1995 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/11618829 2009-11-02 07:45:56 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11618829 Bulletin of the Indian Institute of History of Medicine (Hyderabad) 25 1-2 Bull Indian Inst Hist Med Hyderabad ISSN 0304-9558 book Madison, Wisconsin The University of Wisconsin Press Baer Hans A Alternative medicine Anthropology Complementary Therapies Cross-Cultural Comparison Delivery of Health Care Medical anthropology Medicine, Traditional Social medicine United States Biomedicine and Alternative Healing Systems in America: Issues of Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Gender 2001 ISBN 0299166902 Biomedicine and Alternative Healing Systems in America library.bu.edu Library Catalog RA418.3.U6 B34 2001 journalArticle Witte Alison S van der Wal Dirk M Steyn H Chrissie Adult Aged Anecdotes as Topic Appalachian Region Attitude to Health Female Holistic Nursing Humans Male Middle Aged Mysticism Nurse-Patient Relations Patient Acceptance of Health Care Questionnaires Religion and Medicine Self Care Spirituality Mystical experience in the context of health care Eighteen participants in a rural Appalachian community were interviewed to learn about their mystical experiences in the context of health care. Semistructured interviews addressed factors initiating mystical experience and essential qualities of mystical experience. Nursing process and the nurse's response were examined. Data were analyzed using the immersion/crystallization method and concept mapping. Mystical experience was conceptualized as a process incorporating initiation, occurrence, maturation, and integration of mystical experience. Essential qualities included sensory-motor perception, interaction with the supernatural, interaction with family members, conviction of reality, cognition, dynamic tension and emotional intensity. Nursing interventions included listening and support. Subjective nursing responses included tension, intimacy and empathy, sense of awe, autonomic responses, and appreciation of the mystical in everyday life. Various stressors are associated with mystical experience. Patients having mystical experiences may benefit from nursing support. 84-92 Jun 2008 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18539874 2009-11-13 23:59:57 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18539874 Journal of Holistic Nursing: Official Journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association 26 2 J Holist Nurs DOI 10.1177/0898010107310617 ISSN 0898-0101 journalArticle Baldacchino D Draper P Adaptation, Psychological Disease Holistic Nursing Humans Religion and Medicine Spiritual coping strategies: a review of the nursing research literature AIMS OF THE PAPER: This paper reviews some of the limited nursing research-based literature, orientated towards the use of spiritual coping strategies in illness. This review aims at identifying those spiritual coping strategies used by the believers and nonbelievers followed by implications for holistic nursing care. LITERATURE SEARCH: The CINAHL and MEDLINE CD Rom databases were searched, identifying literature published from 1975 onwards which amounted to 187 articles. The majority of the literature traced were found anecdotal with only few studies investigating directly spiritual coping strategies. Following scrutiny of the available articles, only five research studies explored directly the spiritual coping strategies used in various illness, four of which were conducted in USA and one in UK. Because of the small scale research studies, generalization of the findings of this review is limited to the samples used. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND: Research suggests that spiritual coping strategies, involving relationship with self, others, Ultimate other/God or nature were found to help individuals to cope with their ailments. This may be because of finding meaning, purpose and hope, which may nurture individuals in their suffering. Spirituality is oftenly referred by literature as being synonymous with religiosity. Thus the use of spiritual coping strategies is restricted to individuals who hold religious beliefs. However, the definition of spirituality indicates that this concept is broader than religiosity. The theories on stress-coping (Folkman & Lazarus 1984) and the numinous experience (Otto 1950) outline the rationale for the use of these strategies which are applicable to both the believers and nonbelievers. IMPLICATIONS: This review suggests that the onset of illness may render the individual, being a believer or nonbeliever to realize the lack of control over his/her life. However the use of spiritual coping strategies may enhance self-empowerment, leading to finding meaning and purpose in illness. This implies that holistic care incorporates facilitation of various spiritual coping strategies to safeguard the wholeness and integrity of the patients. 833-841 Jun 2001 Spiritual coping strategies http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11422554 2009-11-13 02:02:30 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11422554 Journal of Advanced Nursing 34 6 J Adv Nurs ISSN 0309-2402 journalArticle Lillis Jason Gifford Elizabeth Humphreys Keith Moos Rudolf Attitude of Health Personnel Data Collection Humans Inpatients Psychometrics Religion and Psychology Spirituality Substance-Related Disorders United States United States Department of Veterans Affairs Assessing spirituality/religiosity in the treatment environment: the Treatment Spirituality/Religiosity Scale There has been much interest in measuring and evaluating the role of spirituality/religiosity (S/R) in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. This study presents the initial evaluation of a new measure of S/R in the treatment environment: the Treatment Spirituality/Religiosity Scale (TSRS). The TSRS has 10 items and can be completed by both patient and staff to measure the emphasis on S/R in a given treatment program, which may have important implications for patient-program fit. Data on the TSRS were gathered from 3,018 patients and 329 staff members from 15 residential SUD treatment programs within the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System. The TSRS showed good internal consistency (alpha = .77), a single-factor structure, close agreement between patients and staff members (r = .93), and good discriminant validity. The TSRS appears to be a brief, easily administered, and potentially useful measure of the emphasis on S/R in residential SUD treatment programs. 427-433 Dec 2008 Assessing spirituality/religiosity in the treatment environment http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18424049 2009-11-13 23:53:33 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18424049 Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 35 4 J Subst Abuse Treat DOI 10.1016/j.jsat.2008.02.002 ISSN 1873-6483 journalArticle Bowman K W Hui E C Aged Attitude to Health Bioethics Canada China Confucianism Cultural Characteristics Decision Making Ethics, Medical Family Relations Humans Informed Consent Patient Advocacy Physician-Patient Relations Bioethics for clinicians: 20. Chinese bioethics Chinese Canadians form one of the largest groups in the Canadian cultural mosaic. Many of the assumptions implicit in a Western autonomy-based approach to bioethical deliberation may not be shared by Chinese Canadians. In traditional Chinese culture, greater social and moral meaning rests in the interdependence of family and community, which overrides self-determination. Consequently, many Chinese may vest in family members the right to receive and disclose information, to make decisions and to organize patient care. Furthermore, interactions between Chinese patients and health care workers may be affected by important differences in values and goals and in the perception of the nature and meaning of illness. Acknowledging and negotiating these differences can lead to considerable improvement in communication and in the quality of care. 1481-1485 Nov 28, 2000 Bioethics for clinicians http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/11192658 2009-11-02 19:02:07 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11192658 Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De l'Association Medicale Canadienne 163 11 CMAJ ISSN 0820-3946 journalArticle Turgut Okan Yalta Kenan Tandogan Izzet Islamic legacy of cardiology: Inspirations from the holy sources The main source of all inspirational knowledge in Islam is indeed the Holy Qur'an. The verses of the Qur'an as well as the Hadeeth and Sunnah literature have also accumulated a number of teachings and practices in relation to cardiovascular medicine. Islam is actually a comprehensive system of life, which provides mankind with the best forms of balance between the mundane and the spiritual. Early era of Islamic medicine has generated some very famous and notable physicians. The greatest physician of this era was Avicenna who devoted a substantial section of his classic magnum opus, the Canon of Medicine, to cardiovascular disorders. The empirical guidelines and principles of the Qur'an and Sunnah might contribute to the understanding and evaluation of various disturbances of the heart and vessels. Islamic legacy will still continue to inspire the contemporary cardiology in investigating cardiovascular diseases. Oct 24, 2009 Islamic legacy of cardiology http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19857908 2009-11-02 18:15:45 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19857908 International Journal of Cardiology Int. J. Cardiol DOI 10.1016/j.ijcard.2009.09.470 ISSN 1874-1754 journalArticle Dein Simon Attitude to Health Culture Humans Patient Participation Psychiatry Religion and Psychology Spirituality Spirituality, psychiatry and participation: a cultural analysis This article begins by asking whether religion and spirituality are useful terms for cross-cultural comparisons. After discussing the increasing distinction between religion and spirituality in Western cultures, it points out how the terms religion and spirituality are used in divergent ways in the literature and the need for conceptual clarification in this area. Broadly, spirituality relates to interconnectedness, ultimate meaning or life force itself. The current use of the term spirituality in Western cultures derives both from Christian spirituality and 'New Age' thinking, which often appropriates ideas from Eastern religious traditions. The sociocultural roots of this division are complex, involving both growth of individualism, the pursuit of meaning and discontent with materialism and scientific rationalism. This situation is contrasted with other monotheistic religions where there is no distinction between religion and spirituality. This turn to spirituality has influenced health care professionals' conceptualizations of health and healing. The implications for psychiatry are discussed. I conclude that spirituality is a way of 'being in the world' and shares affinities with Tambiah's notion of a participatory mode of thinking. 526-544 Dec 2005 Spirituality, psychiatry and participation http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16570516 2009-11-13 20:44:57 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16570516 Transcultural Psychiatry 42 4 Transcult Psychiatry ISSN 1363-4615 journalArticle Journal of Advanced Nursing 40 5 J Adv Nurs ISSN 0309-2402 Treloar Linda L Adaptation, Psychological Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Attitude to Health Christianity Clergy Disabled Persons Female Holistic Nursing Humans Male Middle Aged Models, Psychological Nurse's Role Nursing Methodology Research Parents Pastoral Care Religion and Psychology social support Southwestern United States Spirituality Disability, spiritual beliefs and the church: the experiences of adults with disabilities and family members AIMS: This paper reports the findings of a qualitative interpretive study that explored how people with disabilities and family members use their spiritual beliefs to establish meaning for disability, and to respond to the challenges of lived experience with disability. The participants' perceptions of the evangelical Christian church's influence on their spiritual experiences related to disability suggest recommendations for improved integration by the church. Applications are drawn for helping professionals and religious leaders who provide holistic care. BACKGROUND/RATIONALE: Although there is a well-established literature on coping in families with disabled children, little is known about how people use spiritual beliefs to establish meaning for and respond to life with disability. Even less is known about how people with a particular set of shared spiritual beliefs make meaning for lived experience with disability. DESIGN/METHODS: The author interviewed 30 persons, comprising two major groups: 13 parents of children with mixed developmental disabilities and nine adults with physical disabilities. Predominantly white, the participants lived in a south-western metropolitan area in the United States of America (USA) in 1998. FINDINGS: Trial or difficulty contributed to spiritual challenge, the breaking of self, reliance on God, and strengthened faith in God. The participants chose to live with thankfulness and joy despite difficulties common to experience with disability. The participants' spiritual beliefs stabilized their lives, providing meaning for the experience of disability, assistance with coping and other benefits. The participants' recommendations include increased assistance by the church in promoting theological understanding of disability, and religious support using a continuing model of caring. CONCLUSIONS: Although the study design limits the generalizability of the findings, applications can be drawn for helping professionals and religious leaders who provide holistic care 594-603 Dec 2002 Disability, spiritual beliefs and the church http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12437609 2009-11-13 03:56:50 NCBI PubMed PMID: 12437609 journalArticle Saunders Stephen M Lucas Valerie Kuras Lesley Adolescent Adult Alcoholism Culture Female Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Humans Male Personality Inventory Religion and Psychology Spirituality Students Measuring the discrepancy between current and ideal spiritual and religious functioning in problem drinkers The idea that spiritual and religious functioning (SRF) is associated with alcohol misuse is generally supported, but problems with typical research methods limit the utility of findings. Problems in SRF were conceptualized as discrepancies between current and ideal SRF. Two separate studies were conducted to develop and evaluate a scale to measure the subjective importance and adequacy of aspects of SRF that seem to be associated with alcohol problems. The 1st study suggested that a questionnaire developed to evaluate self-reported ratings of current and ideal SRF is both internally consistent and temporally stable. In the 2nd study, the questionnaire was administered to persons seeking treatment for alcohol problems and persons who indicated that they had never sought treatment for an alcohol problem. Results indicate that those with a drinking problem were more likely to report substantial discrepancies between current and ideal SRF, supporting the validity of the measure as an indicator of problems in SRF. The usefulness of this method for treatment and research is discussed. 404-408 Sep 2007 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17874891 2009-11-13 22:57:06 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17874891 Psychology of Addictive Behaviors: Journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors 21 3 Psychol Addict Behav DOI 10.1037/0893-164X.21.3.404 ISSN 0893-164X journalArticle Wink Paul Dillon Michele Activities of Daily Living Adolescent Adult Aged Aging Child Female Humans Knowledge Longitudinal Studies Male mental health Middle Aged Narcissism Quality of Life Religion Spirituality Religiousness, spirituality, and psychosocial functioning in late adulthood: findings from a longitudinal study This study used longitudinal data to examine the relations among religiousness, spirituality, and 3 key domains of psychosocial functioning in late adulthood: (a) sources of well-being, (b) involvement in tasks of everyday life, and (c) generativity and wisdom. Religiousness and spirituality were operationalized as distinct but overlapping dimensions of individual difference. In late adulthood, religiousness was positively related to well-being from positive relations with others, involvement in social and community life tasks, and generativity. Spirituality was positively related to well-being from personal growth, involvement in creative and knowledge-building life tasks, and wisdom. Neither religiousness nor spirituality was associated with narcissism. The relations between religiousness, spirituality, and outcomes in late adulthood were also observed using religiousness scored in early and spirituality scored in late middle adulthood. All analyses were controlled for gender, cohort, social class, and the overlap between religiousness and spirituality. 916-924 Dec 2003 Religiousness, spirituality, and psychosocial functioning in late adulthood http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14692876 2009-11-13 17:38:08 NCBI PubMed PMID: 14692876 Psychology and Aging 18 4 Psychol Aging DOI 10.1037/0882-7974.18.4.916 ISSN 0882-7974 journalArticle Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 5 4 J Altern Complement Med ISSN 1075-5535 Sancier K M Breathing Exercises Combined Modality Therapy Hypertension Neoplasms Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic Respiratory Tract Diseases Retrospective Studies Therapeutic benefits of qigong exercises in combination with drugs This article reviews clinical studies from the Qigong Bibliographic Database, developed by the Qigong Institute, a nonprofit organization. This database was started in 1994 and holds approximately 1300 references going back to 1986, covering medical applications, scientific, and experimental studies on qigong from China, the United States, and Europe. Records in English have been compiled from International Qigong conferences and seminars, scientific journals, magazines, dissertations, MEDLINE, and other databases. The therapeutic role of qigong exercises combined with drugs is reported for three medical conditions that require drug therapy for health maintenance: hypertension, respiratory disease, and cancer. In these studies, drugs were administered to all patients who were divided into two groups, a group that practiced qigong exercises and a control group that did not. Taken together, these studies suggest that practicing qigong exercises may favorably affect many functions of the body, permit reduction of the dosage of drugs required for health maintenance, and provide greater health benefits than the use of drug therapy alone. For hypertensive patients, combining qigong practice with drug therapy for hypertensive patients resulted in reduced incidence of stroke and mortality and reduced dosage of drugs required for blood pressure maintenance. For asthma patients, the combination therapy permitted reduction in drug dosage, the need for sick leave, duration of hospitalization, and costs of therapy. For cancer patients, the combination therapy reduced the side effects of cancer therapy. Also reported is a study showing that the practice of qigong helps to rehabilitate drug addicts. The reported studies do not necessarily measure up to the strict protocols required for randomized controlled clinical trials. 383-389 Aug 1999 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/10471019 2009-10-21 01:29:22 NCBI PubMed PMID: 10471019 journalArticle Sterling Robert C Weinstein Stephen Hill Peter Gottheil Edward Gordon Susan M Shorie Kerry Alcoholism Behavior Therapy Female Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Humans Male Patient Acceptance of Health Care Religion and Medicine Religion and Psychology Spiritual Therapies Spirituality Substance Abuse Treatment Centers Treatment Outcome Levels of spirituality and treatment outcome: a preliminary examination OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to examine whether admission differences in levels of spirituality predisposed alcohol-dependent individuals to favorable or unfavorable outcomes following admission to facilities that differed in the degree to which spirituality was emphasized. It was hypothesized that individuals whose admission level of spirituality was congruent with the treatment program's orientation and who as such were considered optimally placed (i.e., "matched") for treatment would evince better in-treatment outcomes. METHOD: Four hundred and five participants completed measures of spirituality and psychosocial well-being at intake and at end of treatment. RESULTS: In examining the entire sample, no matching effects were observed on discharge status, abstinence efficacy, or desire to drink. When analyses were restricted to those cases scoring in the upper or lower quartiles in spirituality, we observed a paradoxical effect, as individuals recording lower levels of spirituality at the less spiritual program evinced significantly poorer outcomes (i.e., less abstinence efficacy, greater desire to drink). CONCLUSIONS: These findings hint at the importance of spirituality in the environment of care, indicating that individuals low in spirituality were at risk for poorer outcomes, but exposure to a program that emphasized spirituality lowered that risk. 600-606 Jul 2006 Levels of spirituality and treatment outcome http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16736080 2009-11-13 21:33:54 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16736080 Journal of Studies on Alcohol 67 4 J. Stud. Alcohol ISSN 0096-882X journalArticle Ironson Gail Stuetzle Rick Fletcher Mary Ann Adaptation, Psychological Causality Disease Progression Florida HIV Infections Humans Life Change Events Longitudinal Studies Religion and Psychology Risk-Taking social support An increase in religiousness/spirituality occurs after HIV diagnosis and predicts slower disease progression over 4 years in people with HIV BACKGROUND: Most studies on religion/spirituality predicting health outcomes have been limited to church attendance as a predictor and have focused on healthy people. However, confronting a major medical crisis may be a time when people turn to the sacred. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which changes in spirituality/religiousness occur after HIV diagnosis and whether changes predict disease progression. DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS: This longitudinal study examined the relationship between changes in spirituality/religiousness from before with after the diagnosis of HIV, and disease progression (CD4 and viral load [VL] every 6 months) over 4 years in 100 people with HIV. Measures included change in religiousness/spirituality after diagnosis of HIV, religiousness/spirituality at various times in one's life, church attendance, depression, hopelessness, optimism, coping (avoidant, proactive), social support, CD4/VL, and health behaviors. RESULTS: Forty-five percent of the sample showed an increase in religiousness/spirituality after the diagnosis of HIV, 42% remained the same, and 13% decreased. People reporting an increase in spirituality/religiousness after the diagnosis had significantly greater preservation of CD4 cells over the 4-year period, as well as significantly better control of VL. Results were independent of (i.e., held even after controlling for) church attendance and initial disease status (CD4/VL), medication at every time point, age, gender, race, education, health behaviors (adherence, risky sex, alcohol, cocaine), depression, hopelessness, optimism, coping (avoidant, proactive), and social support. CONCLUSIONS: There is an increase in spirituality/religiousness after HIV diagnosis, and this increase predicts slower disease progression; medical personnel should be aware of its potential importance. S62-68 Dec 2006 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17083503 2009-11-13 21:57:50 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17083503 Journal of General Internal Medicine 21 Suppl 5 J Gen Intern Med DOI 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00648.x ISSN 1525-1497 journalArticle Albanese Catherine L. The Subtle Energies of Spirit: Explorations in Metaphysical and New Age Spirituality 305-325 Jun., 1999 The Subtle Energies of Spirit http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/1465739 2009-11-09 04:39:13 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Jun., 1999 / Copyright © 1999 American Academy of Religion Journal of the American Academy of Religion 67 2 ISSN 00027189 journalArticle Kan Sergei Shamanism and Christianity: Modern-Day Tlingit Elders Look at the Past Shamanism, a key element of the precontact Tlingit culture, was seen by Christian missionaries as one of the worst manifestations of paganism. A relentless campaign waged against the shamans by the missionaries, with the help of military and civil authorities, succeeded: by the final decades of the nineteenth century, the Tlingit had converted to Christianity, and by the 1930s most of the shamans had disappeared. In their effort to reconcile Christianity and the "traditional culture," modern-day Tlingit elders construct various interpretations of shamanism. The article examines these accounts as indigenous history and as ideological statements that challenge the notion of the inferiority of the aboriginal Tlingit religion to Christianity. 363-387 Autumn, 1991 Shamanism and Christianity http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/482478 2009-11-09 04:52:47 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Autumn, 1991 / Copyright © 1991 The American Society for Ethnohistory Ethnohistory 38 4 ISSN 00141801 book New York Random House Groopman Jerome The anatomy of hope : how people prevail in the face of illness 1st ed. 2004 ISBN 9780375506383 The anatomy of hope Open WorldCat journalArticle CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De l'Association Medicale Canadienne 163 9 CMAJ ISSN 0820-3946 Coward H Sidhu T Adult Bioethics Canada Cultural Diversity Female Hinduism Humans India Male Physician-Patient Relations Religion and Medicine Bioethics for clinicians: 19. Hinduism and Sikhism Hindus and Sikhs constitute important minority communities in Canada. Although their cultural and religious traditions have profound differences, they both traditionally take a duty-based rather than rights-based approach to ethical decision-making. These traditions also share a belief in rebirth, a concept of karma (in which experiences in one life influence experiences in future lives), an emphasis on the value of purity, and a holistic view of the person that affirms the importance of family, culture, environment and the spiritual dimension of experience. Physicians with Hindu and Sikh patients need to be sensitive to and respectful of the diversity of their cultural and religious assumptions regarding human nature, purity, health and illness, life and death, and the status of the individual. 1167-1170 Oct 31, 2000 Bioethics for clinicians http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/11079065 2009-11-02 19:02:27 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11079065 journalArticle Dossey L Complementary Therapies Humans Religion and Medicine Do religion and spirituality matter in health? A response to the recent article in The Lancet 16-18 May 1999 Do religion and spirituality matter in health? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10234862 2009-11-13 00:39:51 NCBI PubMed PMID: 10234862 Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 5 3 Altern Ther Health Med ISSN 1078-6791 journalArticle Satow Yumi E Kumar Praveena D Burke Adam Inciardi John F Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Asian Continental Ancestry Group Attitude to Health California Cultural Characteristics Female Health Behavior Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Herbal Medicine Humans India Male Medicine, Ayurvedic Middle Aged Phytotherapy Questionnaires Exploring the prevalence of Ayurveda use among Asian Indians OBJECTIVE: Despite a growing body of literature on complementary and alternative medicine, there is still limited information on the use of Ayurveda in the United States. Because Ayurveda is one of the world's major traditional medical systems, knowledge of its use is important. In particular, information on utilization by Asian Indians living in the United States is needed due to increased immigration from India and related regions. Recent reports of heavy metal contamination of some imported Ayurveda products underscore this need. For this reason, an exploratory survey was conducted. DESIGN: A semistructured 21-item questionnaire was administered using face-to-face interviews. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The study comprised a convenience sample of 64 Asian Indians living in Northern California. OUTCOME MEASURES: Main outcome measures included sociodemographic variables, questions on awareness, knowledge and use of Ayurvedic products or services, use of other nutritional/herbal products, and reasons for use. RESULTS: In the sample, 95% of the participants were aware of Ayurveda, 78% had knowledge of Ayurvedic products or treatments, and about 59% had used or were currently using Ayurveda. Only 18% of those using Ayurveda had informed their Western medical doctors. CONCLUSIONS: Given its common use in the United States by Asian Indians, its cultural relevance, potential therapeutic value, and possible safety concerns, physician and consumer education along with more empirical research is warranted. 1249-1253 Dec 2008 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19123878 2009-11-02 07:12:53 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19123878 Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.) 14 10 J Altern Complement Med DOI 10.1089/acm.2008.0106 ISSN 1557-7708 book New York Routledge Laderman Carol Roseman Marina Folklore Performance Shamanism Traditional medicine The Performance of Healing 1996 ISBN 0415911990 library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog GR880 .P38 1996 journalArticle Idler Ellen L. Religious Involvement and the Health of the Elderly: Some Hypotheses and an Initial Test The study examines patterns of religious involvement, health status, functional disability, and depression among noninstitutionalized elderly residents of New Haven, Connecticut, in 1982. Controlling for demographic variables and physical health status, cross-sectional analysis of data from the Yale Health and Aging Project (N = 2811) shows higher levels of public religious involvement associated with lower levels of functional disability and depressive symptomatology; among men the analysis also shows that private religious involvement modifies the associations of health status with disability, and disability with depression. Four alterntive explanatory hypotheses with roots in classical sociological theories of religion are proposed and tested, three arguments for indirect effects of religious involvement through health behaviors, social cohesiveness, and cognitive coherence, and one for an interactive theodicy effect. 226-238 Sep., 1987 Religious Involvement and the Health of the Elderly http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/2578909 2009-09-25 15:56:40 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Sep., 1987 / Copyright © 1987 Social Forces, University of North Carolina Press Social Forces 66 1 ISSN 00377732 journalArticle Naidoo T Attitude to Health Holistic Health Medicine, Ayurvedic Religion and Medicine South Africa Health and health care--a Hindu perspective In the Hindu tradition, 'health' means the continued maintenance of the best possible working of the human body under normal, and sometimes even abnormal, environmental conditions. Hindu religious teaching on healthy living and ethical considerations culminate in spiritual objectives if the injunctions contained in the system are followed. Hatha yoga is a system of bodily care that is conducive to such health, which also corrects disease via the regulation of muscular action and in other ways. Other systems of medicine, such as Ayurveda and other traditional systems in Hindu culture, have been devised for the good of humanity. It is, however, the holistic approach to health in Hinduism that calls attention to such causes of ill health as climatic extremes, bacterial attack, nutritional deviance, stress, and other forms of emotional imbalance. A state of good health is within the reach of most persons if they cultivate habits that are conducive to physical and spiritual well-being. The concept of preventive medicine is probably also based on the tenet that the attainment of good health is a religious duty, and corresponding injunctions are found in abundance in Hindu scriptures. It is not the training of students in the medical profession that is most important for health care, but rather their concern for health and their willingness to apply themselves to the observation of the rules they would wish their patients to observe. 643-647 1989 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/2495404 2009-11-09 05:47:04 NCBI PubMed PMID: 2495404 Medicine and Law 7 6 Med Law ISSN 0723-1393 journalArticle Kesarcodi-Watson Ian Samādhi in Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras 77-90 Jan., 1982 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/1398753 2009-11-09 04:10:33 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Jan., 1982 / Copyright © 1982 University of Hawai'i Press Philosophy East and West 32 1 ISSN 00318221 journalArticle Unal Nedim Elcioglu Omur Egypt History, Medieval Humans Medicine, Arabic Ophthalmology Optics and Photonics Reference Books, Medical Anatomy of the eye from the view of Ibn Al-Haitham (965-1039). The founder of modern optics Ibn Al-Haitham (known as Alhazen in Latin [965 Basra, Iraq-1039, Cairo, Egypt]) was a scientist who played an important role in the middle age Islam world. He wrote many books and novels, but only 90 of them are known. His main book Kitab al-Manazir was translated into Western languages in the late twelfth century, and in the early thirteenth century. In this book, he formulated many hypotheses on optical science. The book, which is also known as Optic treasure (opticae thesaurus), affected many famous Western scientists. He became an authority until the seventeenth century in the Eastern and Western countries. Roger Bacon (1212-1294), who made radical changes in the Western optical traditions, reconfirmed Ibn Al-Haitham's findings. Ibn al-Haitham began his book Kitab al-Manazir with the anatomy and physiology of the eye. He specifically described cornea, humor aqueous, lens, and corpus vitreum. He examined the effect of light on seeing. He caused changes in the prevailing ideas of his age, and suggested that light came from objects, not from the eye. He provided information regarding the optic nerve, retina, iris, and conjunctiva. He showed the system of the eye as a dioptric, and the relations between the parts of the eye. It is understood that he mastered all knowledge on the structure of the eye in his century. The best proof of this is the eye picture that he drew. 323-328 Mar 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19271057 2009-11-02 18:18:08 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19271057 Saudi Medical Journal 30 3 Saudi Med J ISSN 0379-5284 journalArticle Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 12 3 ISSN 00218294 Benson Peter Spilka Bernard God Image as a Function of Self-Esteem and Locus of Control A cognitive consistency framework was adopted to predict that a believer's level of self-esteem and his location on the locus of control dimension influence his description and definition of God. On a sample of 128 Catholic subjects with approximately identical religious backgrounds, self-esteem was positively related to loving-accepting God-images and negatively to rejecting images. Locus of control was unrelated to controlling beliefs. Statistical and methodological controls were utilized to offer an interpretation that self-esteem may be a major determinant of God-images. It was proposed that these findings have important implications for understanding the dynamics of personal religion. 297-310 Sep., 1973 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/1384430 2009-10-23 02:39:03 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Sep., 1973 / Copyright © 1973 Society for the Scientific Study of Religion journalArticle Cochran John K. Beeghley Leonard Bock E. Wilbur Religiosity and Alcohol Behavior: An Exploration of Reference Group Theory This study examines the relationship between religiosity and alcohol use and perceived misuse. Unlike most past research, we focus on adults rather than adolescents and distinguish among specific Protestant denominations. We also use a more appropriate statistical technique and place the findings in a theoretical context. The analysis shows that religiosity is clearly related to alcohol use, mainly because people's religion serves as a reference group influencing their behavior. The analysis also shows that religiosity is not related to perceived misuse of alcohol, mainly because societal norms are congruent with religious norms and, hence, appear to overwhelm any effect of religion. 256-276 Spring, 1988 Religiosity and Alcohol Behavior http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/684367 2009-10-30 19:54:34 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Spring, 1988 / Copyright © 1988 Springer Sociological Forum 3 2 ISSN 08848971 journalArticle Park Crystal Edmondson Donald Hale-Smith Amy Blank Thomas Religiousness/spirituality and health behaviors in younger adult cancer survivors: does faith promote a healthier lifestyle? Positive health behaviors are crucial to cancer survivors' well-being, yet little is known about the personal factors that may facilitate positive health behaviors. The current study focuses on the association of religion/spirituality (R/S) and health behaviors, examining links between health behaviors and religious attendance, daily spiritual experiences, and religious struggle in a sample of 167 younger adult survivors of a variety of cancers. The extent to which positive affect (self-assurance) and negative affect (guilt/shame) mediate these links was also investigated. Results revealed that religious attendance had little impact on health behaviors, but that daily spiritual experiences were related to greater performance of health behaviors, while religious struggle was related to less. Self-assurance partially mediated the effects of daily spiritual experiences, while guilt/shame partially mediated the effects of religious struggle. The findings suggest that aspects of R/S may play important and different roles in the lifestyle choices of cancer survivors. Jul 29, 2009 Religiousness/spirituality and health behaviors in younger adult cancer survivors http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19639404 2009-11-14 01:10:01 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19639404 Journal of Behavioral Medicine J Behav Med DOI 10.1007/s10865-009-9223-6 ISSN 1573-3521 journalArticle Social Forces 68 1 ISSN 00377732 Ellison Christopher G. Gay David A. Glass Thomas A. Does Religious Commitment Contribute to Individual Life Satisfaction? This article examines the relationships between multiple dimensions of religiosity, secular forms of social involvement, demographic covariates, and subjective reports of life satisfaction. Nested regression models are used to analyze data from the 1983 NORC General Social Survey. Results indicate that both devotional (private) and participatory (public) aspects of religiosity have relatively small but persistent positive relationships with life satisfaction. Further, affiliation with certain denominations appears positively associated with satisfaction. These associations are both statistically and theoretically significant. They remain despite efforts to control for the effects of both qualitative and quantitative measures of nonreligious social ties. This research indicates that the links between religiosity and psychological well-being in previous studies do not reflect merely the effects of high levels of social participation. Future theoretical and empirical work should consider the relationships between various dimensions of religious involvement and other facets of mental health. 100-123 Sep., 1989 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/2579222 2009-09-25 16:09:54 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Sep., 1989 / Copyright © 1989 Social Forces, University of North Carolina Press book New York Crossroad Smith David Health and medicine in the Anglican tradition : conscience, community, and compromise 1986 ISBN 9780824507169 Health and medicine in the Anglican tradition Open WorldCat journalArticle Doerr Otto Velásquez Oscar Adult Delusions Epilepsy Female Humans Male Mental Disorders Middle Aged Mythology Religion Religion and Psychology Schizophrenic Psychology The encounter with God in myth and madness BACKGROUND: It is well known how often psychiatric patients report religious experiences. These are especially frequent in schizophrenic and epileptic patients as the subject of their delusions. The question we pose is: are there differences between this kind of religious experiences and those we find in religious texts or in the mythological tradition? RESULTS: An overview on famous mythological narratives, such as The Aeneid, allows us to establish that the divinities become recognizable to the human being at the moment of their departure. Thus, Aeneas does not recognise his mother, Venus, when she appears to him in the middle of the forest at the coast of Africa. A dialogue between the two takes place, and only at the end of the encounter, when she is going away and already with her back to Aeneas, she shows her son the signs of her divinity: the rose-flush emanating from her neck, her hair perfume and the majesty of her gait. Something analogous can be observed in the encounter of Moses with Yahweh on Mount Sinai. Moses asks God: "Show me your glory, I beg you". And God replies, among other things: "you shall see the back of me, but my face is not to be seen". In the same sense, the Emmaus disciples do not recognise Jesus till the moment of his disappearance ("but he had vanished from their sight"), and Saul of Tars falls off his horse just in the moment when he feels the divine presence. In short, the direct encounter with the divinity seems not to occur in the realm of myth or in religious tradition. The realm of madness is exactly the opposite. Our research on religious experiences in schizophrenic and epileptic patients leads us to conclude that God appears to them face to face, and the patient describes God the father, Jesus or the Virgin Mary in intimate detail, always in an everyday setting. So, the divinity is seen in the garden, or in the bedroom, or maybe above the wardrobe, without any of its majesty. The nearness to God also tends to be so extreme that even an identification of patient and God can occur. That light emanating from the world of the divine ceases to be perceived by them. CONCLUSION: While in mythological narratives God appears to the human being at the moment of His departure or showing His back, psychiatric patients with religious delusions experience the divinity in a direct way, face to face. Given the deformation of the divine occurring on the edge of madness we can better understand the mysterious words from Yahweh to Moses in Exodus: "for man cannot see me and live". 12 2007 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/17608933 2009-10-09 21:15:49 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17608933 Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine: PEHM 2 Philos Ethics Humanit Med DOI 10.1186/1747-5341-2-12 ISSN 1747-5341 journalArticle Faull K Hills M D Disability Evaluation Disabled Persons Female Holistic Health Humans Male Middle Aged Patient Admission Patient Discharge Prospective Studies Reproducibility of Results Spirituality The QE Health Scale (QEHS): assessment of the clinical reliability and validity of a spiritually based holistic health measure PURPOSE: To assess the clinical reliability and validity of a holistic health measure, the QE Health Scale (QEHS), for use with people with physical disabilities. METHOD: A test-retest design saw the QEHS administered and compared with established measures of health at admission and discharge from three-week inpatient rehabilitation programmes. Data was analysed by factor and correlation analysis. Clinician-reported credibility and usefulness of the theoretical basis of the QEHS, the QEHS itself, and Patient Profiles derived from the QEHS were also used to evaluate clinical validity. RESULTS: The QEHS was judged to possess satisfactory reliability and validity. CONCLUSION: The QEHS is a clinically reliable, valid, credible and useful holistic health instrument to facilitate client-centred therapeutic interventions, inform decision-making and evaluate outcomes for people with physical disabilities. 701-716 May 15, 2007 The QE Health Scale (QEHS) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17453992 2009-11-13 22:38:28 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17453992 Disability and Rehabilitation 29 9 Disabil Rehabil DOI 10.1080/09638280600926611 ISSN 0963-8288 journalArticle CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De l'Association Medicale Canadienne 165 2 CMAJ ISSN 0820-3946 Markwell H J Brown B F Adult Bioethics Canada Catholicism Clinical Medicine Female Humans Bioethics for clinicians: 27. Catholic bioethics There is a long tradition of bioethical reasoning within the Roman Catholic faith, a tradition expressed in scripture, the writings of the Doctors of the Church, papal encyclical documents and reflections by contemporary Catholic theologians. Catholic bioethics is concerned with a broad range of issues, including social justice and the right to health care, the duty to preserve life and the limits of that duty, the ethics of human reproduction and end-of-life decisions. Fundamental to Catholic bioethics is a belief in the sanctity of life and a metaphysical conception of the person as a composite of body and soul. Although there is considerable consensus among Catholic thinkers, differences in philosophical approach have given rise to some diversity of opinion with respect to specific issues. Given the influential history of Catholic reflection on ethical matters, the number of people in Canada who profess to be Catholic, and the continuing presence of Catholic health care institutions, it is helpful for clinicians to be familiar with the central tenets of this tradition while respecting the differing perspectives of patients who identify themselves as Catholic. 189-192 Jul 24, 2001 Bioethics for clinicians http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/11501460 2009-11-02 19:01:21 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11501460 journalArticle Novins Douglas K Beals Janette Moore Laurie A Spicer Paul Manson Spero M Adolescent Adult Female Health Care Surveys Health Services, Indigenous Humans Indians, North American Logistic Models Male Medicine, Traditional Mental Disorders Middle Aged Multivariate Analysis Socioeconomic Factors Southwestern United States United States Use of biomedical services and traditional healing options among American Indians: sociodemographic correlates, spirituality, and ethnic identity OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the use of biomedical services and traditional healing options among a reservation-based sample of American Indians from 2 culturally distinct tribes METHODS: Participants were 2595 American Indian adolescents and adults ages 15 to 57 randomly selected to represent 2 tribes living on or near their rural reservations. First, we examined the prevalence and correlates of use of biomedical services and traditional healing for both physical health and psychiatric problems. Second, we developed logistic regression models predicting the independent and combined use of biomedical services and traditional healing RESULTS: The prevalence of combined and independent use of biomedical services and traditional healing varied by tribe. The prevalence of biomedical service use ranged from 40.9% to 59.1% for physical health problems and 6.4% to 6.8% for psychiatric problems. The prevalence of the use of traditional healing ranged from 8.4% to 22.9% for physical health problems and 3.2% to 7.8% for psychiatric problems. Although combined use of both types of services was common (10.4-22.6% of service users), many used only traditional healing (3.5-40.0%). Correlates of service use included age, educational level, and ethnic identity. For example, use of traditional healing was correlated with higher scores on a scale measuring identification with American Indian culture CONCLUSIONS: Both biomedical services and traditional healing are important sources of care in American Indian communities, and are used both independently and in combination with one another. 670-679 Jul 2004 Use of biomedical services and traditional healing options among American Indians http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15213492 2009-11-13 17:54:08 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15213492 Medical Care 42 7 Med Care ISSN 0025-7079 book Monographs in international studies no.53 Athens, Ohio Ohio University Center for International Studies Makinde M. Akin Africa, Sub-Saharan Civilization Philosophy, African Traditional medicine African Philosophy, Culture, and Traditional Medicine 1988 ISBN 0896801527 library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog DT1 book Salt Lake City, Utah Passage Press Frawley David Herbal Medicine India Medicine, Ayurvedic Ayurvedic Healing: A Comprehensive Guide 1989 ISBN 1878423002 Ayurvedic Healing library.bu.edu Library Catalog WB 50 JI4 F8a 1989 journalArticle Burkhardt M A Holistic Health Humans Mental Processes Nursing Care Nursing Research Religion Spirituality: an analysis of the concept Learning to listen for indications of significant relationships and experience of connection is an important skill for the nurse. The nurse needs to be aware of the variety of expressions of spiriting, recognizing that it is often not expressed in traditional religious language. Dealing effectively with spiriting with clients requires an investment of the self, which is an intentional way of being with the client and can be a part of every nurse-client relationship. 69-77 May 1989 Spirituality http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2670980 2009-11-12 22:07:56 NCBI PubMed PMID: 2670980 Holistic Nursing Practice 3 3 Holist Nurs Pract ISSN 0887-9311 journalArticle Fiori Katherine L Hays Judith C Meador Keith G Adaptation, Psychological Aged Aged, 80 and over Female Geriatric Assessment Humans Interviews as Topic Life Change Events Male Spirituality Spiritual turning points and perceived control over the life course Recent evidence indicates that spirituality and religion are associated with both physical and psychological health. Because a belief that rewards are largely determined by external forces tends to be detrimental to mental health, the idea that God can be equated with such an external force seems contradictory to the proven benefits of religion and spirituality. The purpose of this article is to examine changes in perceived control in the context of spiritual turning points as uncovered in the narrative histories of 30 elderly people. We propose that for many people who derive benefits from religion or spirituality, God may act as a mediator, in the sense that trusting in God provides personal control. In addition to creating a model of God-mediated control, the study's findings suggest a relationship between recall for type of control during a spiritual turning point and the interpretation of that turning point in late life. 391-420 2004 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15612200 2009-11-13 19:16:29 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15612200 International Journal of Aging & Human Development 59 4 Int J Aging Hum Dev ISSN 0091-4150 journalArticle Addiction 93 7 DOI 10.1046/j.1360-0443.1998.9379793.x Miller William R. Researching the spiritual dimensions of alcohol and other drug problems Although religions have been far from silent on the use of psychoactive drugs, and spirituality has long been emphasized as an important factor in recovery from addiction, surprisingly little research has explored the relationships between these two phenomena. Current findings indicate that spiritual/religious involvement may be an important protective factor against alcohol/drug abuse. Individuals currently suffering from these problems are found to have a low level of religious involvement, and spiritual (re)engagement appears to be correlated with recovery. Reasons are explored for the lack of studies testing spiritual hypotheses, and promising avenues for future research are discussed. Comprehensive addictions research should include not only biomedical, psychological and socio-cultural factors but spiritual aspects of the individual as well. 979-990 1998 http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1360-0443.1998.9379793.x 2009-10-23 02:43:15 Wiley InterScience journalArticle Agrimson Laurie B Taft Lois B Adult Aged, 80 and over Female Holistic Health Holistic Nursing Humans Male Middle Aged Religion and Psychology Spirituality Spiritual crisis: a concept analysis AIM: This paper is a report of an analysis of the concept of spiritual crisis. BACKGROUND: The term spiritual crisis has been used ambiguously in the literature, resulting in lack of clarity. A holistic approach includes spirituality in nursing care of the whole person. DATA SOURCES: Papers available online between 1998 and 2007 in the CINAHL, Medline and PsycInfo databases were retrieved for analysis. The search engine Google was also used to examine additional references to 'spiritual crisis'. REVIEW METHODS: Spiritual crisis, spiritual emergency and life crisis were the terms initially used to search each database. The search was expanded to include spirituality to draw more literature into the review. FINDINGS: Using Walker and Avant's method of concept analysis, a definition of spiritual crisis was identified. Spiritual crisis can be described as a unique form of grieving or loss, marked by a profound questioning of or lack of meaning in life, in which an individual or community reaches a turning point, leading to a significant alteration in the way life is viewed. Possible antecedents include sudden acute illness and loss of important relationships. Potential consequences may include physical and emotional responses. CONCLUSION: People with terminal illness, depression, and those who are grieving losses may be at special risk of spiritual crisis. The literature suggests an interdisciplinary approach, nurses' self-exploration of spirituality, and refraining from defining spirituality by religious affiliation as part of improving practice. 454-461 Feb 2009 Spiritual crisis http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19040691 2009-11-14 00:39:18 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19040691 Journal of Advanced Nursing 65 2 J Adv Nurs DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04869.x ISSN 1365-2648 book Paper books Johannesburg Ad. Donker Hammond-Tooke W. D Africa Religious life and customs Spirit possession Spiritual healing Traditional medicine Rituals and Medicines: Indigenous Healing in South Africa 1989 ISBN 0868521108 Rituals and Medicines library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog GR350 .H28 1989 journalArticle Moore Adam Malinowski Peter Attention Cognition Humans Meditation Meditation, mindfulness and cognitive flexibility This study investigated the link between meditation, self-reported mindfulness and cognitive flexibility as well as other attentional functions. It compared a group of meditators experienced in mindfulness meditation with a meditation-naïve control group on measures of Stroop interference and the "d2-concentration and endurance test". Overall the results suggest that attentional performance and cognitive flexibility are positively related to meditation practice and levels of mindfulness. Meditators performed significantly better than non-meditators on all measures of attention. Furthermore, self-reported mindfulness was higher in meditators than non-meditators and correlations with all attention measures were of moderate to high strength. This pattern of results suggests that mindfulness is intimately linked to improvements of attentional functions and cognitive flexibility. The relevance of these findings for mental balance and well-being are discussed. 176-186 Mar 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19181542 2009-09-26 19:22:22 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19181542 Consciousness and Cognition 18 1 Conscious Cogn DOI 10.1016/j.concog.2008.12.008 ISSN 1090-2376 journalArticle Koenig H G Activities of Daily Living Adaptation, Psychological Aged Continental Population Groups Defense Mechanisms Educational Status Female Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Health Status Indicators Hospitalization Humans Life Change Events Male Mental Disorders Middle Aged Multivariate Analysis Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care) Psychiatric Status Rating Scales Regression Analysis Religion and Medicine Sex Distribution social support Stress, Psychological Religious attitudes and practices of hospitalized medically ill older adults OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence of religious beliefs and practices among medically ill hospitalized older adults and relate them to social, psychological and health characteristics. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Consecutive patients age 60 or over admitted to the general medicine cardiology and neurology services of Duke University Medical Center were evaluated for participation in a depression study. As part of the evaluation, information on religious affiliation, religious attendance, private religious activities, intrinsic religiosity and religious coping was collected. Demographic, social, psychological and physical health characteristics were also assessed. Bivariate and multivariate correlates of religious belief and activity were examined using Pearson correlation and linear regression. RESULTS: Of the 542 patients evaluated, detailed information on religious beliefs and behaviors was collected on 455 cognitively unimpaired patients. Over one-half (53.4%) of the sample reported attending religious services once per week or more often; 58.7% prayed or studied the Bible daily or more often; over 85% of patients held intrinsic religious attitudes; and over 40% spontaneously reported that their religious faith was the most important factor that enabled them to cope. Religious variables were consistently and independently related to race (Black), lower education, higher social support and greater life stressors, and religious attendance was associated with less medical illness burden. Religious attendance was also related to lower depressive symptoms, although the association weakened when other covariates were controlled. CONCLUSIONS: Religious practices, attitudes and coping behaviors are prevalent among hospitalized medically ill older adults and are related to social, psychological and physical health outcomes. Implications for clinical practice are discussed. 213-224 Apr 1998 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9646148 2009-11-12 22:43:26 NCBI PubMed PMID: 9646148 International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 13 4 Int J Geriatr Psychiatry ISSN 0885-6230 journalArticle Koh Kyung Bong Lee Young-Joon Beyn Keyng Min Chu Sang Hee Kim Duck Man Counter-stress effects of relaxation on proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines The counter-stress effects of relaxation on proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were examined. From 36 medical students, 18 were randomly assigned to the relaxation group, and 18 were randomly assigned to the non-relaxation group. Relaxation lasted for four weeks. The levels of stimulated production of IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-10, and blood pressure were measured during the non-examination period (baseline period) and the pre-examination period (stress period). The levels of perceived stress were assessed by the Global Assessment of Recent Stress (GARS) scale, the Stress Response Inventory (SRI) and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) anxiety subscale. Repeat measure ANOVA revealed that the SRI total score, scores of the SCL-90-R anxiety subscale and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher during the stress period than during the baseline period regardless of groups. The level of IL-6 production was significantly lower but the level of IL-10 production was significantly higher during the stress period than during the baseline period. Significant reduction in the delta (stress period value minus baseline period value) in the total GARS score, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha production but significant enhancement in the delta in the level of the IL-10 production were found in the relaxation group compared with the non-relaxation group. These results suggest that relaxation is associated with reduction in stress-induced psychological or physiological responses and proinflammatory cytokine alterations but with enhancement in stress-induced anti-inflammatory cytokine alteration. Therefore, relaxation is more likely to have counter-stress effect on proinflammatory cytokines than on anti-inflammatory cytokine. 1130-1137 November 2008 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18639628 2009-09-04 18:02:30 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18639628 Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 22 8 Brain Behav. Immun DOI 10.1016/j.bbi.2008.06.009 ISSN 1090-2139 journalArticle Parnia S. Spearpoint K. Fenwick P.B. Cardiac arrest Cognition Near death experiences Post-traumatic stress disorder Psychological Near death experiences, cognitive function and psychological outcomes of surviving cardiac arrest Summary Cardiac arrest is associated with a number of cognitive processes as well as long term psychological outcomes. Recent studies have indicated that approximately 10-20% of cardiac arrest survivors report cognitive processes, including the ability to recall specific details of their resuscitation from the period of cardiac arrest. In addition it has been demonstrated that these cognitive processes are consistent with the previously described near death experience and that those who have these experiences are left with long term positive life enhancing effects. There have also been numerous studies that have indicated that although the quality of life for cardiac arrest survivors is generally good, some are left with long term cognitive impairments as well as psychological sequelae such as post-traumatic stress disorder. This paper will review near death experiences, cognitive function and psychological outcomes in survivors of cardiac arrest. 215-221 August 2007 http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/science/article/B6T19-4NFR5RB-1/2/2cfafc2dc822e4b3ec62b07171643dbf 2009-10-09 19:30:49 ScienceDirect Resuscitation 74 2 DOI 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2007.01.020 ISSN 0300-9572 book Norman University of Oklahoma Press Schwarz Maureen Trudelle Christianity and other religions Indians, North American Medicine Medicine, Traditional Navajo Indians Religion Religion and Medicine Shamanism Southwest, New Surgery Traditional medicine I Choose Life: Contemporary Medical and Religious Practices in the Navajo World 2008 ISBN 9780806139418 "I Choose Life" library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog E99.N3 S3577 2008 journalArticle Ally Yaseen Laher Sumaya Faith Healing Humans Interviews as Topic Islam Mental Disorders Religion and Psychology South Africa South African Muslim Faith Healers perceptions of mental illness: understanding, aetiology and treatment The important role that religious beliefs may have on perceptions of mental illness cannot be ignored. Many religions including Islam advocate witchcraft and spirit possession--all of which are thought to influence the behaviour of a person so as to resemble that of a mentally ill individual. Thus this research explored Muslim Faith Healers perceptions of mental and spiritual illness in terms of their understanding of the distinctions between the two, the aetiologies and the treatments thereof. Six Muslim Healers in the Johannesburg community were interviewed and thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data. From the results it is clear that the faith healers were aware of the distinction between mental and spiritual illnesses. It was also apparent that Islam has a clear taxonomy that distinguishes illness and the causes thereof. Treatments are then advised accordingly. Thus this paper argues that the predominant Western view of the aetiology and understanding of mental illness needs to acknowledge the various culturally inclined taxonomies of mental illness so as to better understand and aid clients. 45-56 Mar 2008 South African Muslim Faith Healers perceptions of mental illness http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19105000 2009-11-02 18:19:04 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19105000 Journal of Religion and Health 47 1 J Relig Health DOI 10.1007/s10943-007-9133-2 ISSN 1573-6571 journalArticle Ljubicić Dulijano Peitl Marija Vucić Vitezić Dinko Peitl Vjekoslav Grbac Josip Adaptation, Psychological Combined Modality Therapy Humans Mental Disorders Mental Healing Mind-Body Relations (Metaphysics) Psychotherapy Psychotropic Drugs Quality of Life Recurrence Religion and Psychology Spirituality Psychopharmacotherapy and spirituality Although the connection between spiritual and physical has been acknowledged since the oldest of human civilizations and emphasized in almost all of religions, It has taken a lot of time for that connection to gradually recover its lost meaning. As it is evident that many diseases and illnesses can not be explained purely by physical causes nor treated with purely physical methods there is a growing interest in spirituality and its usability in the treatment of various diseases and states, as well as in everyday life. Despite the fact that a sense of positive, nourishing and healing power of faith is deeply rooted in every religion, objective and empirical research of that connection has been avoided for centuries, and those studies which were conducted are only rudimentary, on the outskirts of empirical science. Scientific literature regarding spirituality and mental health points to a conclusion that spirituality and faith are positively correlated with positive therapeutic outcome and the possible explanation for that can be found in the fact that spirituality and religiosity can satisfy some of the basic needs of psychiatric patients. Efficacy of psychiatric treatment improved with the introduction of psychotropic medicaments and psychotherapeutic techniques, but the outcome is still not satisfying because relapse, recidivation and discontinuation of therapy occur very often. On the other hand, spirituality and religiosity play a very significant role in the healing process because they provide people with strength and will to fight their problems and disease itself. Psychopharmaceuticals are evidently irreplaceable in the therapy of mental disorders, but they are only one of the segments of the overall therapy. In order to adequately answer to the spiritual and religious needs of their patients, psychiatrists, psychologists and related health care professionals are faced with the need for expanding scientific concepts which served as the basis for development of many psychiatric methods and techniques. 216-221 Sep 2007 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17914323 2009-11-13 23:00:00 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17914323 Psychiatria Danubina 19 3 Psychiatr Danub ISSN 0353-5053 journalArticle Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.) 14 5 J Altern Complement Med DOI 10.1089/acm.2007.0729 ISSN 1557-7708 Milgrom Lionel R Biomedical Research Complementary Therapies Evidence-Based Medicine Great Britain Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Homeopathy Humans Mass Media Meta-Analysis as Topic Primary Health Care Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic State Medicine Homeopathy and the new fundamentalism: a critique of the critics Though in use for over 200 years, and still benefiting millions of people worldwide today, homeopathy is currently under continuous attacks for being "unscientific." The reasons for this can be understood in terms of what might be called a "New Fundamentalism," emanating particularly but not exclusively from within biomedicine, and supported in some sections of the media. Possible reasons for this are discussed. New Fundamentalism's hallmarks include the denial of evidence for the efficacy of any therapeutic modality that cannot be consistently "proven" using double-blind, randomized controlled trials. It excludes explanations of homeopathy's efficacy; ignores, excoriates, or considers current research data supporting those explanations incomprehensible, particularly from outside biomedicine: it is also not averse to using experimental bias, hearsay, and innuendo in order to discredit homeopathy. Thus, New Fundamentalism is itself unscientific. This may have consequences in the future for how practitioners, researchers, and patients of homeopathy/complementary and alternative medicine engage and negotiate with primary health care systems. 589-594 Jun 2008 Homeopathy and the new fundamentalism http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/18564960 2009-11-09 05:58:59 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18564960 journalArticle Larsen John A. Experience (Religion) peer reviewed Self-actualization Self-actualization as related to frequency, range, and pattern of religious experience. This study investigated the relationship of frequency, range, and pattern of religious experience to self-actualization. The Religious Experience Measure (REM), a paper and pencil instrument, was constructed to provide measures of Stark's confirming, responsive, ecstatic, and revelational experiences. Validity and reliability studies yielded favorable results. In a classroom setting, the 401 undergraduates who comprised the sample were administered the Personal Data Sheet (PDS), the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI), and the REM. Results showed that high and low self-actualizers alike have religious experiences and that such experiences cannot inherently be viewed as either symptoms of pathology or evidence of positive mental health. However, frequency, range, and pattern are dimensional aspects of religious experience which are differentially related to self-actualization. 39-47 April 1979 http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0000771247&site=ehost-live 2009-10-09 20:28:15 EBSCOhost Journal of Psychology & Theology 7 1 ISSN 0091-6471 journalArticle Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy 23 DOI 10.1891/0889-8391.23.3.242 Goldin Philippe Ramel Wiveka Gross James Clinical Intervention Fmri Mindfulness Self Social Anxiety Disorder Mindfulness Meditation Training and Self-Referential Processing in Social Anxiety Disorder: Behavioral and Neural Effects This study examined the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the brain-behavior mechanisms of self-referential processing in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Sixteen patients underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while encoding self-referential, valence, and orthographic features of social trait adjectives. Post-MBSR, 14 patients completed neuroimaging. Compared to baseline, MBSR completers showed (a) increased self-esteem and decreased anxiety, (b) increased positive and decreased negative self-endorsement, (c) increased activity in a brain network related to attention regulation, and (d) reduced activity in brain systems implicated in conceptual-linguistic self-view. MBSR-related changes in maladaptive or distorted social self-view in adults diagnosed with SAD may be related to modulation of conceptual self-processing and attention regulation. Self-referential processing may serve as a functional biobehavioral target to measure the effects of mindfulness training. 242-257 August 2009 Mindfulness Meditation Training and Self-Referential Processing in Social Anxiety Disorder http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/springer/jcogp/2009/00000023/00000003/art00005 2009-09-26 21:02:06 IngentaConnect journalArticle Vickers Andrew Zollman Catherine ABC of Complementary Medicine: Herbal Medicine 1050-1053 Oct. 16, 1999 ABC of Complementary Medicine http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/25186102 2009-11-09 05:28:08 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Oct. 16, 1999 / Copyright © 1999 BMJ Publishing Group BMJ: British Medical Journal 319 7216 ISSN 09598138 journalArticle Josephson Allan M Dell Mary Lynn Adolescent Adolescent Psychiatry Child Child Psychiatry Delivery of Health Care Forecasting Humans Internal-External Control Parenting Personality Development Psychotherapy Religion and Psychology Spirituality United States Religion and spirituality in child and adolescent psychiatry: a new frontier This article introduces the interface between child and adolescent psychiatry and religion and spirituality. Developmental psychopathology has become increasingly diverse in its study of risk and protective factors for child and adolescent psychopathology. The effect of religion and spirituality on clinical conditions is among those factors. This review addresses (1) historical aspects of the relationship between psychiatry and religion/spirituality, (2) definitional issues, and (3) unique factors in child and adolescent work. Considering these factors and some general principles of intervention, it prepares the reader for other articles in this issue. The article concludes with some observations on the "secular family". 1-15, v Jan 2004 Religion and spirituality in child and adolescent psychiatry http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14723297 2009-11-13 17:36:04 NCBI PubMed PMID: 14723297 Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America 13 1 Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am ISSN 1056-4993 journalArticle Ironson Gail Solomon George F Balbin Elizabeth G O'Cleirigh Conall George Annie Kumar Mahendra Larson David Woods Teresa E Adult Female Health Behavior Health Status HIV Infections Humans Hydrocortisone Male Middle Aged Outcome Assessment (Health Care) Questionnaires Religion and Medicine Reproducibility of Results social support Stress, Psychological Survival Analysis The Ironson-woods Spirituality/Religiousness Index is associated with long survival, health behaviors, less distress, and low cortisol in people with HIV/AIDS The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of an instrument that measures both spirituality and religiousness, to examine the relation between spirituality and religiousness and important health outcomes for people living with HIV and to examine the potential mediators of these relations. One aim was to determine whether subscales of spirituality, religiousness, or both would be independently related to long survival in people living with AIDS. The Ironson-Woods Spirituality/Religiousness (SR) Index is presented with evidence for its reliability and validity. Four factors were identified on the Ironson-Woods SR Index (Sense of Peace, Faith in God, Religious Behavior, and Compassionate View of Others). Each subscale was significantly related to long survival with AIDS. That is, the long-term survivor (LTS) group (n = 79) scored significantly higher on these factors than did the HIV-positive comparison (COMP) group (n = 200). Long survival was also significantly related to both frequency of prayer (positively) and judgmental attitude (negatively). In addition, the Ironson-Woods SR Index yielded strong and significant correlations with less distress, more hope, social support, health behaviors, helping others, and lower cortisol levels. The relation between religious behavior and health outcomes was not due to social support. Further analyses were conducted, which identified urinary cortisol concentrations and altruistic behavior as mediators of the relation between SR and long survival. 34-48 2002 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12008793 2009-11-13 02:30:15 NCBI PubMed PMID: 12008793 Annals of Behavioral Medicine: A Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine 24 1 Ann Behav Med ISSN 0883-6612 journalArticle Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 1 3 Altern Ther Health Med ISSN 1078-6791 Lad V Humans Medicine, Ayurvedic An introduction to Ayurveda Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word derived from two roots: ayur, which means life, and veda, knowledge. Knowledge arranged systematically with logic becomes science. During the due course of time, Ayurveda became the science of life. It has its root in ancient vedic literature and encompasses our entire life, the body, mind, and spirit. 57-63 Jul 1995 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/9419799 2009-11-02 07:45:22 NCBI PubMed PMID: 9419799 book Ekpoma, Nigeria Edo State University Pub. House Dime C. A Africa Medicine Medicine, African Traditional Philosophy Religious aspects Traditional medicine African Traditional Medicine: Peculiarities 1995 ISBN 9782100048 African Traditional Medicine library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog GR880 .D55 1995 journalArticle Simmons Paul D. Religious liberty and abortion policy: Casey as "Catch-22" The writer examines questions of religious liberty surrounding the issue of abortion, focusing on the implications of the Supreme Court's Casey decision for interpreting the First Amendment. He contends that the Casey decision places women who have decided to have an abortion in a frustrating "Catch-22" situation. The Casey decision, he explains, leaves open the possibility that the decision of a woman to have an abortion, based on her own personal understanding of morality, may be compromised by the actions of others who oppose abortion on moral or legal grounds. He argues that this dilemma needs to be addressed by the Supreme Court, which has thus far refused to deal with the religious liberty issues at stake. 69-88 Winter 2000 2009-10-27 04:00:00 Journal of Church and State 42 1 ISSN 0021-969X journalArticle Tripathi Y B Alzheimer Disease Arteriosclerosis Free Radicals Humans Medicine, Ayurvedic Models, Biological Molecular Biology Molecular approach to ayurveda In ayurvedic system of medicine, it is considered that a living system is made of panch-mahabuta, in the form of Vata, pitta and kapha at the physical level and satwa, raja and tama at the mental level. This covers the psychosomatic constitution and commonly known as the Tridosh theory. The imbalance in these body humours is the basic cause of any type of disease manifestation. Till date, several objective parameters have been proposed to monitor the level of these basic humours but none of them is complete. In this exercise, now it is proposed to consider free radical theory of diseases as one of the objective parameters. To be more specific, vata can be monitored in terms of membrane bound signal transduction, pitta as the process of phosphorylation and de-phosphorylation of different proteins (signalling moieties and enzymes) and kapha can be viewed as the degree of gene expression as protein synthesis. This can be correlated with the ojas of the body or total body defence mechanism. 409-414 May 2000 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/11272402 2009-11-02 07:40:42 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11272402 Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 38 5 Indian J. Exp. Biol ISSN 0019-5189 journalArticle Annals of Behavioral Medicine 24 1 DOI 10.1207/S15324796ABM2401_09 Lawrence Raymond The witches’ brew of spirituality and medicine Abstract Recent proposals to join spirituality and medicine are facile and ill defined. The notion that physicians have the time or training to make assessments and recommendations about spirituality is misguided. Whenever a physician demonstrates personal caring for a patient, the healing process is likely enhanced, and in that sense, physicians often promote the spirituality of the patient. However, recent proposals to extend the physician’s task to that of assessing religion and directing the patient toward approved forms of spirituality are inappropriate. The languages of religion and science are radically different. The cultural body-mind split will not be solved by such simplistic solutions as having physicians endorse spirituality, which will result only in denigration of both medicine and religion. Physicians are encouraged to rely on clinically trained ministers for assistance in understanding the patient’s state of mind or spirit and its possible effects on the course of illness and health. 74-76 February 01, 2002 http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2401_09 2009-10-09 17:02:30 SpringerLink journalArticle Rodin E A Attitude to Death Brain Consciousness Death Delusions dreams Electroencephalography Humans Hypoxia, Brain Parapsychology Psychoses, Substance-Induced Religion and Psychology The reality of death experiences. A personal perspective In recent years, there has been a marked increase in reports of the subjective experience of individuals in severe life-threatening circumstances. These have been used to suggest that scientific facts are now in agreement with religious beliefs as to the survival of the personality after physical death. This paper presents a personal death experience viewed by the author as a "subjective reality". This is contrasted with "shared subjective reality," i.e., commonly held beliefs among groups of individuals which do not necessarily lend themselves to scientific verification and scientifically derived objective reality. Subjectively real death experiences are regarded as corollary to a toxic psychosis. The content of the psychosis, which is not under voluntary control, determines the subjective experience of having entered either heaven or hell. 259-263 May 1980 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/7365486 2009-10-09 21:49:15 NCBI PubMed PMID: 7365486 The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 168 5 J. Nerv. Ment. Dis ISSN 0022-3018 journalArticle Journal of Clinical Psychology 65 2 DOI 10.1002/jclp.20564 Richards P. Scott Smith Melissa H. Berrett Michael E. O'Grady Kari A. Bartz Jeremy D. A Theistic spiritual treatment for women with eating disorders The authors describe a psychological treatment for women with eating disorders who have theistic spiritual beliefs and illustrate its application with a case report. They begin by briefly summarizing a theistic view of eating disorders. Then they illustrate how a theistic approach can complement traditional treatment by describing the processes and outcomes of their work with a 23-year-old Christian woman receiving inpatient treatment for an eating disorder not otherwise specified and a major depressive disorder (recurrent severe). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol: In Session 65:172-184, 2009. 172-184 February 2009 http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/10.1002/jclp.20564 2009-09-15 04:13:26 Wiley InterScience journalArticle Janes Craig R. The Transformations of Tibetan Medicine This article presents a cultural and historical analysis of 20th-century Tibetan medicine. In its expansion into the state bureaucracy, Tibetan medicine has acceded to institutional modernity through transformations in theory, practice, and methods for training physicians. Despite Chinese rule in Tibet, however, Tibetan medicine has not yielded completely to state interests. With the collapsing of the traditionally pluralistic Tibetan health system into the professional sector of Tibetan medicine, contemporary Tibetan medicine has become to the laity a font of ethnic revitalization and resistance to the modernization policies of the Chinese state. These processes are particularly evident in the elaboration of disorders of rlung, a class of sicknesses that, collectively, have come to symbolize the suffering inherent in rapid social, economic, and political change. 6-39 Mar., 1995 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/648555 2009-11-09 04:59:48 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Mar., 1995 / Copyright © 1995 American Anthropological Association New Series Medical Anthropology Quarterly 9 1 ISSN 07455194 journalArticle Loizzo Joseph Aging Allostasis Brain Cognition Health promotion Humans Quality of Life Research Self Care Optimizing learning and quality of life throughout the lifespan: a global framework for research and application This overview surveys the new optimism about the aging mind/brain, focusing on the potential for self-regulation practices to advance research in stress-protection and optimal health. It reviews recent findings and offers a research framework. The review links the age-related biology of stress and regeneration to the variability of mind/brain function found under a range of conditions from trauma to enrichment. The framework maps this variation along a biphasic continuum from atrophic dysfunction to peak performance. It adopts the concept of allostatic load as a measure of the wear-and-tear caused by stress, and environmental enrichment as a measure of the use-dependent enhancement caused by positive reinforcement. It frames the dissociation, aversive affect and stereotyped reactions linked with stress as cognitive, affective and behavioral forms of allostatic drag; and the association, positive affect, and creative responses in enrichment as forms of allostatic lift. It views the human mind/brain as a heterarchy of higher intelligence systems that shift between a conservative, egocentric mode heightening self-preservation and memory and a generative, altruistic mode heightening self-correction and learning. Cultural practices like meditation and psychotherapy work by teaching the self-regulation of shifts from the conservative to the generative mode. This involves a systems shift from allostatic drag to allostatic lift, minimizing wear-and-tear and optimizing plasticity and learning. For cultural practices to speed research and application, a universal typology is needed. This framework includes a typology aligning current brain models of stress and learning with traditional Indo-Tibetan models of meditative stress-cessation and learning enrichment. 186-198 Aug 2009 Optimizing learning and quality of life throughout the lifespan http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19743554 2009-09-26 19:39:23 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19743554 Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1172 Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci DOI 10.1196/annals.1393.006 ISSN 1749-6632 journalArticle Normile Dennis The New Face of Traditional Chinese Medicine 188-190 Jan. 10, 2003 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/3833313 2009-10-13 03:49:07 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Jan. 10, 2003 / Copyright © 2003 American Association for the Advancement of Science New Series Science 299 5604 ISSN 00368075 book Santa Barbara, Calif ABC-CLIO Hatfield Gabrielle Alternative medicine English Medicine, Traditional Traditional medicine Encyclopedia of Folk Medicine: Old World and New World Traditions 2004 ISBN 1576078744 Encyclopedia of Folk Medicine library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog R733 .H376 2004 journalArticle You Kwang Soo Lee Hae-Ok Fitzpatrick Joyce J Kim Susie Marui Eiji Lee Jung Su Cook Paul Spirituality, depression, living alone, and perceived health among Korean older adults in the community Both theoretical and empirical studies have documented the protective effect of religiosity and spirituality on general health in older adults in community and hospital settings; however, no study has documented the relationship between spirituality and depression among older adults living alone in communities in Korea. We tested two hypotheses: Hypothesis 1: Korean older adults living alone would be more depressed and less healthy than older adults living with family, and Hypothesis 2: Individuals who are more religious and spiritual would report a lower level of depression and a higher level of general health even when other demographic and living status variables are controlled. A descriptive, comparative, and correlational design with a convenience sampling method was conducted among community-dwelling Korean older adults in Chounbook Providence, South Korea. This study included 152 men and women older than 65 years old. Hypothesis 1 was supported as Korean older adults living alone were significantly more depressed than were older adults living with family (P<.01). However, for Hypotheses 2, only spirituality activities and Spirituality Index of Well-Being scores were significantly associated with general health and/or depression (P<.01), but there were no relationships between the variables of attendance and importance of religion with general health and depression. 309-322 Aug 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19631109 2009-11-14 01:09:09 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19631109 Archives of Psychiatric Nursing 23 4 Arch Psychiatr Nurs DOI 10.1016/j.apnu.2008.07.003 ISSN 1532-8228 journalArticle Joshi Aniruddha Chandran Sharat Jayaraman V K Kulkarni B D Algorithms Arteries Diagnosis, Differential Humans India Medicine, East Asian Traditional Models, Cardiovascular Pulse Arterial pulse system: modern methods for traditional Indian medicine Ayurveda is one of the most comprehensive healing systems in the world and has classified the body system according to the theory of Tridosha to overcome ailments. Diagnosis similar to the traditional pulse-based method requires a system of clean input signals, and extensive experiments for obtaining classification features. In this paper we briefly describe our system of generating pulse waveforms and use various feature detecting methods to show that an arterial pulse contains typical physiological properties. The beat-to-beat variability is captured using a complex B-spline mother wavelet based peak detection algorithm. We also capture--to our knowledge for the first time--the self-similarity in the physiological signal, and quantifiable chaotic behavior using recurrence plot structures. 608-611 2007 Arterial pulse system http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/18002029 2009-11-02 07:26:03 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18002029 Conference Proceedings: Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Conference 2007 Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc DOI 10.1109/IEMBS.2007.4352363 ISSN 1557-170X journalArticle Annals of Behavioral Medicine: A Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine 32 1 Ann Behav Med DOI 10.1207/s15324796abm3201_3 ISSN 0883-6612 Masters Kevin S Spielmans Glen I Goodson Jason T Behavioral Medicine Health Services Accessibility Helping Behavior Are there demonstrable effects of distant intercessory prayer? A meta-analytic review BACKGROUND: The use of alternative treatments for illness is common in the United States. Practitioners of these interventions find them compatible with personal philosophies. Consequently, distant intercessory prayer (IP) for healing is one of the most commonly practiced alternative interventions and has recently become the topic of scientific scrutiny. PURPOSE: This study was designed to provide a current meta-analytic review of the effects of IP and to assess the impact of potential moderator variables. METHODS: A random effects model was adopted. Outcomes across dependent measures within each study were pooled to arrive at one omnibus effect size. These were combined to generate the overall effect size. A test of homogeneity and examination of several potential moderator variables was conducted. RESULTS: Fourteen studies were included in the meta-analysis yielding an overall effect size of g = .100 that did not differ from zero. When one controversial study was removed, the effect size reduced to g = .012. No moderator variables significantly influenced results. CONCLUSIONS: There is no scientifically discernable effect for IP as assessed in controlled studies. Given that the IP literature lacks a theoretical or theological base and has failed to produce significant findings in controlled trials, we recommend that further resources not be allocated to this line of research. 21-26 Aug 2006 Are there demonstrable effects of distant intercessory prayer? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/16827626 2009-10-09 19:04:50 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16827626 journalArticle American Journal of Physiology 33 2 Cannon W. B. The emergency function of the adrenal medulla in pain and the major emotions The first paper recognizing that the homeostasis of the body is affected by both physical and emotional stress. 356-372 February 2, 1914 http://ajplegacy.physiology.org 2009-10-12 21:12:48 HighWire attachment HighWire Full Text PDF 2009-10-12 21:12:55 http://ajplegacy.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/33/2/356.pdf application/pdf book Chicago University of Chicago Press Albanese Catherine Nature religion in America : from the Algonkian Indians to the New Age 1990 ISBN 9780226011455 Nature religion in America Open WorldCat journalArticle Graber D R Johnson J A Ethics, Institutional Health Facility Environment Health Services Administration Holistic Health Humans Organizational Culture Pastoral Care Patient Care Religion Social Values United States Workplace Spirituality and healthcare organizations In recent years, the place of spirituality in organizations has become increasingly discussed and advocated. On a personal level, this may involve achieving personal fulfillment or spiritual growth in the workplace. In the broader sense, spirituality is considered by many to be essential in an organization's interactions with employees, customers, and the community. This article describes a possible role for greater spirituality in healthcare organizations, whose cultures in recent decades have largely excluded spirituality or religiousness. This is the consequence of an analytical, scientific perspective on human health; a reductionist paradigm in biomedical research; and the inevitable bureaucratization occurring in large healthcare organizations. However, in recent decades, numerous scientific articles supporting a connection between faith or religiousness and positive health outcomes have been published. Because individuals seek meaning when experiencing severe illnesses, and humans universally respond to compassion and caring, spirituality among healthcare workers and managers appears highly appropriate. The article describes organizational barriers to the greater inclusion of spirituality in healthcare and presents several approaches to developing a more caring organization. These include eliciting extensive input from all staff and clinicians in identifying core or common values, ethics, and a philosophy of caring. Programs should ensure that the views of nonreligious staff and patients are respected and that clear guidelines are established for the extent and nature of affective or spiritual support for patients. 39-50; discussion 50-52 2001 Jan-Feb http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11216122 2009-11-13 01:46:34 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11216122 Journal of Healthcare Management / American College of Healthcare Executives 46 1 J Healthc Manag ISSN 1096-9012 journalArticle Galanter Marc Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholism Behavior, Addictive Empirical Research Humans Models, Psychological Patient Compliance Recurrence Religion and Medicine social support Substance-Related Disorders Temperance Spirituality and recovery in 12-step programs: an empirical model Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other 12-step programs are widely employed in the addiction rehabilitation community. It is therefore important for researchers and clinicians to have a better understanding of how recovery from addiction takes place, in terms of psychological mechanisms associated with spiritual renewal. A program like AA is described here as a spiritual recovery movement, that is, one that effects compliance with its behavioral norms by engaging recruits in a social system that promotes new and transcendent meaning in their lives. The mechanisms underlying the attribution of new meaning in AA are considered by recourse to the models of positive psychology and social network support; both models have been found to be associated with constructive health outcomes in a variety of contexts. By drawing on available empirical research, it is possible to define the diagnosis of addiction and the criteria for recovery in spiritually oriented terms. 265-272 Oct 2007 Spirituality and recovery in 12-step programs http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17889297 2009-11-13 22:57:34 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17889297 Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 33 3 J Subst Abuse Treat DOI 10.1016/j.jsat.2007.04.016 ISSN 0740-5472 book Westport, CT Bergin & Garvey Connor Linda Samuel Geoffrey Asia Healing Shamanism Social medicine Traditional medicine Healing Powers and Modernity: Traditional Medicine, Shamanism, and Science in Asian Societies 2000 ISBN 0897897153 Healing Powers and Modernity library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog RA418.3.A78 H43 2000 book Buffalo Prometheus Books Randi James The Faith Healers Upd Sub 1989-05 ISBN 0879755350 Amazon.com journalArticle New Series Medical Anthropology Quarterly 15 3 ISSN 07455194 Baer Hans A. The Sociopolitical Status of U. S. Naturopathy at the Dawn of the 21st Century Naturopathic medicine in the United States had its inception around the turn of the 20th century. Subsequently, it underwent a process of relatively rapid growth until around the 1930s, followed by a period of gradual decline almost to the point of extinction due to biomedical opposition and the advent of "miracle drugs." Because its therapeutic eclecticism had preadapted it to fit into the holistic health movement that emerged in the 1970s, it was able to undergo a process of organizational rejuvenation during the last two decades of the century. Nevertheless, U.S. naturopathy as a professionalized heterodox medical system faces several dilemmas as it enters the new millennium. These include (1) the fact that it has succeeded in obtaining licensure in only two sections of the country, namely, the Far West and New England; (2) increasing competition from partially professionalized and lay naturopaths, many of whom are graduates of correspondence schools; and (3) the danger of cooptation as many biomedical practitioners adopt natural therapies. 329-346 Sep., 2001 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/649583 2009-11-10 06:13:08 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Sep., 2001 / Copyright © 2001 American Anthropological Association journalArticle Spirituality and Health International 9 4 DOI 10.1002/shi.353 Gebhardt Mary Catherine Rehabilitation nurses' experiences providing spiritual care The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine rehabilitation nurses' experiences providing spiritual care. Rehabilitation nurses provide care for patients and their families after life-threatening events and are in a unique position to meet holistic health care needs. Little is written about rehabilitation nurses' perceptions of providing spiritual care. Fourteen rehabilitation nurses self-identified as providing spiritual care and agreed to participate in individual interviews. The interviews focused on the nurses' definition of spiritual care, interventions the nurses perceived as spiritual and their comfort in providing spiritual care. More studies are needed to determine if providing spiritual care improves patient outcomes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 230-240 2008 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/shi.353 2009-09-07 14:56:39 Wiley InterScience journalArticle Schmidt Josef M Holistic Health Homeopathy Humans Science Is homeopathy a science?--Continuity and clash of concepts of science within holistic medicine The question of whether homeopathy is a science is currently discussed almost exclusively against the background of the modern concept of natural science. This approach, however, fails to notice that homeopathy-in terms of history of science-rests on different roots that can essentially be traced back to two most influential traditions of science: on the one hand, principles and notions of Aristotelism which determined 2,000 years of Western history of science and, on the other hand, the modern concept of natural science that has been dominating the history of medicine for less than 200 years. While Aristotle's "science of the living" still included ontologic and teleologic dimensions for the sake of comprehending nature in a uniform way, the interest of modern natural science was reduced to functional and causal explanations of all phenomena for the purpose of commanding nature. In order to prevent further ecological catastrophes as well as to regain lost dimensions of our lives, the one-sidedness and theory-loadedness of our modern natural-scientific view of life should henceforth be counterbalanced by lifeworld-practical Aristotelic categories. In this way, the ground would be ready to conceive the scientific character of homeopathy-in a broader, Aristotelian sense. 83-97 Jun 2009 Is homeopathy a science? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19148710 2009-11-09 05:55:05 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19148710 The Journal of Medical Humanities 30 2 J Med Humanit DOI 10.1007/s10912-009-9080-x ISSN 1573-3645 journalArticle Atkinson Mark J Wishart Paul M Wasil Bushra I Robinson John W Adaptation, Psychological Adult Aged Attitude to Health Female Focus Groups Holistic Health Humans Life Change Events Male mental health Middle Aged Psychometrics Quality of Life Religion and Psychology Self Concept Semantics Sickness Impact Profile Spirituality The Self-Perception and Relationships Tool (S-PRT): a novel approach to the measurement of subjective health-related quality of life BACKGROUND: The Self-Perception and Relationships Tool (S-PRT) is intended to be a clinically responsive and holistic assessment of patients' experience of illness and subjective Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL). METHODS: A diversity of patients were involved in two phases of this study. Patient samples included individuals involved with renal, cardiology, psychiatric, cancer, chronic pelvic pain, and sleep services. In Phase I, five patient focus groups generated 128 perceptual rating scales. These scales described important characteristics of illness-related experience within six life domains (i.e., Physical, Mental-Emotional, Interpersonal Receptiveness, Interpersonal Contribution, Transpersonal Receptiveness and Transpersonal Orientation). Item reduction was accomplished using Importance Q-sort and Importance Checklist methodologies with 150 patients across the participating services. In Phase II, a refined item pool (88 items) was administered along with measures of health status (SF-36) and spiritual beliefs (Spiritual Involvements and Beliefs Scale--SIBS) to 160 patients, of these 136 patients returned complete response sets. RESULTS: Factor analysis of S-PRT results produced a surprisingly clean five-factor solution (Eigen values> 2.0 explaining 73.5% of the pooled variance). Items with weaker or split loadings were removed leaving 36 items to form the final S-PRT rating scales; Intrapersonal Well-being (physical, mental & emotional items), Interpersonal Receptivity, Interpersonal Contribution, Transpersonal Receptivity and Transpersonal Orientation (Eigen values> 5.4 explaining 83.5% of the pooled variance). The internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha) of these scales was very high (0.82-0.97). Good convergent correlations (0.40 to 0.67) were observed between the S-PRT scales and the Mental Health scales of the SF-36. Correlations between the S-PRT Intrapersonal Well-being scale and three of SF-36 Physical Health scales were moderate (0.30 to 0.46). The criterion-related validity of the S-PRT spiritual scales was supported by moderate convergence (0.40-0.49) with three SIBS scales. CONCLUSION: Evidence supports the validity of the S-PRT as a generally applicable measure of perceived health status and HRQL. The test-retest reliability was found to be adequate for most scales, and there is some preliminary evidence that the S-PRT is responsive to patient-reported changes in determinants of their HRQL. Clinical uses and directions for future research are discussed. 36 Jul 16, 2004 The Self-Perception and Relationships Tool (S-PRT) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15257754 2009-11-13 17:57:01 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15257754 Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 2 Health Qual Life Outcomes DOI 10.1186/1477-7525-2-36 ISSN 1477-7525 journalArticle Archives of Internal Medicine 159 19 Arch Intern Med DOI 10.1001/archinte.159.19.2273 Harris William S. Gowda Manohar Kolb Jerry W. Strychacz Christopher P. Vacek James L. Jones Philip G. Forker Alan O'Keefe James H. McCallister Ben D. A Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Effects of Remote, Intercessory Prayer on Outcomes in Patients Admitted to the Coronary Care Unit Context Intercessory prayer (praying for others) has been a common response to sickness for millennia, but it has received little scientific attention. The positive findings of a previous controlled trial of intercessory prayer have yet to be replicated. Objective To determine whether remote, intercessory prayer for hospitalized, cardiac patients will reduce overall adverse events and length of stay. Design Randomized, controlled, double-blind, prospective, parallel-group trial. Setting Private, university-associated hospital. Patients Nine hundred ninety consecutive patients who were newly admitted to the coronary care unit (CCU). Intervention At the time of admission, patients were randomized to receive remote, intercessory prayer (prayer group) or not (usual care group). The first names of patients in the prayer group were given to a team of outside intercessors who prayed for them daily for 4 weeks. Patients were unaware that they were being prayed for, and the intercessors did not know and never met the patients. Main Outcome Measures The medical course from CCU admission to hospital discharge was summarized in a CCU course score derived from blinded, retrospective chart review. Results Compared with the usual care group (n=524), the prayer group (n=466) had lower mean{+/-}SEM weighted (6.35{+/-}0.26 vs 7.13{+/-}0.27; P=.04) and unweighted (2.7{+/-}0.1 vs 3.0{+/-}0.1; P=.04) CCU course scores. Lengths of CCU and hospital stays were not different. Conclusions Remote, intercessory prayer was associated with lower CCU course scores. This result suggests that prayer may be an effective adjunct to standard medical care. 2273-2278 October 25, 1999 http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/159/19/2273 2009-09-08 02:11:52 HighWire book Chicago, Ill American Medical Association Fontanarosa Phil B Alternative medicine Alternative Medicine: An Objective Assessment 2000 ISBN 1579470025 Alternative Medicine library.bu.edu Library Catalog journalArticle Journal of the American Medical Association 300 11 JAMA DOI 10.1001/jama.300.11.1350 Ludwig David S. Kabat-Zinn Jon Mindfulness in Medicine Mindfulness refers to a meditation practice that cultivates present moment awareness. In the past 30 years, interest in the therapeutic uses of mindfulness has increased, with more than 70 scientific articles on the topic published in 2007. Meditation practices, including mindfulness, have come to the attention of neuroscientists investigating consciousness and affect regulation through mental training and to psychotherapists interested in personal development and interpersonal relationships. In this Commentary, we define mindfulness, consider possible mechanisms, explore clinical applications, and identify challenges to the field. 1350-1352 September 17, 2008 http://jama.ama-assn.org 2009-09-08 03:54:27 HighWire journalArticle Journal of the National Cancer Institute 65 5 Phillips R.L. Garfinkel L. Kuzma J.W. Beeson W.L. Lotz T. Brin B. Mortality among California Seventh-Day Adventists for selected cancer sites. In previous reports concerning cancer among Seventh-Day Adventists (SDA), comparisons were made only with the general population. This report compared California SDA to a sample of non-SDA who were demographically similar to SDA. The study consisted of 17 years of follow-up (1960--76) on 22,940 white California SDA and 13 years of follow-up (1960--72) on 112,725 white California non-SDA. Both groups completed the same base-line questionnaire in 1960. Deaths were ascertained by annual contacts with each study member and by computer-assisted record linkage with the California State death certificate file. Results indicated that, with the exception of colon-rectal cancer and smoking-related cancers, the difference in risk of fatal cancer between SDA and non-SDA was substantially reduced when SDA were compared with a more socioeconomically similar population. The persistence of the low risk for colon-rectal cancer can probably be attributed to some aspect of the diet or life-style of the SDA. 1097-1107 Nov. 1980 journalArticle Gilbert Sarah S Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Adolescent Adult Female Humans Islam Male Questionnaires Religion and Sex Senegal Sexual Behavior Students Young Adult The influence of Islam on AIDS prevention among Senegalese university students Few studies have attempted to quantify Islam's contributions to HIV/AIDS prevention. Senegal has involved Muslim leaders in its prevention campaign for over a decade. Senegal also has the lowest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines how Islam influences AIDS prevention by testing whether Senegalese participants' religiosity scores explain their risky decisions associated with sex, condom use, and drug use. Participants with higher religiosity scores were more likely to abstain from sex. However, participants high in religiosity were not more likely to report that they did not use condoms when sexually active. 399-407 Oct 2008 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/18956981 2009-11-02 18:20:37 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18956981 AIDS Education and Prevention: Official Publication of the International Society for AIDS Education 20 5 AIDS Educ Prev DOI 10.1521/aeap.2008.20.5.399 ISSN 1943-2755 journalArticle Parker M W Fuller G F Koenig H G Vaitkus M A Bellis J M Barko W F Eitzen J Call V R Aging Family Health promotion Humans Life Change Events Military Personnel Program Evaluation Religion Soldier and family wellness across the life course: a developmental model of successful aging, spirituality, and health promotion. Part I The primary purposes of this article are to (1) highlight current challenges facing health promotion advocates within the military and civilian culture; (2) present the strengths and weaknesses of the current Army approach to health promotion and preventive medicine; and (3) present several unifying themes that contribute to enhanced progress within the field of health promotion. A conceptual model that links common goals across the fields of successful aging, health promotion, spirituality and health, and life course is advocated to maximize efficacious interventions and to transform the current Army approach to health promotion. A companion article will describe an integrative model of health promotion and wellness that responds to the challenges and incorporates the unifying themes described in this article. 485-489 Jun 2001 Soldier and family wellness across the life course http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11413724 2009-11-13 02:03:36 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11413724 Military Medicine 166 6 Mil Med ISSN 0026-4075 journalArticle Russinova Zlatka Cash Dane Wewiorski Nancy J Adult Cognition Complementary Therapies Emotions Female Humans Interpersonal Relations Male Mental Disorders mental health Middle Aged Questionnaires Recovery of Function Self Concept Severity of Illness Index Spirituality Toward understanding the usefulness of complementary and alternative medicine for individuals with serious mental illnesses: classification of perceived benefits Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been gaining interest among individuals with serious mental illnesses. Yet, very little is known about how CAM may be beneficial to mental health. This study explored the specific benefits attributed to CAM by a national sample of 255 individuals with a serious mental illness who experienced CAM as having a positive impact on their mental health. Data about the CAM benefits were gathered through open-ended questions embedded in a mail survey that examined the patterns of CAM use in this population. Qualitative analysis revealed a wide spectrum of benefits that encompassed all major areas of human functioning, including physical, emotional, cognitive, self, social, spiritual, and overall functioning, and addressed both the improvement of psychiatric symptomatology and the promotion of functional recovery. Study findings provide useful information that can guide both everyday clinical practice and future research on the efficacy of CAM for psychiatric populations. 69-73 Jan 2009 Toward understanding the usefulness of complementary and alternative medicine for individuals with serious mental illnesses http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19155814 2009-11-14 00:49:41 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19155814 The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 197 1 J. Nerv. Ment. Dis DOI 10.1097/NMD.0b013e31819251fe ISSN 1539-736X book Upper Saddle River N.J. Prentice Hall Kinsley David Health, healing, and religion : a cross-cultural perspective 1996 ISBN 9780132127714 Health, healing, and religion Open WorldCat journalArticle Chibnall John T Videen Susan D Duckro Paul N Miller Douglas K Anxiety Attitude to Death Critical Illness Cross-Sectional Studies Depression Female Health Status Humans Male mental health Middle Aged Physician-Patient Relations Regression Analysis Religion Spirituality Psychosocial-spiritual correlates of death distress in patients with life-threatening medical conditions The purpose of this study was to identify demographic, disease, health care, and psychosocial-spiritual factors associated with death distress (death-related depression and anxiety). Cross-sectional baseline data from a randomized controlled trial were used. Outpatients (n=70) were recruited from an urban academic medical centre and proprietary hospital. All patients had life-threatening medical conditions, including cancer; pulmonary, cardiac, liver, or kidney disease; HIV/AIDS; or geriatric frailty. Measures of death distress, physical symptom severity, depression and anxiety symptoms, spiritual well-being, social support, patient-perceived physician communication, and patient-perceived quality of health care experiences were administered. In a hierarchical multiple regression model, higher death distress was significantly associated with living alone, greater physical symptom severity, more severe depression symptoms, lower spiritual well-being, and less physician communication as perceived by the patient. Death distress as a unique experiential construct was discriminable among younger patients with specific, diagnosable life-threatening conditions, but less so among geriatric frailty patients. The findings suggest that the experience of death distress among patients with life-threatening medical conditions is associated with the psychosocial-spiritual dimensions of the patient's life. Attention to these dimensions may buffer the negative affects of death distress. 331-338 Jul 2002 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12132546 2009-11-13 02:49:11 NCBI PubMed PMID: 12132546 Palliative Medicine 16 4 Palliat Med ISSN 0269-2163 journalArticle Schuster S J Delivery of Health Care Holistic Health Hospitals, Religious Humans Mental Healing Philosophy, Nursing Religion and Medicine Wholistic care. Healing a "sick" system A contemporary health system seeks to overcome the excesses and shortcomings of the medical model by integrating wholistic concepts and practices into the medical care it provides. Established on the grounds of an acute care hospital as one of its departments, the Franciscan Wholistic Health Center's (FWHC) goal-explicit spirituality and the involvement of FWHC staff in their own as well as their client's spiritual development-distinguishes it from other efforts. 56-59; quiz 60 Jun 1997 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9325917 2009-11-12 22:35:27 NCBI PubMed PMID: 9325917 Nursing Management 28 6 Nurs Manage ISSN 0744-6314 journalArticle Annals of Behavioral Medicine: A Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine 24 1 Ann Behav Med ISSN 0883-6612 Underwood Lynn G Teresi Jeanne A Adaptation, Psychological Adult Female Humans Male Middle Aged Observer Variation Questionnaires Religion and Medicine Reproducibility of Results The daily spiritual experience scale: development, theoretical description, reliability, exploratory factor analysis, and preliminary construct validity using health-related data Spirituality and religiousness are gaining increasing attention as health research variables. However, the particular aspects examined vary from study to study, ranging from church attendance to religious coping to meaning in life. This frequently results in a lack of clarity regarding what is being measured, the meaning of the relationships between health variables and spirituality, and implications for action. This article describes the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) and its development, reliability, exploratory factor analyses, and preliminary construct validity. Normative data from random samples and preliminary relationships of health-related data with the DSES also are included. Detailed data for the 16-item DSES are provided from two studies; a third study provided data on a subset of 6 items, and afourth study was done on the interrater reliability of the item subset. A 6-item version was used in the General Social Survey because of the need to shorten the measure for the survey. A rationale for the conceptual underpinnings and item selection is provided, as are suggested pathways for linkages to health and well-being. This scale addresses reported ordinary experiences of spirituality such as awe, joy that lifts one out of the mundane, and a sense of deep inner peace. Studies using the DSES may identify ways in which this element of life may influence emotion, cognition and behavior, and health or ways in which this element may be treated as an outcome in itself a particular component of well-being. The DSES evidenced good reliability across several studies with internal consistency estimates in the .90s. Preliminary evidence showed that daily spiritual experience is related to decreased total alcohol intake, improved quality of life, and positive psychosocial status. 22-33 2002 The daily spiritual experience scale http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12008791 2009-11-13 02:31:14 NCBI PubMed PMID: 12008791 book Nashville Abingdon Press Bringle Mary Louise Despair Health Hope Laziness Religious aspects Sin Despair, Sickness or Sin?: Hopelessness and Healing in the Christian Life 1990 ISBN 0687104939 Despair, Sickness or Sin? library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog BT774.5 .B75 1990 journalArticle Murata Hisayuki Adaptation, Psychological Humans Japan Neoplasms Pain Spirituality Stress, Psychological Terminal Care Spiritual pain and its care in patients with terminal cancer: construction of a conceptual framework by philosophical approach OBJECTIVE: In discussing spiritual care of patients with terminal cancer, it is important to clarify the structure of spiritual pain to be evaluated. METHODS: In this article, spiritual pain is defined as "pain caused by extinction of the being and the meaning of the self," and its structure was evaluated according to the three dimensions of the human being, that is, a being founded on temporality, a being in relationship, and a being with autonomy. RESULTS: As a result, spiritual pain of patients with terminal cancer could be described as meaninglessness of life, loss of identity, and worthlessness of living derived from loss of the future, loss of others, and loss of autonomy of a dying individual. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: On the basis of these understandings, the author deduced principles of spiritual care of terminally ill cancer patients as recovery of the future beyond death, others beyond death, and autonomy toward death in each dimension of the human being. 15-21 Mar 2003 Spiritual pain and its care in patients with terminal cancer http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16594284 2009-11-13 20:46:17 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16594284 Palliative & Supportive Care 1 1 Palliat Support Care ISSN 1478-9515 journalArticle Narayanasamy A Andrews A Cultural Characteristics Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate Great Britain Humans Islam Transcultural Nursing Cultural impact of Islam on the future directions of nurse education In this paper the cultural impact of Islam on the future directions of nurse education is considered. In so doing, Islam is demonstrated as a living and growing religion, transcending almost all races and cultures in many parts of the globe. The historical review of Islam suggests its pervasive impact on almost all aspects of life: affecting both the East and West. In spite of an unjustified negative portrayal of Islam, it continues to grow at what is sometimes perceived as an unprecedented rate, having, it is estimated, one-billion followers, i.e. one-fifth of the world's population. This signals the need for nurse education to take on board curriculum measures to incorporate spiritual and cultural dimensions in the care of Muslim patients. Therefore, curriculum strategies are identified for putting into action educational programmes that address the needs of Muslims. 57-64; discussion 65-72 Jan 2000 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/11138216 2009-11-02 18:52:11 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11138216 Nurse Education Today 20 1 Nurse Educ Today DOI 10.1054/nedt.2000.0425 ISSN 0260-6917 journalArticle Atkinson Jane Monnig Shamanisms Today 307-330 1992 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/2155990 2009-11-09 04:39:36 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: 1992 / Copyright © 1992 Annual Reviews Annual Review of Anthropology 21 ISSN 00846570 journalArticle Journal of Holistic Nursing: Official Journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association 17 3 J Holist Nurs ISSN 0898-0101 Callister L C Semenic S Foster J C Adolescent Adult Attitude to Health Canada Christianity Cultural Characteristics Female Holistic Nursing Humans Jews Labor, Obstetric Middle Aged Nursing Methodology Research Pastoral Care Pregnancy Religion and Psychology Women Cultural and spiritual meanings of childbirth. Orthodox Jewish and Mormon women This descriptive, phenomenological study investigated the cultural and spiritual meanings of the childbirth experience from the personal perspectives of 30 Canadian Orthodox Jewish and 30 American Mormon women. Fewer Jewish women had childbirth education and attendance of their partners during childbirth than did Mormon women. Participants in the study, having codified belief systems, expressed the primary importance of bearing children in obedience to religious law. Birth was articulated as a bittersweet paradox, often accompanied by a sense of empowerment. Women described the importance of personal connectedness with others and with God, the importance of childbearing, and the spiritual and emotional dimensions of their childbirth experiences. Religious beliefs help women define the meaning of childbirth and may provide coping mechanisms for the intensity of giving birth. It is essential for holistic nurses to value and acknowledge the cultural and spiritual dimensions of the childbirth experience. 280-295 Sep 1999 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/10690070 2009-11-04 03:29:38 NCBI PubMed PMID: 10690070 journalArticle Salgado Nirmala S. Sickness, Healing, and Religious Vocation: Alternative Choices at a Theravāda Buddhist Nunnery This essay examines alternative religious vocations and choices of cures that are open to women in the Sri Lankan Buddhist context. The focus of the investigation is a Theravāda Buddhist hermitage that was studied over an eleven-year period. The article presents case histories of nuns who are representative of the individuals living at the hermitage, and demonstrates how the illnesses they suffer concurrently with their ecstatic trances (interpreted as spirit possession) receive meaning and can be cured within the framework of Buddhist asceticism in Sri Lanka. 213-226 Summer, 1997 Sickness, Healing, and Religious Vocation http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/3773986 2009-11-09 04:41:50 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Summer, 1997 / Copyright © 1997 University of Pittsburgh- Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education Ethnology 36 3 ISSN 00141828 journalArticle Allen Rebecca S Phillips Laura Lee Roff Lucinda Lee Cavanaugh Ronald Day Laura Alabama Anxiety Humans Interviews as Topic mental health Middle Aged Prisoners Religion and Psychology Spirituality Religiousness/spirituality and mental health among older male inmates PURPOSE: With the rapid growth in the older inmate population, emerging issues regarding physical and mental health require greater research and clinical attention. We examined the relation of religiousness/spirituality; demographic characteristics such as age, race, and type of crime; and physical and mental health among 73 older male inmates in the state of Alabama. DESIGN AND METHODS: Inmates older than age 50 who passed a cognitive screening completed face-to-face interviews lasting between 30 and 60 min. Due to the low literacy rates of the participants, we administered all measures orally with response cards to facilitate understanding. RESULTS: Nearly 70% of the inmates were incarcerated for murder or sexual crimes. There were no racial/ethnic differences in reported religiousness/spirituality, demographic characteristics, or mental health. We found an association between self-reported years of incarceration and experienced forgiveness. Three regression models examined whether inmates' self-reported religiousness/spirituality influenced anxiety, depression, and desire for hastened death. We found that having a greater number of daily spiritual experiences and not feeling abandoned by God were associated with better emotional health. IMPLICATIONS: Future studies, perhaps using longitudinal or case-control methodology, should examine whether increased daily spiritual experiences and decreased feelings of abandonment by God foster better mental health among older inmates. 692-697 Oct 2008 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18981285 2009-11-14 00:32:40 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18981285 The Gerontologist 48 5 Gerontologist ISSN 0016-9013 journalArticle Lex Barbara W. The Context of Schizophrenia and Shamanism 191-192 Feb., 1984 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/644369 2009-11-09 04:51:22 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Feb., 1984 / Copyright © 1984 American Anthropological Association American Ethnologist 11 1 ISSN 00940496 journalArticle Chida Yoichi Steptoe Andrew Powell Lynda H Adaptation, Psychological Humans Meditation Psychophysiology Religion Spirituality Religiosity/spirituality and mortality. A systematic quantitative review BACKGROUND: The relationship between religiosity/spirituality and physical health has been the subject of growing interest in epidemiological research. We systematically reviewed prospective observational cohort studies of the association between this potentially protective psychological factor and mortality using meta-analytic methods. METHODS: We searched general bibliographic databases: Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science and PubMed (up to 20 March, 2008). Two reviewers independently extracted data on study characteristics, quality, and estimates of associations. Random effects meta-analyses, subgrouping, and sensitivity analysis were performed. RESULTS: There were 69 studies (28 articles) and 22 studies (11 articles) investigating the association between religiosity/spirituality and mortality in initially healthy populations and diseased populations, respectively. The results of the meta-analyses showed that religiosity/spirituality was associated with reduced mortality in healthy population studies (combined hazard ratio = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.76-0.87, p <0.001), but not in diseased population studies (combined hazard ratio = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.94-1.01, p = 0.19). Notably, the protective effect of religiosity/spirituality in the initially healthy population studies was independent of behavioral factors (smoking, drinking, exercising, and socioeconomic status), negative affect, and social support. We divided studies according to the aspects of religiosity/spirituality measure examined, and found that organizational activity (e.g. church attendance) was associated with greater survival in healthy population studies. Multi-dimensional aspects were related to survival in both the healthy and diseased populations. Religiosity/spirituality was negatively associated with cardiovascular mortality in healthy population studies. CONCLUSIONS: The current review suggests that religiosity/spirituality has a favorable effect on survival, although the presence of publication biases indicates that results should be interpreted with caution. 81-90 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19142047 2009-11-14 00:49:16 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19142047 Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 78 2 Psychother Psychosom DOI 10.1159/000190791 ISSN 1423-0348 book New Haven Yale University Press Spiro Howard M Curnen Mary G. McCrea Wandel Lee Palmer Yale University Goethe-Institut (Boston, Mass.) Death Ethics, Professional Moral and ethical aspects Psychological aspects Religion and Medicine Religious aspects Terminal Care Terminally ill Facing Death: Where Culture, Religion, and Medicine Meet 1996 ISBN 0300063490 Facing Death library.bu.edu Library Catalog journalArticle Dev Sukh Medicine, Ayurvedic Ancient-Modern Concordance in Ayurvedic Plants: Some Examples 783-789 Oct., 1999 Ancient-Modern Concordance in Ayurvedic Plants http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/3454574 2009-10-13 03:17:05 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Oct., 1999 / Copyright © 1999 The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Environmental Health Perspectives 107 10 ISSN 00916765 journalArticle Rispler-Chaim V Bioethical Issues Egypt Ethics, Medical Humans Islam Religion and Medicine Social Justice Theology Tissue and Organ Procurement Islamic medical ethics in the 20th century While the practice of Western medicine is known today to doctors of all ethnic and religious groups, its standards are subject to the availability of resources. The medical ethics guiding each doctor is influenced by his/her religious or cultural background or affiliation, and that is where diversity exists. Much has been written about Jewish and Christian medical ethics. Islamic medical ethics has never been discussed as an independent field of ethics, although several selected topics, especially those concerning sexuality, birth control and abortions, have been more discussed than others. Islamic medical ethics in the 20th century will be characterised on the basis of Egyptian fatawa (legal opinions) issued by famous Muslim scholars and several doctors. Some of the issues discussed by Islamic medical ethics are universal: abortions, organ transplants, artificial insemination, cosmetic surgery, doctor-patient relations, etc. Other issues are typically Islamic, such as impediments to fasting in Ramadan, diseases and physical conditions that cause infringement of the state of purity, medicines containing alcohol, etc. Muslims' attitudes to both types of ethical issues often prove that pragmatism prevails and the aim is to seek a compromise between Islamic heritage and the achievements of modern medicine, as long as basic Islamic dogma is not violated. 203-208 Dec 1989 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/2614792 2009-11-02 18:27:13 NCBI PubMed PMID: 2614792 Journal of Medical Ethics 15 4 J Med Ethics ISSN 0306-6800 journalArticle Alvarez-Millan C Eye Diseases History, Medieval Humans Islam Medicine Middle East Philosophy, Medical Practice Management, Medical Practice versus theory: tenth-century case histories from the Islamic Middle East Medicine and disease in medieval Islam have thus far been approached through theoretic medical treatises, on the assumption that learned medical texts are a transparent account of reality. A question yet to be sufficiently explored is the extent to which the ideas and theoretical principles they contain were actually carried out in practice. This paper deals with the description of diseases occurring in a tenth-century Casebook (Kitāb al-Tajārib) by Abū Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakarīyā' al-Rāzi (known to Europeans as Rhazes)-the largest and oldest collection of case histories, so far as is known, in medieval Islamic medical literature. Since the author was a prolific medical writer, this study also includes a review of his medical and therapeutic principles dealing with eye diseases, as described in his learned treatises, and a comparison with those therapies actually employed in his everyday practice, as exemplified by the Casebook. The comparative analysis shows that the medical knowledge and the therapeutic advice so meticulously described in theoretical works were not paralleled in the physician's medical performance. On the contrary, it appears that learned treatises served other purposes than determining medical practice. 293-306 Aug 2000 Practice versus theory http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/14535258 2009-11-02 18:41:41 NCBI PubMed PMID: 14535258 Social History of Medicine: The Journal of the Society for the Social History of Medicine / SSHM 13 2 Soc Hist Med ISSN 0951-631X journalArticle Doolittle Benjamin R. Farrell Michael The Association Between Spirituality and Depression in an Urban Clinic OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between spiritual beliefs and depression in an urban population. METHOD: A convenience sample of adult patients of an urban primary care clinic completed a self-administered questionnaire consisting of the Zung Depression Scale and the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale (SIBS). RESULTS: Among 122 respondents, 99 (81%) reported that they consider themselves religious. Responses from the Zung Depression Scale found that 76 (62%) of the patients were depressed and 46 (38%) were not. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the Zung Depression Scale and the SIBS was -0.36 (p <.0001). Backward stepwise regression analysis revealed that SIBS score and physical health predicted the Zung Depression Scale score. Age, gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation, and income showed no significant association with depression. Analysis of individual SIBS items revealed that high spirituality scores on items in the domain of intrinsic beliefs, such as belief in a higher power (p <.01), the importance of prayer (p <.0001), and finding meaning in times of hardship (p <.05), were associated negatively with depression. Attendance of religious services had no significant association with depression. CONCLUSION: Appropriate encouragement of a patient's spiritual beliefs may be a helpful adjunct to treating depression. 114-118 2004 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15361925 2009-11-13 18:03:18 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15361925 Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 6 3 Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry ISSN 1523-5998 journalArticle Gaul C Eismann R Schmidt T May A Leinisch E Wieser T Evers S Henkel K Franz G Zierz S Use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients suffering from primary headache disorders Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly common in the treatment of primary headache disorders despite lack of evidence for efficacy in most modalities. A systematic questionnaire-based survey of CAM therapy was conducted in 432 patients who attended seven tertiary headache out-patient clinics in Germany and Austria. Use of CAM was reported by the majority (81.7%) of patients. Most frequently used CAM treatments were acupuncture (58.3%), massage (46.1%) and relaxation techniques (42.4%). Use was motivated by 'to leave nothing undone' (63.7%) and 'to be active against the disease' (55.6%). Compared with non-users, CAM users were of higher age, showed a longer duration of disease, a higher percentage of chronification, less intensity of headache, were more satisfied with conventional prophylaxis and showed greater willingness to gather information about headaches. There were no differences with respect to gender, headache diagnoses, headache-specific disability, education, income, religious attitudes or satisfaction with conventional attack therapy. A higher number of headache days, longer duration of headache treatment, higher personal costs, and use of CAM for other diseases predicted a higher number of used CAM treatments. This study confirms that CAM is widely used among primary headache patients, mostly in combination with standard care. 1069-1078 Oct 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19366356 2009-09-29 03:50:46 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19366356 Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache 29 10 Cephalalgia DOI 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2009.01841.x ISSN 1468-2982 book Oxford Oxford University Press Whorton James C 20th century Alternative medicine History United States Nature Cures: The History of Alternative Medicine in America 2002 368 ISBN 0195140710 Nature Cures library.bu.edu Library Catalog R733 .W495 2002 book New York Macmillan Sullivan Lawrence Healing and restoring : health and medicine in the world's religious traditions 1989 ISBN 9780029237915 Healing and restoring Open WorldCat journalArticle Garrison M E Betsy Marks Loren D Lawrence Frances C Braun Bonnie Adult Attitude to Health Depression Female Health promotion Humans Logistic Models mental health Mothers Poverty Questionnaires Rural Population social support Spirituality United States Religious beliefs, faith community involvement and depression: a study of rural, low-income mothers The current study investigated the connection between religion and mental health of 131 rural, low-income mothers. Two dimensions of religion, beliefs and faith community involvement, were included and depression was assessed by the CES-D. The sample consisted of mothers who participated in Wave 2 of a multi-state research project. As hypothesized, both religious beliefs and faith community involvement were negatively related to depressive symptoms indicating that mothers with stronger religious beliefs and more involvement in religious activities may experience less depressive symptoms. The results of the current study confirm previous work and support a multifaceted view of religion. 51-62 2004 Religious beliefs, faith community involvement and depression http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15829445 2009-11-13 19:27:42 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15829445 Women & Health 40 3 Women Health ISSN 0363-0242 journalArticle Hassed C S Depression Health Transition Humans mental health Models, Psychological Religion Depression: dispirited or spiritually deprived? The 20th century has seen a widespread decline in mental health in Western society. One important factor may be the lack of meaning and spiritual fulfilment that is part of our increasingly secular and materialistic society. In medical education and practice, religious issues are often marginalised or 'pathologised", despite consistent evidence from the literature of the protective effect of "religiosity" or "spirituality" on mental and physical health. 545-547 Nov 20, 2000 Depression http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11194740 2009-11-13 01:48:11 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11194740 The Medical Journal of Australia 173 10 Med. J. Aust ISSN 0025-729X journalArticle Brayne Sue Farnham Chris Fenwick Peter Adult Attitude of Health Personnel Attitude to Death dreams Female Humans Male Palliative Care Pilot Projects Professional-Patient Relations Questionnaires Spirituality Terminally ill Deathbed phenomena and their effect on a palliative care team: a pilot study Anecdotal evidence suggests that death may be heralded by deathbed phenomena (DBP) such as visions that comfort the dying and prepare them spiritually for death. Medical practitioners have been slow to recognize DBP, and there has been little research into the spiritual effect that DBP have on caregivers or on how these phenomena influence their work. A pilot study looking into the occurrence of DBP was conducted by the palliative care team at Camden Primary Care Trust. Interviews revealed that patients regularly report these phenomena as an important part of their dying process, and that DBP are far broader than the traditional image of an apparition at the end of the bed. Results of the interviews raise concerns about the lack of education or training to help palliative care teams recognize the wider implications of DBP and deal with difficult questions or situations associated with them. Many DBP may go unreported because of this. Results of this pilot study also suggest that DBP are not drug-induced, and that patients would rather talk to nurses than doctors about their experiences. 17-24 2006 Jan-Feb Deathbed phenomena and their effect on a palliative care team http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16450659 2009-11-13 20:38:37 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16450659 The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care 23 1 Am J Hosp Palliat Care ISSN 1049-9091 journalArticle Collins Alisa Abortion, Induced Autopsy Blood Transfusion Circumcision, Male Contraception Euthanasia Great Britain Humans Judaism Sexuality Nursing with dignity. Part 1: Judaism 34-35 2002 Feb 28-Mar 6 Nursing with dignity. Part 1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/11917391 2009-11-02 18:59:16 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11917391 Nursing Times 98 9 Nurs Times ISSN 0954-7762 journalArticle Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.) 10 5 J Altern Complement Med DOI 10.1089/acm.2004.10.879 ISSN 1075-5535 Joshi Rajani R Algorithms Biometry Complementary Therapies Humans Medicine, Ayurvedic Qi Regression Analysis A biostatistical approach to ayurveda: quantifying the tridosha OBJECTIVE: To compute quantitative estimates of the tridosha--the qualitative characterization that constitutes the core of diagnosis and treatment in Ayurveda--to provide a basis for biostatistical analysis of this ancient Indian science, which is a promising field of alternative medicine. SUBJECTS: The data sources were 280 persons from among the residents and visitors/training students at the Brahmvarchas Research Centre and Shantikuj, Hardwar, India. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY: A quantitative measure of the tridosha level (for vata, pitta, and kapha) is obtained by applying an algorithmic heuristic approach to the exhaustive list of qualitative features/factors that are commonly used by Ayurvedic doctors. A knowledge-based concept of worth coefficients and fuzzy multiattribute decision functions are used here for regression modeling. VALIDATION AND APPLICATIONS: Statistical validation on a large sample shows the accuracy of this study's estimates with statistical confidence level above 90%. The estimates are also suited for diagnostic and prognostic applications and systematic drug-response analysis of Ayurvedic (herbal and rasayanam) medicines. An application with regard to the former is elucidated, extensions of which might also be of use in investigating the role of nadis in Ayurvedic healing vis-a-vis acupuncture and acupressure techniques. The importance and scope of this novel approach are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: This pioneering study shows that the concept of tridosha has a sound empirical basis that could be used for the scientific establishment of Ayurveda in a new light. 879-889 Oct 2004 A biostatistical approach to ayurveda http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/15650478 2009-11-02 07:33:59 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15650478 book Albany State University of New York Press Coward Harold Yoga and psychology : language, memory, and mysticism 2002 ISBN 9780791454992 Yoga and psychology Open WorldCat journalArticle Priester Paul E. Scherer Josh Steinfeldt Jesse A. Jana-Masri Asma Jashinsky Terri Jones Janice E. Vang Cher addictions treatment Drug Addiction Drug Rehabilitation Holistic Health holistic intervention intervention Meditation The frequency of prayer, meditation and holistic interventions in addictions treatment: A national survey. This study examines the prevalence of endorsing the twelve step approach and the use of prayer, meditation, and holistic techniques in a national sample of 139 substance abuse treatment centers. Ninety one percent of the programs endorsed a twelve step orientation. Twenty six percent of the programs actively used prayer and 58% used meditation as a component of treatment. Thirty three percent of the programs used some form of a self-designated holistic technique. There was a divergent range of techniques that were used by programs, falling into four broad categories: (1) nutrition, exercise, relaxation and physical health; (2) recreation and adventure-based activities; (3) religious and spiritual practices; and (4) the use of specific therapy modalities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved) (from the journal abstract) 315-322 June 2009 The frequency of prayer, meditation and holistic interventions in addictions treatment http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2009-07075-007&site=ehost-live 2009-09-26 21:09:43 EBSCOhost Pastoral Psychology 58 3 DOI 10.1007/s11089-009-0196-8 ISSN 0031-2789 journalArticle BMJ: British Medical Journal 319 7219 ISSN 09598138 Vickers Andrew Zollman Catherine ABC of Complementary Medicine: Massage Therapies 1254-1257 Nov. 6, 1999 ABC of Complementary Medicine http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/25186301 2009-11-09 05:27:53 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Nov. 6, 1999 / Copyright © 1999 BMJ Publishing Group journalArticle Journal of Adolescent Health 38 4 DOI 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2005.10.005 Cotton Sian Zebracki Kathy Rosenthal Susan Tsevt Joel Drotar Dennis Religion/spirituality and adolescent health outcomes: a review Religion/spirituality is important to adolescents, is usually considered a protective factor against a host of negative health outcomes, and is often included in adolescent health outcomes research. Previous reviews of the relationship among spirituality, religion, and adolescent health have been limited by scope, focusing primarily on distal aspects of religion/spirituality (e.g., attendance at religious services). We reviewed the literature examining proximal domains of religion/spirituality (e.g., spiritual coping) in adolescent health outcomes research. Constructs such as spiritual coping and religious decision-making were the ones most often studied and were generally positively associated with health outcomes. Measurement of proximal domains, associations of proximal domains with health outcomes, methodological issues and recommendations for future research were covered in this review. 472-480 April 2006 http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T80-4JH47CN-12&_user=489277&_coverDate=04%2F30%2F2006&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000022679&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=489277&md5=f56a7adb0f67b9a76407a1a30e5f477f journalArticle Research on Aging 27 2 DOI 10.1177/0164027504270489 Schieman Scott Pudrovska Tetyana Milkie Melissa A. The Sense of Divine Control and the Self-Concept: A Study of Race Differences in Late Life Using data from adults aged 65 and older in the District of Columbia and two adjoining counties in Maryland, this study examines the relationship between the sense of divine control and two self-concepts: self-esteem and mastery. Perceived divine control involves the extent to which an individual perceives that God controls the direction and outcomes of life. Among Whites only, divine control is associated negatively with mastery. Adjustments for socioeconomic status, other forms of religiosity, and stressors contribute to that race-contingent association. In addition, among Blacks, divine control is associated positively with self-esteem--especially among Black women. That effect remains net of socioeconomic and other controls. Conversely, among white men, divine control is associated negatively with self-esteem, although adjustment for socioeconomic status explains most of that association. The authors discuss these findings in the context of the ongoing debate about the psychological effects of different forms of religiosity. 165-196 March 1, 2005 The Sense of Divine Control and the Self-Concept http://roa.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/27/2/165 2009-10-17 17:59:58 Sage Journals Online journalArticle Rodin Gary Lo Christopher Mikulincer Mario Donner Allan Gagliese Lucia Zimmermann Camilla Age Factors Aged Anxiety Attitude to Death Attitude to Health Cancer Care Facilities Cost of Illness Depressive Disorder Female Gastrointestinal Neoplasms Humans Lung Neoplasms Male Middle Aged Models, Psychological Neoplasm Metastasis Neoplasm Staging Ontario risk factors Self Concept Sickness Impact Profile Spirituality Pathways to distress: the multiple determinants of depression, hopelessness, and the desire for hastened death in metastatic cancer patients We tested a model in which psychosocial and disease-related variables act as multiple protective and risk factors for psychological distress in patients with metastatic cancer. We hypothesized that depression and hopelessness constitute common pathways of distress, which mediate the effects of psychosocial and disease-related factors on the desire for hastened death. This model was tested on a cross-sectional sample of 406 patients with metastatic gastrointestinal or lung cancer recruited at outpatient clinics of a Toronto cancer hospital, using structural equation modeling. The results supported the model. High disease burden, insecure attachment, low self-esteem, and younger age were risk factors for depression. Low spiritual well-being was a risk factor for hopelessness. Depression and hopelessness were found to be mutually reinforcing, but distinct constructs. Both depression and hopelessness independently predicted the desire for hastened death, and mediated the effects of psychosocial and disease-related variables on this outcome. The identified risk factors support a holistic approach to palliative care in patients with metastatic cancer, which attends to physical, psychological, and spiritual factors to prevent and treat distress in patients with advanced disease. 562-569 Feb 2009 Pathways to distress http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19059687 2009-11-14 00:40:20 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19059687 Social Science & Medicine (1982) 68 3 Soc Sci Med DOI 10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.10.037 ISSN 0277-9536 journalArticle Bond Kenneth Ospina Maria B. Hooton Nicola Bialy Liza Dryden Donna M. Buscemi Nina Shannahoff-Khalsa David Dusek Jeffrey Carlson Linda E. CAM characteristics Dualism Meditation mind–body techniques Relaxation Yoga Defining a complex intervention: The development of demarcation criteria for “meditation”. The authors used a 5-round Delphi study with a panel of 7 experts in meditation research to achieve agreement on a set of criteria for a working definition of “meditation” for use in a comprehensive systematic review of the therapeutic use of meditation. Participants agreed that essential to a meditation practice is its use of (a) a defined technique, (b) logic relaxation, and (c) a self-induced state. Participants also agreed that a meditation practice may (d) involve a state of psychophysical relaxation somewhere in the process; (e) use a self-focus skill or anchor; (f) involve an altered state/mode of consciousness, mystic experience, enlightenment or suspension of logical thought processes; (g) be embedded in a religious/spiritual/philosophical context; or (h) involve an experience of mental silence. The results of this study provide insight into the challenges faced by researchers who want to demarcate meditative practices from nonmeditative practices, and they describe an approach to this problem that may prove useful for researchers trying to operationalize meditation in the context of comparative research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved). (from the journal abstract) 129-137 May 2009 Defining a complex intervention http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pdh&AN=rel-1-2-129&site=ehost-live&scope=site 2009-09-12 22:48:12 EBSCOhost Psychology of Religion and Spirituality 1 2 DOI 10.1037/a0015736 ISSN 1941-1022 journalArticle Conboy Lisa Edshteyn Ingrid Garivaltis Hilary Adult Female Health Behavior Holistic Health Humans Life Style Medicine, Ayurvedic Middle Aged Perception Quality of Life social support Ayurveda and Panchakarma: measuring the effects of a holistic health intervention Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India, is understudied in western contexts. Using data gathered from an Ayurvedic treatment program, this study examined the role of psychosocial factors in the process of behavior change and the salutogenic process. This observational study examined associations with participation in the 5-day Ayurvedic cleansing retreat program, Panchakarma. Quality of life, psychosocial, and behavior change measurements were measured longitudinally on 20 female participants. Measurements were taken before the start of the program, immediately after the program, and 3 months postprogram. The program did not significantly improve quality of life. Significant improvements were found in self-efficacy towards using Ayurveda to improve health and reported positive health behaviors. In addition, perceived social support and depression showed significant improvements 3 months postprogram after the subjects had returned to their home context. As a program of behavior change, our preliminary results suggest that the complex intervention Panchakarma may be effective in assisting one's expected and reported adherence to new and healthier behavior patterns. 272-280 2009 Ayurveda and Panchakarma http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19412555 2009-11-02 07:16:59 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19412555 TheScientificWorldJournal 9 ScientificWorldJournal DOI 10.1100/tsw.2009.35 ISSN 1537-744X journalArticle Sandoz Charles J. The Spiritual Experience in Recovery: A Closer Look 53 1999 The Spiritual Experience in Recovery http://www.informaworld.com/10.1300/J048v06n02_05 2009-10-23 02:46:33 Informaworld Journal of Ministry in Addiction & Recovery 6 2 DOI 10.1300/J048v06n02_05 ISSN 1053-8755 journalArticle Journal of Chronic Diseases 25 12 Comstock George Partridge K Church Attendance and Health Associations between church attendance and health were investigated. Previous studies that mention church attendance as a health-related variable are reviewed, and the results of a 1963 survey of residents of Washington County, Maryland, that included a question on church attendance are analyzed. The results show that the risk of dying from arteriosclerotic heart disease is about twice as high among infrequent church attenders as in frequent church attenders, and death rates from emphysema, cirrhosis, and suicide are also appreciably higher among infrequent attenders. 665-72 Dec. 1972 book Nairobi East African Educational Publishers Chacha Chacha Nyaigotti Kanunah Mary Peter Sindiga Isaac Africa Social life and customs Traditional medicine Traditional Medicine in Africa 1995 ISBN 9966465480 library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog GR350 .T73 1995 journalArticle Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 7 2 Altern Ther Health Med ISSN 1078-6791 Mishra L Singh B B Dagenais S History, Ancient Humans India Medicine, Ayurvedic Ayurveda: a historical perspective and principles of the traditional healthcare system in India Ayurveda, the science of life, is a comprehensive medical system that has been the traditional system of healthcare in India for more than 5000 years. This medical system was well established around 2500 to 600 BC, when it evolved into 2 schools: the School of Physicians and the School of Surgeons, similar to allopathy. Charak Samhita, Susrut Samhita, and Ashtang Hridaya Samhita are the Senior Triad texts, and Madhav Nidan Samhita, Sarangdhar Samhita, and Bhavprakash Samhita are the Junior Triad texts. Around 600 BC. Ayurveda was branched into internal medicine; pediatrics; psychiatry; surgery; eye, ear, nose, and throat; toxicology; geriatrics; and eugenics/aphrodisiacs. The body is composed of 3 body doshas, 3 mental doshas, 7 dhatus, and malas. The harmony among the body doshas of vata (nervous system), pitta (enzymes), and kapha (mucus) and the gunas, or mental doshas (which are human attributes: satogun [godly], rajas [kingly], and tamas [evil]), constitutes health, and their disharmony constitutes disease. The management of illness requires balancing the doshas back into a harmonious state through lifestyle interventions, spiritual nurturing, and treatment with herbo-mineral formulas based on one's mental and bodily constitution. 36-42 Mar 2001 Ayurveda http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/11253415 2009-11-02 07:41:20 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11253415 journalArticle Ferraro Kenneth F. Kelley-Moore Jessica A. Religious Seeking among Affiliates and Non-Affiliates: Do Mental and Physical Health Problems Spur Religious Coping? Research on people who identify themselves as having no religious preference, often referred to as "nones" or non-affiliates, indicates that many used to belong to a religious group or still have some level of religiosity. The purpose of this research is to determine if there are differences between religious affiliates and non-affiliates in whether physical or mental health problems spur religious seeking. Data from a national longitudinal survey, Americans' Changing Lives, Waves I and II, were used to examine whether physical and mental health problems precipitate religious consolation and attendance at religious services. While non-affiliates were generally less likely than affiliates to seek religious consolation, those with a stronger religious identity increased their religious seeking over time. Non-affiliates who more frequently attended religious services also increased their rate of attendance during the study. The findings provide little evidence, however, that physical or mental health factors increase religious consolation and attendance. Affiliates who had been diagnosed with cancer in the previous 12 months or had multiple chronic conditions were actually less likely to attend religious services. 229-251 March 2001 Religious Seeking among Affiliates and Non-Affiliates http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512568 2009-09-07 17:46:02 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Mar., 2001 / Copyright © 2001 Religious Research Association, Inc. Review of Religious Research 42 3 DOI 10.2307/3512568 ISSN 0034673X <p>Not sure this fits any category exactly. It's about whether getting sick causes people to seek religion, so the causal flow is different than in most other articles.</p> journalArticle BMJ: British Medical Journal 319 7211 ISSN 09598138 Zollman Catherine Vickers Andrew ABC of Complementary Medicine: What Is Complementary Medicine? 693-696 Sep. 11, 1999 ABC of Complementary Medicine http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/25185762 2009-11-09 04:21:00 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Sep. 11, 1999 / Copyright © 1999 BMJ Publishing Group book Washington U.S. G.P.O United States Alternative medicine Government employees' health insurance Medical policy United States Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Government-Funded Health Programs Hearing Before the Committee on Government Reform House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixth Congress, First Session, February 24, 1999 1999 library.bu.edu Library Catalog CIS: See Accession No. in Note book Basic Books Boyer Pascal Religion Explained 2002-04 ISBN 0465006965 Amazon.com journalArticle Fuller Robert C. Unorthodox Medicine and American Religious Life 50-65 Jan., 1987 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/1203316 2009-11-09 04:28:11 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Jan., 1987 / Copyright © 1987 The University of Chicago Press The Journal of Religion 67 1 ISSN 00224189 journalArticle Inzlicht Michael McGregor Ian Hirsh Jacob B Nash Kyle Adult Affect Anxiety Attitude Cognition Cognition Disorders Culture Electroencephalography Female Humans Male Neuropsychological Tests personality Psychological Tests Religion Neural markers of religious conviction Many people derive peace of mind and purpose in life from their belief in God. For others, however, religion provides unsatisfying answers. Are there brain differences between believers and nonbelievers? Here we show that religious conviction is marked by reduced reactivity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a cortical system that is involved in the experience of anxiety and is important for self-regulation. In two studies, we recorded electroencephalographic neural reactivity in the ACC as participants completed a Stroop task. Results showed that stronger religious zeal and greater belief in God were associated with less firing of the ACC in response to error and with commission of fewer errors. These correlations remained strong even after we controlled for personality and cognitive ability. These results suggest that religious conviction provides a framework for understanding and acting within one's environment, thereby acting as a buffer against anxiety and minimizing the experience of error. 385-392 Mar 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19291205 2009-11-04 00:53:01 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19291205 Psychological Science: A Journal of the American Psychological Society / APS 20 3 Psychol Sci DOI 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02305.x ISSN 1467-9280 book New York Oxford University Press Mann J. History Medicine, Traditional Pharmacology Traditional medicine Murder, Magic, and Medicine Rev. ed 2000 ISBN 0198507445 library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog RM300 .M1845 2000 journalArticle Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.) 12 4 J Altern Complement Med DOI 10.1089/acm.2006.12.351 ISSN 1075-5535 Shinnick Phillip Attitude to Health Breathing Exercises China Evidence-Based Medicine Humans Mind-Body Relations (Metaphysics) Qi Research Design Tai Ji United States Qigong: where did it come from? Where does it fit in science? What are the advances? 351-353 May 2006 Qigong http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/16722782 2009-11-02 18:11:25 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16722782 book Macon Mercer University Press Simmons Paul D. Faith and Health: Religion, Science, and Public Policy 2008 ISBN 0881460850 Faith and Health library.bu.edu Library Catalog journalArticle The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 196 1 J. Nerv. Ment. Dis DOI 10.1097/NMD.0b013e31815faa5f ISSN 1539-736X Nad Sanea Marcinko Darko Vuksan-Aeusa Bjanka Jakovljević Miro Jakovljevic Gordana Adaptation, Psychological Adult Case-Control Studies Catholicism Chronic Disease Combat Disorders Croatia Cross-Sectional Studies Culture Existentialism Humans Male Middle Aged Motivation Patient Acceptance of Health Care Personality Inventory Psychometrics Quality of Life Religion and Psychology risk factors Self Concept Spirituality Suicide, Attempted Veterans War Spiritual well-being, intrinsic religiosity, and suicidal behavior in predominantly Catholic Croatian war veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder: a case control study We investigated relationships between spiritual well-being (SWB), intrinsic religiosity (IR), and suicidal behavior in 45 Croatian war veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder and 32 healthy volunteers. Compared with the volunteers, the veterans had significantly lower SWB scores (p = 0.000) and existential well-being (EWB) scores (p = 0.000). Scores on the religious well-being (RWB) subscale (p = 0.108) and the IR scale did not differ significantly between the groups (p = 0.803). Veterans' suicidality inversely correlated with SWB (p = 0.000), EWB (p = 0.000), RWB (p = 0.026), and IR (p = 0.041), with the association being stronger for the EWB subscale than for the RWB subscale. Veterans who had attempted suicide at least once in their lifetime had significantly higher Suicidal Assessment Scale scores and lower EWB scores than veterans who never attempted suicide. Low EWB scores may imply an increased risk of suicidality. Some religious activities were more frequent among the veterans than among the healthy volunteers, possibly reflecting the veterans' increased help-seeking behavior due to poor EWB. 79-83 Jan 2008 Spiritual well-being, intrinsic religiosity, and suicidal behavior in predominantly Catholic Croatian war veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18195647 2009-11-13 23:29:00 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18195647 journalArticle Winter Laraine Dennis Marie P Parker Barbara African Americans Aged Aged, 80 and over Attitude to Death Cultural Characteristics Cultural Diversity Depression European Continental Ancestry Group Female Health Behavior Health Status Humans Life Support Care Male Middle Aged Patient Acceptance of Health Care Patient Satisfaction Philadelphia social support Spirituality Religiosity and preferences for life-prolonging medical treatments in African-American and white elders: a mediation study Research on end-of-life treatment preferences has documented robust racial differences, with African-Americans preferring more life-prolonging treatment than Whites. Although little research has attempted to explain these racial differences systematically, speculation has centered on religiosity. We examined a dimension of religiosity frequently invoked in end-of-life research-guidance by God's will-as a potential mediator of racial differences in such treatment preferences. Three hundred African-American and White men and women aged 60 or older participated in a 35-minute telephone interview that elicited preferences for four common life-prolonging treatments in each of nine health scenarios. The questionnaire included the five-item God's will (GW) scale, a health conditions checklist, a depression measure, and sociodemographic questions. GW mediated racial differences at least partially for most treatments and in most health scenarios. Implications are discussed for understanding end-of-life treatment preferences and why races tend to differ. 273-288 2007-2008 Religiosity and preferences for life-prolonging medical treatments in African-American and white elders http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18300651 2009-11-13 23:44:17 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18300651 Omega 56 3 Omega (Westport) ISSN 0030-2228 journalArticle Levin Jeff Complementary Therapies Evidence-Based Medicine Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Holistic Health Homeopathy Humans Medicine, Traditional Meditation Mind-Body Therapies Naturopathy Religion and Medicine Shamanism Spirituality Esoteric healing traditions: a conceptual overview This paper presents, for the first time, a comprehensive scholarly examination of the history and principles of major traditions of esoteric healing. After a brief conceptual overview of esoteric religion and healing, summaries are provided of eight major esoteric traditions, including descriptions of beliefs and practices related to health, healing, and medicine. These include what are termed the kabbalistic tradition, the mystery school tradition, the gnostic tradition, the brotherhoods tradition, the Eastern mystical tradition, the Western mystical tradition, the shamanic tradition, and the new age tradition. Next, commonalities across these traditions are summarized with respect to beliefs and practices related to anatomy and physiology; nosology and etiology; pathophysiology; and therapeutic modalities. Finally, the implications of this survey of esoteric healing are discussed for clinicians, biomedical researchers, and medical educators. 101-112 2008 Mar-Apr Esoteric healing traditions http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18316053 2009-11-13 23:46:30 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18316053 Explore (New York, N.Y.) 4 2 Explore (NY) DOI 10.1016/j.explore.2007.12.003 ISSN 1550-8307 journalArticle Holt Cheryl L Lukwago Susan N Kreuter Matthew W Adult African Continental Ancestry Group Attitude to Health Breast Neoplasms Female Health Behavior Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Humans Internal-External Control Mammography Middle Aged Missouri Religion and Medicine Spirituality Spirituality, breast cancer beliefs and mammography utilization among urban African American women Spirituality has been shown to be associated with health, and is an important component in the lives of many African Americans. Recent research proposes that spirituality is a multidimensional construct. The present study proposes a two-dimensional model in which spirituality encompasses a belief and behavioral dimension. This hypothesis was examined, as were relationships between these dimensions and spiritual health locus of control, breast cancer beliefs and mammography utilization among African American women. The belief dimension played a more important role in adaptive breast cancer beliefs and mammography utilization that did the behavioral dimension. These findings suggest the importance of spiritual belief systems for health, and implications for spiritual cancer communication interventions are discussed. 383-396 May 2003 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14670216 2009-11-13 17:40:17 NCBI PubMed PMID: 14670216 Journal of Health Psychology 8 3 J Health Psychol DOI 10.1177/13591053030083008 ISSN 1359-1053 journalArticle Am. J. Epidemiol. 116 2 GARDNER JOHN W. LYON JOSEPH L. Cancer in Utah Mormon Men by Church Activity Level In light of iow cancer rates in Mormons which may be due to specific heaith practices advocated by the Mormon Church, this study classifies female Mormon cancer patients in Utah according to measures of adherence to Church doctrines. The distribution by Church activity level is compared for each site to a group of other cancer sites felt to represent the overall activity level distribution of Utah Mormon women. Mormon women classified as having the strongest adherence to Church doctrines had lung cancer rates during 1966-1970 much lower than did women with the weakest adherence. The relationship was not as strong, however, as that seen in Mormon men when classified by lay priesthood office. Cancer of the uterine cervix also showed lower rates in the more active groups, but this finding was not statistically significant. Cancers of the breast and ovary did not show consistent associations with Church activity level, nor did most of the gastrointestinal cancers. These data suggest that some of the differences in cancer incidence between Mormons and non-Mormons may not be explained by adherence to specific Church doctrines. 258-265 August 1, 1982 http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/116/2/258 2009-10-30 19:35:18 HighWire book [San Francisco Calif.] HarperSanFrancisco Dossey Larry Healing words : the power of prayer and the practice of medicine 1st ed. 1993 ISBN 9780062502513 Healing words Open WorldCat journalArticle Mebrouk Jette Data Collection Female Humans Islam Male Nurse-Patient Relations Nurses Nursing Saudi Arabia Terminal Care Perception of nursing care: views of Saudi Arabian female nurses 'Values are principles and standards that have meaning and worth to an individual, family, group, or community' (Purnell & Paulanka 1998: p.3). Values are central to the care provided by nurses. The provision of nursing care within the context of value clarification, has been explored from various perspectives, however, as values vary within cultures, there is a limited range of studies reflecting on Saudi Arabian nurses' perspectives of nursing care. Through a Heideggerian phenomenological research design, six nurses were enrolled through purposive sampling. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews, which were audio tape-recorded, were chosen as the methods of data collection. A seven stage framework approach was applied to analyse and organise the research findings in three conceptual themes: values in context of Islam, the nurse-patient relationship, and identity's influence on being in the world of nursing. The findings of the research indicate that values in nursing and the perception of care are closely linked to the Islamic values of the informants. However, one of the most challenging aspects emerging from this study is related to these nurses' experiences related to the public's negative perception of nursing as a profession for Saudi Arabian women. 149-161 Apr 2008 Perception of nursing care http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/18844568 2009-11-02 18:21:14 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18844568 Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession 28 1-2 Contemp Nurse ISSN 1037-6178 book Chicago University of Chicago Press Winter Alison Mesmerized : powers of mind in Victorian Britain 1998 ISBN 9780226902197 Mesmerized Open WorldCat book The Guilford Press Lilienfeld Scott O. Lynn Steven Jay Lohr Jeffrey M. Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology 2004-07-26 ISBN 1593850700 Amazon.com journalArticle Transcultural Psychiatry 42 1 Transcult Psychiatry ISSN 1363-4615 Hufford David J Affect Culture Humans Psychological Theory Sleep Paralysis Spirituality Sleep paralysis as spiritual experience This article presents an overview of the sleep paralysis experience from both a cultural and a historical perspective. The robust, complex phenomenological pattern that represents the subjective experience of sleep paralysis is documented and illustrated. Examples are given showing that, for a majority of subjects, sleep paralysis is taken to be a kind of spiritual experience. This is, in part, because of the very common perception of a non-physical 'threatening presence' that is part of the event. Examples from various cultures, including mainstream contemporary America which has no widely known tradition about sleep paralysis, are used to show that the complex pattern and spiritual interpretation are not dependent on cultural models or prior learning. This is dramatically contrary to conventional explanations of apparently 'direct' spiritual experiences, explanations that are summed up as the 'Cultural Source Hypothesis.' This aspect of sleep paralysis was not recognized through most of the twentieth century. The article examines the way that conventional modern views of spiritual experience, combined with medical ideas that labeled 'direct' spiritual experiences as psychopathological, and mainstream religious views of such experiences as heretical if not pathological, suppressed the report and discussion of these experiences in modern society. These views have resulted in confusion in the scientific literature on sleep paralysis with regard to its prevalence and core features. The article also places sleep paralysis in the context of other 'direct' spiritual experiences and offers an 'Experiential Theory' of cross-culturally distributed spiritual experiences. 11-45 Mar 2005 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/15881267 2009-10-09 21:30:11 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15881267 journalArticle Explore (New York, N.Y.) 4 2 Explore (NY) DOI 10.1016/j.explore.2007.12.003 ISSN 1550-8307 Levin Jeff Complementary Therapies Evidence-Based Medicine Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Holistic Health Homeopathy Humans Medicine, Traditional Meditation Mind-Body Therapies Naturopathy Religion and Medicine Shamanism Spirituality Esoteric healing traditions: a conceptual overview This paper presents, for the first time, a comprehensive scholarly examination of the history and principles of major traditions of esoteric healing. After a brief conceptual overview of esoteric religion and healing, summaries are provided of eight major esoteric traditions, including descriptions of beliefs and practices related to health, healing, and medicine. These include what are termed the kabbalistic tradition, the mystery school tradition, the gnostic tradition, the brotherhoods tradition, the Eastern mystical tradition, the Western mystical tradition, the shamanic tradition, and the new age tradition. Next, commonalities across these traditions are summarized with respect to beliefs and practices related to anatomy and physiology; nosology and etiology; pathophysiology; and therapeutic modalities. Finally, the implications of this survey of esoteric healing are discussed for clinicians, biomedical researchers, and medical educators. 101-112 2008 Mar-Apr Esoteric healing traditions http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18316053 2009-11-13 23:46:30 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18316053 book Grand Rapids, Mich Chosen Books Pearson Mark A Health Religious aspects Spiritual healing Christian Healing: A Practical and Comprehensive Guide 2nd ed 1995 ISBN 0800792211 Christian Healing library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog BT732.5 .P415 1995 journalArticle De Maio Domenico History, Medieval Islam Pharmacology Psychiatry Religion and Medicine Psychiatric therapy and pharmacology in medieval Islam Although psychiatric therapy and pharmacology in Medieval Islam are based on the ancient Greek tradition, the original Arabic contribution in the introduction and employment of new substances is undeniable. Another important aspect which received a decisive impetus by Arab physicians was the concept of psychical therapy. 39-68 2002 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/12747380 2009-11-02 18:44:16 NCBI PubMed PMID: 12747380 Medicina Nei Secoli 14 1 Med Secoli ISSN 0394-9001 book New York J. Wiley Levin Jeffrey God, faith, and health : exploring the spirituality-healing connection 2001 ISBN 9780471355038 journalArticle Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1172 Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci DOI 10.1196/annals.1393.002 ISSN 1749-6632 Xiong Glen L Doraiswamy P Murali Brain Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Clinical Trials as Topic Cognition Electroencephalography Humans Meditation Meta-Analysis as Topic Models, Biological Neurodegenerative Diseases Neuronal Plasticity Does meditation enhance cognition and brain plasticity? Meditation practices have various health benefits including the possibility of preserving cognition and preventing dementia. While the mechanisms remain investigational, studies show that meditation may affect multiple pathways that could play a role in brain aging and mental fitness. For example, meditation may reduce stress-induced cortisol secretion and this could have neuroprotective effects potentially via elevating levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Meditation may also potentially have beneficial effects on lipid profiles and lower oxidative stress, both of which could in turn reduce the risk for cerebrovascular disease and age-related neurodegeneration. Further, meditation may potentially strengthen neuronal circuits and enhance cognitive reserve capacity. These are the theoretical bases for how meditation might enhance longevity and optimal health. Evidence to support a neuroprotective effect comes from cognitive, electroencephalogram (EEG), and structural neuroimaging studies. In one cross-sectional study, meditation practitioners were found to have a lower age-related decline in thickness of specific cortical regions. However, the enthusiasm must be balanced by the inconsistency and preliminary nature of existing studies as well as the fact that meditation comprises a heterogeneous group of practices. Key future challenges include the isolation of a potential common element in the different meditation modalities, replication of existing findings in larger randomized trials, determining the correct "dose," studying whether findings from expert practitioners are generalizable to a wider population, and better control of the confounding genetic, dietary and lifestyle influences. 63-69 Aug 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19743551 2009-09-26 19:40:12 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19743551 book Comparative studies of health systems and medical care Berkeley, CA University of California Press Laderman Carol Kampong Merchang (Terengganu) Malays (Asian people) Medicine Religion Shamanism Social life and customs Terengganu Traditional medicine Taming the Wind of Desire: Psychology, Medicine, and Aesthetics in Malay Shamanistic Performance 1991 ISBN 0520069161 Taming the Wind of Desire library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog DS595 .L33 1991 journalArticle Ross Linda Attitude of Health Personnel Attitude to Health Codes of Ethics Forecasting Health Services Needs and Demand Humans Nurses Nurse's Role Nursing Assessment Nursing Care Nursing Research Philosophy, Nursing Practice Guidelines as Topic Research Design Spirituality Spiritual care in nursing: an overview of the research to date AIMS: The paper gives an overview of nursing research papers published on spiritual care between 1983 and October 2005. It also provides pointers for the future direction of research in this emerging field. BACKGROUND: Spiritual care of patients/clients is expected of nurses and is reflected in nursing codes of ethics, nurse education guidelines, policy documents and nursing guidance. Recent years have seen a proliferation in nursing research in this area, particularly in the UK and North America, and now in other European countries. It seemed timely, therefore, to review this published research. METHOD: Included in the review were 47 original published nursing research papers identified from a CINAHL search and from a collection held by the author since 1983. Papers were sorted into five categories, a template to aid reviewing was produced and a short summary and critique of each paper was written. CONCLUSIONS: Research on spirituality and health needs to move forward in a systematic and co-ordinated way. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Hopefully, the research summarized in this paper will be useful to clinicians and nurse educators as they strive to incorporate spiritual care within their practice. In turn patients/clients and their families should benefit from care which is more holistic and addresses their deepest concerns and needs. 852-862 Jul 2006 Spiritual care in nursing http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16879378 2009-11-13 21:46:21 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16879378 Journal of Clinical Nursing 15 7 J Clin Nurs DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01617.x ISSN 0962-1067 journalArticle Harris Sam Kaplan Jonas T Curiel Ashley Bookheimer Susan Y Iacoboni Marco Cohen Mark S The neural correlates of religious and nonreligious belief BACKGROUND: While religious faith remains one of the most significant features of human life, little is known about its relationship to ordinary belief at the level of the brain. Nor is it known whether religious believers and nonbelievers differ in how they evaluate statements of fact. Our lab previously has used functional neuroimaging to study belief as a general mode of cognition [1], and others have looked specifically at religious belief [2]. However, no research has compared these two states of mind directly. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure signal changes in the brains of thirty subjects-fifteen committed Christians and fifteen nonbelievers-as they evaluated the truth and falsity of religious and nonreligious propositions. For both groups, and in both categories of stimuli, belief (judgments of "true" vs judgments of "false") was associated with greater signal in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, an area important for self-representation [3], [4], [5], [6], emotional associations [7], reward [8], [9], [10], and goal-driven behavior [11]. This region showed greater signal whether subjects believed statements about God, the Virgin Birth, etc. or statements about ordinary facts. A comparison of both stimulus categories suggests that religious thinking is more associated with brain regions that govern emotion, self-representation, and cognitive conflict, while thinking about ordinary facts is more reliant upon memory retrieval networks. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: While religious and nonreligious thinking differentially engage broad regions of the frontal, parietal, and medial temporal lobes, the difference between belief and disbelief appears to be content-independent. Our study compares religious thinking with ordinary cognition and, as such, constitutes a step toward developing a neuropsychology of religion. However, these findings may also further our understanding of how the brain accepts statements of all kinds to be valid descriptions of the world. e0007272 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19794914 2009-11-04 00:51:43 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19794914 PloS One 4 10 PLoS ONE DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0007272 ISSN 1932-6203 journalArticle Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 15 3 Altern Ther Health Med ISSN 1078-6791 Tsubono Kenjiro Thomlinson Paul Shealy C Norman Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Chronic Disease Double-Blind Method Female Humans Male Meditation Middle Aged Pain Pain Measurement Spiritual Therapies The effects of distant healing performed by a spiritual healer on chronic pain: a randomized controlled trial CONTEXT: Many individuals suffer from various kinds of chronic pain. Some controlled studies on distant healing for chronic pain exist, but no definitive conclusion has been established. OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of distant healing performed by a professional Japanese healer on chronic pain. DESIGN: A double-blind randomized controlled study. SETTING: Holos University, Fair Grove, Missouri. SUBJECTS: People suffering from chronic pain (not caused by clear organic diseases or that persists long after a reasonable period of healing following injuries or surgery) were recruited through local radio and newspaper advertising. Subjects were randomly assigned to a treatment group or control group using a double-blind procedure. INTERVENTIONS: All subjects met the healer at the initial session at Holos University. At the session, a 20-minute group meditation was performed. The healer went back to Japan after the session and started distant healing only to the treatment group for a 2-month period. All participants were asked to meditate for 20 minutes every day during this 2-month period. OUTCOME MEASURES: The visual analog scale and McGill Pain Questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 17 subjects were recruited, and 16 subjects completed the study. Comparison of pretreatment and posttreatment visual analog scale indicated a slightly significant effect of distant healing (P=.056). The Present Pain Intensity Scale showed significant improvement in the treatment group compared to the control group (P=.0016). The Pain Rating Index showed improvement in the treatment group, but the difference between both groups was not statistically significant (P=.12). 30-34 2009 May-Jun The effects of distant healing performed by a spiritual healer on chronic pain http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19472862 2009-09-15 04:38:47 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19472862 journalArticle Social Science & Medicine (1982) 62 11 Soc Sci Med DOI 10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.11.008 ISSN 0277-9536 Maselko Joanna Kubzansky Laura D Adult Female Health Status Health Surveys Humans Male Middle Aged Personal Satisfaction Religion Sex Factors Spirituality Stress, Psychological United States Gender differences in religious practices, spiritual experiences and health: results from the US General Social Survey Even though a majority of Americans report having spiritual/religious beliefs, the role of different dimensions of spirituality/religiosity in health is not well understood. Moreover, given that the experience of spirituality/religiosity differs for men and women, it is possible that the strength of the association between spirituality/religiosity and health may also differ by gender. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between spirituality/religiosity and three markers of health and well-being, and any gender differences in these relationships. First, we test the hypothesis that engagement with formal religious institutions (i.e. public religious activity) will be more beneficial for men than for women and we examine the role of denominational affiliation in any observed differences. Second, we directly compare effects of three different kinds of religious activities (public and private religious activity and spiritual experience) on health and well-being. Data are from the 1998 US General Social Survey, a nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized adults. Participants were asked about the frequency of engaging in public and private religious activities and having spiritual experiences. Psychological distress, happiness and self-rated health were used as indicators of health and well-being. Results suggest that weekly public religious activity was significantly associated with better health and well-being. Furthermore, this relationship was stronger for men than women and was influenced by denominational affiliation. When public religious activity, private religious activity and spiritual experiences were considered simultaneously, public religious activity emerged as the most consistent predictor of health and well-being among men. Among women, both public religious activity and spiritual experiences maintained an independent association with the health and well-being. These results suggest that it may not be appropriate to generalize findings about the relationship between spirituality/religiosity and health from one form of spirituality/religiosity to another, across denominations, or to assume effects are uniform for men and women. 2848-2860 Jun 2006 Gender differences in religious practices, spiritual experiences and health http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16359765 2009-11-13 20:31:42 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16359765 journalArticle Journal of Religion and Health 47 3 J Relig Health DOI 10.1007/s10943-008-9169-y ISSN 1573-6571 Boyd Jeffrey H Cognition Empathy Humans Internal-External Control Models, Theoretical Psychotherapy Religion and Medicine Self Psychology Spirituality Have we found the holy grail? Theory of mind as a unifying construct Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to a person's ability to understand that another person has his or her own unique way of thinking and feeling. ToM is a well-known and rapidly expanding field of research in the neurosciences, cognitive, social sciences, evolution, and brain imaging. This review article expands ToM into areas where there has not yet been research. We propose that ToM could illuminate the relationship between religion/spirituality and health, and could provide the lingua franca for the hundreds of schools of psychotherapy. We discern two different kinds of spirituality: personal versus impersonal. Empathy is central to ToM research and is also central to mental health training and practice. ToM illuminates familiar topics in a new light. For example ToM reveals a close link between psychology and spirituality in self-efficacy and locus of control research. 366-385 Sep 2008 Have we found the holy grail? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19105026 2009-11-14 00:44:51 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19105026 journalArticle Zysk Kenneth G. Medicine, Ayurvedic The Science of Respiration and the Doctrine of the Bodily Winds in Ancient India The following historical and philological study traces the science of respiration and the doctrine of the bodily winds through ancient Indian religious and technical literature. Basic notions about respiration and bodily winds appear in the literature of the vedic saṃhitās and brāhmaṇas. By the end of the principal upaniṣads these early ideas begin to be codified into two separate systems. One, emphasizing a physiology of bodily winds, reaches its traditional formulation in the classical medical literature of Āyurveda, the other, focusing on respiration, attains its classical formulation in Yoga. The two unite later, when Yoga integrates medical theory into its science of respiration. Asceticism is the common thread connecting the various stages in the development of respiration and bodily winds. 198-213 Apr. - Jun., 1993 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/603025 2009-10-13 03:20:31 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Apr. - Jun., 1993 / Copyright © 1993 American Oriental Society Journal of the American Oriental Society 113 2 ISSN 00030279 journalArticle Review of Religious Research 31 1 ISSN 0034673X Johnson Doyle Paul Mullins Larry C. Subjective and Social Dimensions of Religiosity and Loneliness among the Well Elderly This paper investigates the relationship between different dimensions of religiosity and loneliness among older persons with controls introduced for social contacts, satisfaction with social contacts, and depression. Data were obtained through interviews with 131 residents of a 199-unit high-rise apartment facility for low-income older persons. The results of the regression analysis showed that the social dimension of religiosity was significantly related to low levels of loneliness as hypothesized, but the subjective dimension was not, even though the direction was as hypothesized. These relationships were maintained when the social contact variables were included in the regression equations, even though in some cases these variables also had effects on loneliness. In contrast, the relationship between depression and loneliness was so strong that it obscured the religiosity-loneliness relationship. Several implications are suggested from these findings. 3-15 Sep., 1989 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/3511019 2009-09-25 16:05:45 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Sep., 1989 / Copyright © 1989 Religious Research Association, Inc. journalArticle Bowie Janice Sydnor Kim Dobson Granot Michal Adaptation, Psychological Aged Humans Male Middle Aged Physician-Patient Relations Pilot Projects Prostatic Neoplasms Spirituality Spirituality and care of prostate cancer patients: a pilot study PURPOSE: To explore the integration of spirituality into medical care for African-American men coping with prostate cancer. PROCEDURES: A total of 14 African-American prostate cancer patients completed a self-administered quantitative survey examining the dimension of spirituality as a resource for coping. FINDINGS: A high proportion of survivors reported a general religious orientation as expressed through church affiliation and frequent church attendance. A majority (67%) had spoken with their doctors about their spiritual and religious beliefs and more than half the physicians had solicited their patients' spiritual beliefs as part of their handling of prostate cancer. While one-third of the men reported their doctors had been in contact with their clergy, two-thirds would like their doctor and clergy to be in contact with one another. CONCLUSIONS: This is a pilot study that incorporated both qualitative and quantitative data collection but with the small sample, has limited generalizability. However, this work does suggest that integrating spirituality and religion into medical care may be beneficial to prostate cancer patients. Physicians and physician organizations should engage in future research in this area. 951-954 Oct 2003 Spirituality and care of prostate cancer patients http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14620707 2009-11-13 04:31:57 NCBI PubMed PMID: 14620707 Journal of the National Medical Association 95 10 J Natl Med Assoc ISSN 0027-9684 journalArticle Sutton Geoffrey Electric Medicine and Mesmerism 375-392 Sep., 1981 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/230256 2009-11-10 06:31:02 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Sep., 1981 / Copyright © 1981 The History of Science Society Isis 72 3 ISSN 00211753 journalArticle Kremer H Ironson G Kaplan L Adaptation, Psychological Adult Attitude to Health Female HIV Infections Humans Life Change Events Male Quality of Life Spirituality Stress, Psychological The fork in the road: HIV as a potential positive turning point and the role of spirituality We interviewed 147 HIV-positive people regarding their key life-changing experiences - involving profound changes in attitudes, behaviors, beliefs (including spiritual beliefs), or self-views - to determine the prominence of HIV as the key positive/negative turning point. HIV was the key turning point, for 37% (26% positive, 11% negative), whereas for 63% of our sample it was not. Characteristics associated with perceiving HIV as the most positive turning point included having a near-death experience from HIV, increasing spirituality after HIV diagnosis, and feeling chosen by a Higher Powerto have HIV. Notably, perceived antecedents of viewing HIV as the key positive turning point were hitting rock bottom and calling on a Higher Power. Conversely, viewing HIV as the most negative turning point was associated with declining spirituality after diagnosis. Spirituality can both negatively and positively affect coping with HIV. Promoting positive spiritual coping may offer new counseling approaches. Further, for the majority of the participants, HIV is not the key turning point, which may be an indicator of the normalization of HIV with the advent of effective treatment. 368-377 Mar 2009 The fork in the road http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19280412 2009-11-14 00:55:47 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19280412 AIDS Care 21 3 AIDS Care DOI 10.1080/09540120802183479 ISSN 1360-0451 journalArticle Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 38 5 Indian J. Exp. Biol ISSN 0019-5189 Tripathi Y B Alzheimer Disease Arteriosclerosis Free Radicals Humans Medicine, Ayurvedic Models, Biological Molecular Biology Molecular approach to ayurveda In ayurvedic system of medicine, it is considered that a living system is made of panch-mahabuta, in the form of Vata, pitta and kapha at the physical level and satwa, raja and tama at the mental level. This covers the psychosomatic constitution and commonly known as the Tridosh theory. The imbalance in these body humours is the basic cause of any type of disease manifestation. Till date, several objective parameters have been proposed to monitor the level of these basic humours but none of them is complete. In this exercise, now it is proposed to consider free radical theory of diseases as one of the objective parameters. To be more specific, vata can be monitored in terms of membrane bound signal transduction, pitta as the process of phosphorylation and de-phosphorylation of different proteins (signalling moieties and enzymes) and kapha can be viewed as the degree of gene expression as protein synthesis. This can be correlated with the ojas of the body or total body defence mechanism. 409-414 May 2000 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/11272402 2009-11-02 07:40:42 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11272402 journalArticle Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 1 3 Altern Ther Health Med ISSN 1078-6791 Lad V Humans Medicine, Ayurvedic An introduction to Ayurveda Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word derived from two roots: ayur, which means life, and veda, knowledge. Knowledge arranged systematically with logic becomes science. During the due course of time, Ayurveda became the science of life. It has its root in ancient vedic literature and encompasses our entire life, the body, mind, and spirit. 57-63 Jul 1995 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/9419799 2009-11-02 07:45:22 NCBI PubMed PMID: 9419799 journalArticle Berntson Gary G Norman Greg J Hawkley Louise C Cacioppo John T Aged Aging Arousal Autonomic Nervous System Electrocardiography Female Fourier Analysis Heart Heart Rate Humans Longitudinal Studies Male Middle Aged Personality Inventory Religion and Psychology Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted Spirituality Spirituality and autonomic cardiac control BACKGROUND: Spirituality has been suggested to be associated with positive health, but potential biological mediators have not been well characterized. PURPOSE AND METHODS: The present study examined, in a population-based sample of middle-aged and older adults, the potential relationship between spirituality and patterns of cardiac autonomic control, which may have health significance. Measures of parasympathetic (high-frequency heart rate variability) and sympathetic (pre-ejection period) cardiac control were obtained from a representative sample of 229 participants. Participants completed questionnaires to assess spirituality (closeness to and satisfactory relationship with God). Personality, demographic, anthropometric, health behavior, and health status information was also obtained. A series of hierarchical regression models was used to examine the relations between spirituality, the autonomic measures, and two derived indexes--cardiac autonomic balance (CAB, reflecting parasympathetic to sympathetic balance) and cardiac autonomic regulation (CAR, reflecting total autonomic control). RESULTS: Spirituality, net of demographics, or other variables were found to be associated with enhanced parasympathetic as well as sympathetic cardiac control (yielding a higher CAR) but was not associated with CAB. Although the number of cases was small (N = 11), both spirituality and CAR were significant negative predictors of the prior occurrence of a myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: In a population-based sample, spirituality appears to be associated with a specific pattern of CAR, characterized by a high level of cardiac autonomic control, irrespective of the relative contribution of the two autonomic branches. This pattern of autonomic control may have health significance. 198-208 Apr 2008 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18357497 2009-11-13 23:49:11 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18357497 Annals of Behavioral Medicine: A Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine 35 2 Ann Behav Med DOI 10.1007/s12160-008-9027-x ISSN 1532-4796 journalArticle Scheurich Neil Education, Medical Humans Physician-Patient Relations Religion and Medicine Social Values Spirituality United States Reconsidering spirituality and medicine Increasing awareness of possible links between religion and health has led to greater attention to spirituality and medicine in medical education; both trends have culminated in vigorous debate about the place of spirituality and related values in medical care. The author argues that due to basic ambiguities of the term "spirituality" as well as prevailing biases of both patients and practitioners, this debate risks valorizing theistic religious views, a trend that would be to the detriment of physicians, residents, and students who happen to be non-believers or adherents of minority faiths. It is maintained that philosophical value theory, a broad inquiry into value and meaning that is carefully neutral as regards religious matters, provides the greatest possible protection of both secular and non-secular world views. A notion of "separation of church and medicine," similar in some ways to the well-known political model, is proposed. Because so many issues of meaning and value may be relevant to health, vigilance is required to properly delineate the purview of medicine. The author concludes by proposing that a medicine that neither exalts nor demeans religious belief but rather situates the latter among the countless values persons may hold should be the goal. 356-360 Apr 2003 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/12691963 2009-10-09 17:13:32 NCBI PubMed PMID: 12691963 Academic Medicine: Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 78 4 Acad Med ISSN 1040-2446 journalArticle Qiu R Z Beneficence Confucianism Ethical Theory Ethics, Medical History, Medieval History, Modern 1601- Human Characteristics Humanism Intention Medicine, Chinese Traditional Moral Obligations Paternalism Religious Philosophies Trust Value of Life Virtues Medicine--the art of humaneness: on ethics of traditional Chinese medicine This essay discusses the ethics of traditional Chinese medicine. After a brief remark on the history of traditional Chinese medical ethics, the author outlines the Confucian ethics which formed the cultural context in which traditional Chinese medicine was evolving and constituted the core of its ethics. Then he argued that how Chinese physicians applied the principles of Confucian ethics in medicine and prescribed the attitude a physician should take to himself, to patients and to his colleagues. In the last part of the essay he discusses the characteristics of traditional Chinese medical ethics. 277-299 Aug 1988 Medicine--the art of humaneness http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/3058852 2009-11-03 06:19:58 NCBI PubMed PMID: 3058852 The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 13 3 J Med Philos ISSN 0360-5310 journalArticle Edmondson Donald Park Crystal L Blank Thomas O Fenster Juliane R Mills Mary Alice Adult Existentialism Female Humans Male Middle Aged Neoplasms Quality of Life Questionnaires Spirituality Survivors Deconstructing spiritual well-being: existential well-being and HRQOL in cancer survivors We demonstrate the utility of partitioning the spiritual well-being (SpWB) construct into spiritual and religious components using results from a study of the relationship of existential well-being to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a sample of 237 cancer survivors. Existential and religious well-being were measured using the FACIT-Sp-12 and HRQOL was measured using the mental and physical component scores of the SF-12. In hierarchical linear regression analyses, existential well-being fully mediated religious well-being's effect on HRQOL and explained unique variance in both the mental and physical HRQOL domains, controlling for demographic, disease, and psychosocial variables previously shown to impact HRQOL. Religious well-being was not predictive of HRQOL. 161-169 Feb 2008 Deconstructing spiritual well-being http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17506077 2009-11-13 22:43:37 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17506077 Psycho-Oncology 17 2 Psychooncology DOI 10.1002/pon.1197 ISSN 1057-9249 journalArticle Jones Rex L. Shamanism in South Asia: A Preliminary Survey 330-347 May, 1968 Shamanism in South Asia http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/1061796 2009-11-09 04:50:35 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: May, 1968 / Copyright © 1968 The University of Chicago Press History of Religions 7 4 ISSN 00182710 book Grand Rapids Mich. Zondervan Koop C Let's talk : an honest conversation on critical issues : abortion, euthanasia, AIDS, health care 1992 ISBN 9780310597810 Let's talk Open WorldCat book Ibadan, Nigeria Stirling-Horden Jegede Ayodele Samuel Attitude to Health Community Health Services Ethnology Health attitudes Health Behavior Immunization of children Medical care Nigeria Social life and customs Traditional medicine African Culture and Health 1998 ISBN 9782063525 library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog RA418.3.N6 J445 1998 journalArticle Greyson B Adult Affect Aged Attitude to Death Awareness Female Humans Illusions Male Middle Aged Parapsychology Reality Testing Varieties of near-death experience Near-death experiences are profound subjective events frequently reported by individuals who have come close to death. They are of importance to mental health professionals, not only because they often happen to patients under our care, but because they have been reported to produce widespread and long-lasting changes in values, beliefs, and behavior that dramatically affect the experiencers' attitudes toward living and dying (Bates and Stanley 1985; Bauer 1985; Flynn 1982; Greyson 1983b; Noyes 1980; Ring 1984). Several studies, including surveys of recently resuscitated hospitalized patients (Ring 1980; Sabom 1982) and a nationwide poll of the general population (Gallup and Proctor 1982) have estimated that near-death experiences are reported by 30%-40% of individuals who come close to death, or about 5% of the adult American population. 390-399 Nov 1993 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/8295976 2009-10-09 20:13:29 NCBI PubMed PMID: 8295976 Psychiatry 56 4 Psychiatry ISSN 0033-2747 journalArticle Marrone R Caregivers Death Family Grief Hospice Care Humans Religion and Psychology Self Assessment (Psychology) Thanatology Dying, mourning, and spirituality: a psychological perspective Based in an unfortunate tradition that stretches back in time to Watson's behaviorism and Freud's psychoanalysis, psychology has tended to reject and to pathologize matters of the spirit. In the past 30 years, however, with the advent of what has been termed the cognitive revolution, psychology has greatly expanded the scope of its subject matter. Psychologists and thanatologists have begun to unravel the cognitive underpinnings of our assumptive world and the transformation of those underpinnings in times of crisis and stress. This article examines the cognitive basis of the spiritual experience and the use of cognitive assimilation, accommodation strategies during the process of mourning the death of a loved one, as well as during the process of living our own dying. Of special importance to mental health professionals and clergy, new research on dying, mourning, and spirituality suggests that the specific ways in which people rediscover meaning--such as belief in traditional religious doctrine, the afterlife, reincarnation, philanthropy, or a spiritual order to the universe--may be less important than the process itself. In other words, in the midst of dealing with profound loss in our lives, the ability to reascribe meaning to a changed world through spiritual transformation, religious conversion, or existential change may be more significant than the specific content by which that need is filled. 495-519 Sep 1999 Dying, mourning, and spirituality http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10558611 2009-11-13 01:33:15 NCBI PubMed PMID: 10558611 Death Studies 23 6 Death Stud ISSN 0748-1187 book New Brunswick Rutgers University Press McGuire Meredith Ritual healing in suburban America 1988 ISBN 9780813513126 Open WorldCat journalArticle Social Science & Medicine (1982) 17 10 Soc Sci Med ISSN 0277-9536 Kotarba J A Adaptation, Psychological Attitude to Death Chronic Disease Humans Pain Suicide Perceptions of death, belief systems and the process of coping with chronic pain Chronic pain is an on-going experience of embodied discomfort, quite often associated with neuromuscular pathologies, which fails either to heal naturally or to respond to normal medical intervention. The process of coping with chronic pain most commonly involves both the search for medical or non-medical cure, and the search for meaning for intractable suffering. In this paper, I survey various religious, philosophical and mystical belief systems and their empirical use as resources for meaning. The great variability in the ways ideas of death, the key elements extracted from belief systems during the process of coping, are used reflects the variable success in normalizing chronic pain. Theoretically, this paper adds an important dimension to the concept of the chronic illness trajectory, namely, the issue of inevitability, and discusses clinical and non-clinical aspects of depression among people with chronic pain. 681-689 1983 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6879229 2009-10-17 19:44:07 NCBI PubMed PMID: 6879229 journalArticle Thomson J E Commerce Cost Savings Female Hospices Hospital Costs Humans Male Neoplasms Pastoral Care Quality of Life The place of spiritual well-being in hospice patients' overall quality of life There is an increasing awareness of, and interest in the relationship between spirituality and health. This research examines spiritual well-being as one of six components of hospice patients' overall quality of life. Patients admitted over a four-month period were surveyed, using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy scale (FACT-G), at admission, one month later, three months later, and six months later. Data showed spiritual well-being to be an important contributor to overall quality of life. The article concludes by advocating that providing spiritual care to hospice patients makes good business sense. 13-27 2000 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11271157 2009-11-13 01:55:21 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11271157 The Hospice Journal 15 2 Hosp J ISSN 0742-969X journalArticle Medscape General Medicine 9 1 MedGenMed. Gaudia Gil About Intercessory Prayer: The Scientific Study of Miracles 56 2007 About Intercessory Prayer http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1924985 2009-10-09 18:52:26 PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1924985 journalArticle Brooks Robert G Koenig Harold G Cooperative Behavior Government Programs Health Education Health Services Humans Liability, Legal Public Health Religion and Psychology Spirituality United States Crossing the secular divide: government and faith-based organizations as partners in health Recent debate over the relationship between government and faith-based organizations has renewed interest in the opportunities and challenges that are associated with change in this area of health care policy. Experience exists already that faith-based organizations can provide effective health education and services in the community. Limited infrastructure and liability are among the important barriers to their expansion. Spurred by the demographics of an aging population and increasing health care costs, we argue the necessity of further partnering, within well-defined limits, to maximize the availability of health care education and services throughout this nation. 223-234 2002 Crossing the secular divide http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12489698 2009-11-13 04:02:13 NCBI PubMed PMID: 12489698 International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine 32 3 Int J Psychiatry Med ISSN 0091-2174 journalArticle Schoenbeck S B Adaptation, Psychological Adult Aged Attitude to Death Child Female Hallucinations Humans Male Nursing Staff Patient Care Planning Religion and Medicine Religion and Psychology Spiritualism Terminal Care Exploring the mystery of near-death experiences 42-46 May 1993 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/8488901 2009-10-09 20:15:57 NCBI PubMed PMID: 8488901 The American Journal of Nursing 93 5 Am J Nurs ISSN 0002-936X journalArticle Chattopadhyay S India Religion, spirituality, health and medicine: Why should Indian physicians care? Religion, spirituality, health and medicine have common roots in the conceptual framework of relationship amongst human beings, nature and God. Of late, there has been a surge in interest in understanding the interplay of religion, spirituality, health and medicine, both in popular and scientific literature. A number of published empirical studies suggest that religious involvement is associated with better outcomes in physical and mental health. Despite some methodological limitations, these studies do point towards a positive association between religious involvement and better health. When faced with disease, disability and death, many patients would like physicians to address their emotional and spiritual needs, as well. The renewed interest in the interaction of religion and spirituality with health and medicine has significant implications in the Indian context. Although religion is translated as dharma in major Indian languages, dharma and religion are etymologically different and dharma is closer to spirituality than religion as an organized institution. Religion and spirituality play important roles in the lives of millions of Indians and therefore, Indian physicians need to respectfully acknowledge religious issues and address the spiritual needs of their patients. Incorporating religion and spirituality into health and medicine may also go a long way in making the practice of medicine more holistic, ethical and compassionate. It may also offer new opportunities to learn more about Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine and have more enriched understanding and collaborative interaction between different systems of medicine. Indian physicians may also find religion and spirituality significant and fulfilling in their own lives. 262 2007 http://www.jpgmonline.com/text.asp?2007/53/4/262/33967 Journal of Postgraduate Medicine 53 4 J Postgrad Med DOI 10.4103/0022-3859.33967 ISSN 0022-3859 journalArticle Review of Religious Research 24 1 Currie Raymond Intimacy and saliency: dimensions for ordering religious experiences Rodney Stark proposed a taxonomy of religious experiences based on the degree of intimacy between the human actor and the divine. Those who report higher order experiences on the dimension of intimacy should also report lower order experiences. A logical extension of the taxonomy would suggest that the higher order, more intimate experiences should also be more salient to the individuals. A test of these two hypotheses was conducted on a city-wide random sample of young adults, 15 to 24 years of age. There is support for the taxonomy, although not all experiences fit the model. The saliency of the experiences follows a different pattern. It is not determined by the higher order of the experience but rather by the cumulative effect of having more experiences. 19-32 April 1982 journalArticle McCauley Jeanne Tarpley Margaret J Haaz Steffany Bartlett Susan J Aged Arthritis Depression Female Health Status Humans Male Middle Aged Pain Spirituality Daily spiritual experiences of older adults with and without arthritis and the relationship to health outcomes OBJECTIVE: Strategies to improve coping with chronic disease are increasingly important, especially with the aging US population. For many, spirituality serves as a source of strength and comfort. However, little is known about the prevalence of daily spiritual experiences (DSE) and how they may relate to physical and mental health. METHODS: We surveyed older adults age>50 years with chronic health conditions seen in a primary care setting about their DSE, health perceptions, pain, energy, and depression. RESULTS: Of 99 patients, 80% reported DSE most days and many times per day. Women had significantly lower DSE scores than men (reflecting more frequent DSE, mean+/-SD 37.3+/-15.0 versus 45.8+/-17.5; P=0.012). African American women reported the most frequent DSE and white men reported the least frequent DSE (mean+/-SD 35.9+/-13.6 versus 52.2+/-19.1). Frequent DSE were significantly associated with a higher number of comorbid conditions (P=0.003), although not with age, education, or employment status. Persons with arthritis reported significantly more DSE than those without arthritis (mean+/-SD 35.2+/-12.1 versus 47.1+/-18.6; P<0.001). After adjustment for age, race, sex, pain, and comorbid conditions, more frequent DSE were associated with increased energy (P<0.009) and less depression (P<0.007) in patients with arthritis. CONCLUSION: DSE are common among older adults, especially those with arthritis. Increased DSE may be associated with more energy and less depression. DSE may represent one pathway through which spirituality influences mental health in older adults. 122-128 Jan 15, 2008 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18163414 2009-11-13 23:26:58 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18163414 Arthritis and Rheumatism 59 1 Arthritis Rheum DOI 10.1002/art.23246 ISSN 0004-3591 journalArticle Journal of Advanced Nursing 43 5 J Adv Nurs ISSN 0309-2402 Coleman Christopher L Adult African Americans Attitude to Health Cross-Sectional Studies Female Health Status HIV Infections Humans Male mental health Questionnaires Regression Analysis Religion and Psychology Sexual Behavior Socioeconomic Factors Spirituality Spirituality and sexual orientation: relationship to mental well-being and functional health status BACKGROUND: Research has shown that spirituality has a positive effect on physical and mental health; however, few studies have explored the influence of spirituality and sexuality on mental well-being and functional health status in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). AIM: This descriptive cross-sectional study was designed to examine the relationships among spirituality, sexual orientation, mental well-being and aspects of functional health status (physical, role, social and cognitive functioning) in a sample of 117 African-American men and women living with HIV/AIDS. METHODS: Spirituality was measured using the Spiritual Well-Being Scale. A demographic questionnaire gathered data on sexual orientation, age and gender. The Medical Outcomes Study Questionnaire-30 assessed aspects of functional health status and mental well-being. The HIV Symptom Checklist for Persons With HIV disease was used to collect data on HIV symptoms. The data were collected in 1996. FINDINGS: The findings indicate that spirituality had a direct relationship with cognitive and social functioning and was inversely related to HIV symptoms. Sexual orientation had direct relationships with mental well-being, cognitive, physical, social and role functioning. t-Tests showed that heterosexual participants reported poorer mental well-being and functional health status compared with homosexual participants. Regression analysis showed that spirituality, sexual orientation, age and HIV symptoms contributed significantly to mental well-being and functional health status. CONCLUSIONS: The regression analysis showed that spirituality, sexual orientation, age and HIV symptoms contributed significantly to mental well-being and functional health status. Further research is needed to explore the various ways that sexual orientation influences health status findings in those with HIV disease in certain segments of the population. The findings support the inclusion of spirituality as a variable when examining mental well-being and physical health. Finally, given the limitations of the design, more rigorous methods should be employed to understand further the contribution of spirituality to the health status of African-Americans living with HIV, because of its social importance to this particular community. 457-464 Sep 2003 Spirituality and sexual orientation http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12919264 2009-11-13 04:23:27 NCBI PubMed PMID: 12919264 journalArticle Ehman J W Ott B B Short T H Ciampa R C Hansen-Flaschen J Adult Aged Attitude to Death Communication Female Holistic Health Humans Male Middle Aged Patients Physician-Patient Relations Questionnaires Religion and Medicine Social Values Spirituality Terminal Care Trust United States Do patients want physicians to inquire about their spiritual or religious beliefs if they become gravely ill? BACKGROUND: Recognizing that many Americans draw on religious or spiritual beliefs when confronted by serious illness, some medical educators have recommended that physicians routinely ask about spirituality or religion when conducting a medical history. The most appropriate wording for such an inquiry remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine patient acceptance of including the following question in the medical history of ambulatory outpatients: "Do you have spiritual or religious beliefs that would influence your medical decisions if you become gravely ill?" METHODS: Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 177 ambulatory adult patients visiting a pulmonary faculty office practice at a university teaching hospital in 1997 (83% response rate). RESULTS: Fifty-one percent of the study patients described themselves as religious and 90% believe that prayer may sometimes influence recovery from an illness. Forty-five percent reported that religious beliefs would influence their medical decisions if they become gravely ill. Ninety-four percent of individuals with such beliefs agreed or strongly agreed that physicians should ask them whether they have such beliefs if they become gravely ill. Forty-five percent of the respondents who denied having such beliefs also agreed that physicians should ask about them. Altogether, two thirds of the respondents indicated that they would welcome the study question in a medical history, whereas 16% reported that they would not. Only 15% of the study group recalled having been asked whether spiritual or religious beliefs would influence their medical decisions. CONCLUSION: Many but not all patients surveyed in a pulmonary outpatient practice welcome a carefully worded inquiry about their spiritual or religious beliefs in the event that they become gravely ill. 1803-1806 1999 Aug 9-23 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10448785 2009-11-13 00:44:07 NCBI PubMed PMID: 10448785 Archives of Internal Medicine 159 15 Arch. Intern. Med ISSN 0003-9926 journalArticle Coruh Başak Ayele Hana Pugh Meredith Mulligan Thomas Delphi Technique Health Behavior Health Status Humans mental health Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic Religion Religion and Medicine Treatment Outcome Does religious activity improve health outcomes? A critical review of the recent literature OBJECTIVE: Many Americans use religious activity to cope with stressful life events. Our goal was to review systematically the recent medical literature to assess the role of religion in health outcomes. DATA SOURCES: We conducted a comprehensive literature search using MEDLINE to identify studies published in the English language between January 1999 and June 2003 describing the effect of religion on health outcomes. The search strategy used the medical subject headings (MeSH) of religion; religion AND medicine; religion OR intercessory prayer; prayer; prayer therapy; religious rites; faith; medicine, traditional; religiosity; religion AND psychology; and religion AND health. STUDY SELECTION: Religious, but not spiritual, interventions were selected for inclusion. Thus, papers describing interventions such as yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and qigong were excluded. Manuscripts describing randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, and partnerships with faith-based organizations were included. DATA EXTRACTION: We found five randomized controlled trials, four clinical trials, and seven faith-based partnerships that describe the impact of religious intervention on health outcomes. Papers were analyzed by four reviewers using a modified Delphi technique to reach consensus. DATA SYNTHESIS: Religious intervention such as intercessory prayer may improve success rates of in vitro fertilization, decrease length of hospital stay and duration of fever in septic patients, increase immune function, improve rheumatoid arthritis, and reduce anxiety. Frequent attendance at religious services likely improves health behaviors. Moreover, prayer may decrease adverse outcomes in patients with cardiac disease. CONCLUSIONS: Religious activity may improve health outcomes. 186-191 May 2005 Does religious activity improve health outcomes? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/16781528 2009-11-02 18:10:58 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16781528 Explore 1 3 Explore (NY) DOI 10.1016/j.explore.2005.02.001 ISSN 1878-7541 journalArticle Journal of Holistic Nursing: Official Journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association 23 2 J Holist Nurs DOI 10.1177/0898010105276180 ISSN 0898-0101 Delaney Colleen Adaptation, Psychological Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Attitude to Health Chronic Disease Female Holistic Health Holistic Nursing Humans Male Middle Aged Nursing Education Research Psychometrics Qualitative Research Quality of Life Questionnaires Reproducibility of Results Spirituality United States The Spirituality Scale: development and psychometric testing of a holistic instrument to assess the human spiritual dimension PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop, refine, and evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the Spirituality Scale (SS). The SS is a holistic instrument that attempts to measure the beliefs, intuitions, lifestyle choices, practices, and rituals representative of the human spiritual dimension and is designed to guide spiritual interventions. METHOD: A researcher-developed instrument was designed to assess spirituality from a holistic perspective. Items were generated to measure four conceptualized domains of spirituality. The SS was completed by 240 adults with chronic illness. FINDINGS: Psychometric analysis of the SS provided strong evidence of the reliability and validity of the instrument. Three factors of spirituality that supported the theoretical framework were identified: Self-Discovery, Relationships, and Eco-Awareness. IMPLICATIONS: These findings can assist in facilitating the inclusion of spirituality in health care and have the potential to provide a transforming vision for nursing care and a vehicle to evoking optimal patient outcomes. 145-167; discussion 168-171 Jun 2005 The Spirituality Scale http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15883463 2009-11-13 20:00:42 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15883463 journalArticle Choumanova Ivanka Wanat Stan Barrett Ronald Koopman Cheryl Adaptation, Psychological Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Breast Neoplasms Chile Female Humans Middle Aged Religion Religion and Psychology Spirituality Religion and spirituality in coping with breast cancer: perspectives of Chilean women This study examined the roles of religion and spirituality in relation to coping with breast cancer in Chilean women. Specifically, the purpose of the study was to examine how these patients used religion and spirituality to cope with their illness; how their illness changed the roles of religion and spirituality in their lives; and their views regarding whether, and if so how, spiritual faith can help patients recuperate from breast cancer. Twenty-seven women with breast cancer who were patients at a clinic in Santiago, Chile were recruited to participate in one-on-one interviews. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using the "constant comparative method" to seek patterns and organize the content into specific themes. Women viewed religion and spirituality as primary resources for themselves and others to use in coping with breast cancer. Women's use of religion and spirituality was manifested in praying, in their perceived dependence on God to intercede and guide them through their illness, and in obtaining social support from other persons in their faith community. Half (13/26) of the women reported that their cancer prompted an increased emphasis on religion and spirituality in their lives by deepening their faith in God. Almost all (26/27) participants endorsed the belief that spiritual faith can help cancer patients to recuperate. These findings suggest that health care providers working should be aware of the culturally dependent roles that religion and spirituality play in women's coping with breast cancer. 349-352 2006 Jul-Aug Religion and spirituality in coping with breast cancer http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16848845 2009-11-13 21:42:09 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16848845 The Breast Journal 12 4 Breast J DOI 10.1111/j.1075-122X.2006.00274.x ISSN 1075-122X book Princeton N.J. Princeton University Press Alter Joseph Yoga in modern India : the body between science and philosophy 2004 ISBN 9780691118734 Yoga in modern India Open WorldCat book Monrovia, Calif., U.S.A MARC Ram Eric Health Holistic medicine Religious aspects Transforming Health: Christian Approaches to Healing And Wholeness 1995 ISBN 0912552891 Transforming Health library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog BT732 .T73 1995 journalArticle Kaphle Krishna Wu Leang-Shin Yang Nai-Yen Jack Lin Jen-Hsou Herbal medicine research in Taiwan Of all the countries in the world, why did you choose Taiwan to pursue your study? It is a question that I (comments of the first author) have answered a thousand times. My first visit to a laboratory at National Taiwan University opened my eyes to the possibilities of herbal medicine research, especially in the area of veterinary medicine. It became my ambition to link the knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda from the Indian subcontinent and their integration with other systems of medicine, including Western medicine (WM), to achieve the concept of Sustainable Medicine, firstly for animals and then for humans. The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has implemented a technology development program to quickly establish the key technologies, and this is a moment of opportunity for Taiwan's traditional herbal medicine industry to upgrade and transform itself. This paper, initially intended to be a student's narration, has evolved into a multi-author treatise on the present state and likely future scenario of herbal medicine research in Taiwan. 149-155 Mar 2006 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/16550238 2009-11-03 06:13:33 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16550238 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 3 1 Evid Based Complement Alternat Med DOI 10.1093/ecam/nek016 ISSN 1741-427X journalArticle Journal of the American Oriental Society 113 2 ISSN 00030279 Zysk Kenneth G. Medicine, Ayurvedic The Science of Respiration and the Doctrine of the Bodily Winds in Ancient India The following historical and philological study traces the science of respiration and the doctrine of the bodily winds through ancient Indian religious and technical literature. Basic notions about respiration and bodily winds appear in the literature of the vedic saṃhitās and brāhmaṇas. By the end of the principal upaniṣads these early ideas begin to be codified into two separate systems. One, emphasizing a physiology of bodily winds, reaches its traditional formulation in the classical medical literature of Āyurveda, the other, focusing on respiration, attains its classical formulation in Yoga. The two unite later, when Yoga integrates medical theory into its science of respiration. Asceticism is the common thread connecting the various stages in the development of respiration and bodily winds. 198-213 Apr. - Jun., 1993 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/603025 2009-10-13 03:20:31 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Apr. - Jun., 1993 / Copyright © 1993 American Oriental Society journalArticle Sharma Ursula Contextualizing Alternative Medicine: The Exotic, the Marginal and the Perfectly Mundane 15-18 Aug., 1993 Contextualizing Alternative Medicine http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/2783450 2009-11-09 05:10:18 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Aug., 1993 / Copyright © 1993 Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland Anthropology Today 9 4 ISSN 0268540X journalArticle Ng S M Yau Josephine K Y Chan Cecilia L W Chan Celia H Y Ho David Y F Adolescent Adult Asian Continental Ancestry Group Attitude to Health China Cross-Cultural Comparison Female Holistic Health Hong Kong Humans Male mental health Middle Aged Mind-Body Relations (Metaphysics) Personal Satisfaction Personality Inventory Reproducibility of Results Social Work Spirituality Stress, Psychological The measurement of body-mind-spirit well-being toward multidimensionality and transcultural applicability The Body-Mind-Spirit model of health promotion (Chan, Ho&Chow, 2002) guided the construction of a multidimensional inventory for assessing holistic health. Named Body-Mind-Spirit Well-Being Inventory (BMSWBI), it comprises four scales: Physical Distress, Daily Functioning, Affect, and Spirituality (differentiated from religiosity and conceived as ecumenical). Respondents (674 Chinese adults from Hong Kong) completed the BMSWBI via the Internet. Results indicate that all four scales have high reliability, with alpha coefficients ranging from .87 to .92, and concurrent validity. Factor analysis indicates that (a) positive and negative affect form two distinct factors; and (b) spirituality comprises three distinct aspects, tranquility, resistance to disorientation, and resilience. Spirituality is positively associated with mental well-being, positive affect, satisfaction with life, and hope; but negatively associated with negative affect and perceived stress. These results suggest that the inventory may be used to assess different dimensions of health satisfactorily. 33-52 2005 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16048855 2009-11-13 20:18:54 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16048855 Social Work in Health Care 41 1 Soc Work Health Care ISSN 0098-1389 journalArticle Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine: eCAM 2 4 Evid Based Complement Alternat Med DOI 10.1093/ecam/neh140 ISSN 1741-427X Patwardhan Bhushan Warude Dnyaneshwar Pushpangadan P Bhatt Narendra Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine: a comparative overview Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine (TIM) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) remain the most ancient yet living traditions. There has been increased global interest in traditional medicine. Efforts to monitor and regulate herbal drugs and traditional medicine are underway. China has been successful in promoting its therapies with more research and science-based approach, while Ayurveda still needs more extensive scientific research and evidence base. This review gives an overview of basic principles and commonalities of TIM and TCM and discusses key determinants of success, which these great traditions need to address to compete in global markets. 465-473 Dec 2005 Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/16322803 2009-11-02 07:31:35 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16322803 journalArticle Journal of Managerial Psychology 18 5 DOI 10.1108/02683940310484044 Martin Terence Kirkcaldy Bruce Siefen Georg Churches Health mental health Psychology Religion Young people Antecedents of adult wellbeing: adolescent religiosity and health An extant of literature has demonstrated an apparent connection between religiosity and physical and psychological health, yet there is a scarcity of studies focussing on the impact of religion on health among children and adolescents. The current study examined associations between self-report data on self-image, physical and psychological health and death-related cognitions in a large representative sample of German high-school students. Almost 1,000 German adolescents (aged 14-18 years) were administered a comprehensive series of questionnaires aimed at assessing anxiety/depression, trait addiction, smoking and drinking behaviour, physical ill-health reports, and self-perception of self-image, parental acceptance and educational attainment. Several statements were incorporated to assess self-injury and suicidal ideation. Just over half of the adolescents (56.9 per cent) did not attend church at all. Level of school influenced church attendance with secondary school adolescents attending least. Religious denomination also exerted a major role on church attendance with Muslims attending most regularly followed by Roman Catholics and then Protestants. Males were more likely to be non-attendees. Regular church attendees tended to adopt more healthy life-styles, they exercised more regularly, smoked less, were more likely to display higher school grades in linguistic – but not mathematical – competency. Conversely, there was some indication that negative affect, reflected by higher scores on the social problems scale was higher among church attenders. Religiosity was scarcely related to suicidal ideation among adolescents. 453 - 470 2003 Antecedents of adult wellbeing http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/02683940310484044 2009-10-30 19:09:58 Emerald Publishing journalArticle Thompson Ian Community Health Nursing Community Mental Health Services Holistic Health Humans mental health Needs Assessment Nurse-Patient Relations Nurse's Role Nursing Assessment Pastoral Care Psychiatric Nursing Religion and Psychology social support Spirituality Mental health and spiritual care BACKGROUND: Achieving holistic care is an important goal for nurses. While much is made of the bio-psychosocial model of holistic care, reflecting the allopathic bias inherent in the Western medical model, the issue of spirituality is mostly neglected. Where acknowledged, spirituality is often limited to recording the client's religion. This article asserts that religion and spirituality are not synonymous, although spirituality might sometimes be reflected through religious practices. CONCLUSION: With the move towards provision of modern mental health services in the community, the community mental health nurse will increasingly care for individuals for whom the spiritual is part of their daily lives and not a symptom of their illness. This is set against the backdrop of a multicultural society and as such will call for holistic nursing skills. 33-38 2002 Nov 13-19 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12478921 2009-11-13 03:21:20 NCBI PubMed PMID: 12478921 Nursing Standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain): 1987) 17 9 Nurs Stand ISSN 0029-6570 journalArticle Emblen J D Holistic Health Humanism Humans Nursing Periodicals as Topic Religion Terminology as Topic Textbooks as Topic Religion and spirituality defined according to current use in nursing literature The nursing literature published from 1963 to 1989 was screened for definitions to distinguish the concept of religion from that of spirituality. Following concept analysis procedures, definitions were selected from journal articles and textbooks and the key words in the definitions were listed in order of frequency. In definitions of religion, six words appeared most frequently--system, beliefs, organized, person, worship, practices; in definitions of spirituality, nine words appeared most frequently--personal, life, principle, animator, being, God (god), quality, relationship, transcendent. Only the word person(al) appeared on both lists. Using these two lists, the words (defining attributes) that appeared most frequently were formed as consensus definitions. It was concluded that spirituality is currently the broader term and may subsume aspects of religion. If these concepts are not clearly defined, the care related to personal life principles, relationships, and transcendent experiences may be confused with care for personal beliefs and worship practices. 41-47 1992 Jan-Feb http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1573115 2009-11-12 22:13:03 NCBI PubMed PMID: 1573115 Journal of Professional Nursing: Official Journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing 8 1 J Prof Nurs ISSN 8755-7223 journalArticle The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 194 2 J. Nerv. Ment. Dis DOI 10.1097/01.nmd.0000198143.63662.fb ISSN 0022-3018 Chen Yung Y Koenig Harold G Adaptation, Psychological Aged Aged, 80 and over Female Follow-Up Studies Geriatric Assessment Health Status Humans Inpatients Logistic Models Longitudinal Studies Male Middle Aged Motor Activity Religion Religion and Psychology Severity of Illness Index Spirituality Stress, Psychological Do people turn to religion in times of stress?: an examination of change in religiousness among elderly, medically ill patients This study examined the effect of health-related stress on changes in religiousness in a sample of elderly, medically ill patients. Patients admitted to Duke University Medical Center (N = 745) were interviewed at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Increases in illness severity (from baseline to follow-up) were associated with decreases in both organizational and private religiousness at follow-up. Effect of illness severity on organizational religiousness was statistically mediated by changes in physical activity, while its effect on private religiousness remained significant after controlling for physical activity. These findings encourage further research investigating causal relationships between stress and religion, as well as identifying measures of religiousness that may capture this construct in the medically ill population. 114-120 Feb 2006 Do people turn to religion in times of stress? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16477189 2009-11-13 20:41:01 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16477189 book Boston New Science Library, Shambhala Achterberg Jeanne Imagery (Psychology) Medicine and psychology Medicine, Psychosomatic Mind and body Imagery in Healing: Shamanism and Modern Medicine 1st ed 1985 ISBN 0877733074 Imagery in Healing library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog R726.5 .A24 1985 journalArticle The Journal of Adolescent Health: Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 36 6 J Adolesc Health ISSN 1879-1972 Cotton Sian Larkin Elizabeth Hoopes Andrea Cromer Barbara A Rosenthal Susan L Adolescent Depression Female Humans Linear Models Male Questionnaires Risk-Taking Spirituality The impact of adolescent spirituality on depressive symptoms and health risk behaviors PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine spirituality as a meaningful construct in adolescents' lives, and to examine the contribution of spirituality above and beyond that of religiosity to depressive symptoms and health-risk behaviors. METHOD: A total of 134 adolescents from a suburban high school completed a questionnaire assessing spirituality, religiosity, depressive symptoms, and health-risk behaviors. Spirituality was measured with 2 subscales: (1) religious well-being ("I believe that God loves/cares about me") and (2) existential well-being ("Life doesn't have much meaning"). Religiosity was assessed via belief in God/Higher Power and importance of religion. The Children's Depression Inventory-Short Form and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) were used to assess depressive symptoms and health-risk behaviors. RESULTS: The majority of the sample was Caucasian, with a mean age of 16.2 years. Eighty-nine percent reported a belief in God/Higher Power and 77% stated that religion was important in their lives. After controlling for demographics and religiosity, existential well-being and religious well-being accounted for an additional 29% of the variability in depressive symptoms and 17% of the variability in risk behaviors. Existential well-being was the only predictor significant in both final models (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Most of these adolescents reported some connection with religious and spiritual concepts, and those with higher levels of spiritual well-being, in particular, existential well-being, had fewer depressive symptoms and fewer risk-taking behaviors. This supports the inclusion of these concepts in our efforts to help promote resilience and healthy adolescent development, and in expanding our investigations beyond religious identification or attendance at religious services to broader concepts of spirituality. 529 Jun 2005 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15909358 2009-11-13 20:01:24 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15909358 journalArticle Gardner J W Lyon J L Adolescent Adult Aged Alcohol Drinking Child Child, Preschool Christianity Epidemiologic Methods Humans Infant Life Style Male Middle Aged Neoplasms Religion and Medicine Smoking Utah Cancer in Utah Mormon men by lay priesthood level Mormons have been shown to have low cancer rates at several common sites, particularly those associated with tobacco and alcohol use. This likely reflects adherence to their Church doctrines advocating abstention from the use of these substances. All Mormons, however, do not adhere to the health practices of their Church, and this study classifies Utah Mormon men by their lay priesthood offices, which reflect degree of adherence to Church doctrines. Follow-up cancer rates for 1966-1970 indicate that the most devout group (Seventies and High Priests) have lung cancer rates 80% lower than those of the least devout group. The same was seen for all smoking- and alcohol-associated cancer sites combined. Cancer of the stomach and the leukemias and lymphomas also had lower rates in the most devout group. Cancers of the colon-rectum, prostate, and pancreas showed little difference in rates when classified by lay priesthood office. These data provide a demonstration of the effects of a healthy lifestyle on cancer occurrence in men. 243-257 Aug 1982 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7114035 2009-10-17 19:19:02 NCBI PubMed PMID: 7114035 American Journal of Epidemiology 116 2 Am. J. Epidemiol ISSN 0002-9262 book Grand Rapids Mich. Wm. B. Eerdmans Hauerwas Stanley Naming the silences : God, medicine, and the problem of suffering 1990 ISBN 9780802804969 Naming the silences Open WorldCat journalArticle The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 195 3 J. Nerv. Ment. Dis DOI 10.1097/01.nmd.0000258230.94304.6b ISSN 0022-3018 Mohr Sylvia Gillieron Christiane Borras Laurence Brandt Pierre-Yves Huguelet Philippe Adaptation, Psychological Adult Ambulatory Care Cross-Sectional Studies Female Humans Male Patient Acceptance of Health Care Prevalence Principal Component Analysis Psychiatric Status Rating Scales Psychometrics Questionnaires Religion Reproducibility of Results Research Design Schizophrenia Schizophrenic Psychology Social Adjustment Spirituality The assessment of spirituality and religiousness in schizophrenia To assess religious coping in schizophrenia, we developed and tested a clinical grid, as no validated questionnaire exists for this population. One hundred fifteen outpatients were interviewed. Results obtained by 2 clinicians were compared. Religion was central in the lives of 45% of patients, 60% used religion extensively to cope with their illness. Religion is a multifaceted construct. Principal component analysis elicited 4 factors: subjective dimension, collective dimension, synergy with psychiatric treatment, and ease of talking about religion with psychiatrist. Different associations were found between these factors and psychopathology, substance abuse, and psychosocial adaptation. The high prevalence of spirituality and religious coping clearly indicates the necessity of addressing spirituality in patient care. Our clinical grid is suitable for this purpose. It proved its applicability to a broad diversity of religious beliefs, even pathological ones. Interjudge reliability and construct validity were high and specific training is not required. 247-253 Mar 2007 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17468685 2009-11-13 22:41:04 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17468685 journalArticle Health Educ Behav 25 6 DOI 10.1177/109019819802500605 Fox Sarah A. Pitkin Kathryn Paul Christopher Carson Sally Duan Naihua Breast Cancer Screening Adherence: Does Church Attendance Matter? Little is known about the health behaviors of church attendees. This article reviewed telephone interview data of 1,517 women who were church members from 45 churches located in Los Angeles County to determine their breast cancer screening status and to identify the key predictors of screening. Almost all of this sample (96%) reported attending church at least once a month. Key predictors of screening included physician-patient communication, ethnic background, and having medical insurance. Although church-related predictors were not significantly related to screening adherence, the authors compared community-based screening rates from another sample to their sample rates and found that, when controlling for income and education, church members fared better on mammography screening than women who were community residents. This finding suggests that frequent church attendance contributes to better mammography screening status and that the relationship between religious involvement and health behaviors needs further explanation. 742-758 December 1, 1998 Breast Cancer Screening Adherence http://heb.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/25/6/742 2009-10-30 19:09:00 Sage Journals Online journalArticle The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 197 8 J. Nerv. Ment. Dis DOI 10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181b08f45 ISSN 1539-736X Ellison Christopher G Flannelly Kevin J African Americans Depressive Disorder, Major Female Health Surveys Humans Longitudinal Studies Male Middle Aged Models, Psychological Prevalence Prospective Studies Psychiatric Status Rating Scales Religion Religion and Psychology risk factors Self Concept Self Efficacy social support Spirituality United States Religious involvement and risk of major depression in a prospective nationwide study of African American adults This study investigated the association between religious involvement and major depression in 607 African American adults, using longitudinal data from the National Survey of Black Americans. Logistic regression found that survey participants who reported receiving "a great deal" of guidance from religion in their day-to-day lives at Time 1 (1988-1989) were roughly half as likely (OR = 0.47, p < 0.01) to have major depression at Time 2 (1992), controlling for sociodemographic and psychological factors, and major depression at baseline. The odds of major depression were also lower for persons with high self-esteem (OR = 0.41, p < 0.01) and those who reported having satisfying relationships with friends and family members (OR = 0.51, p < 0.05) at baseline. No association was found between religious attendance or church support and major depression. The possible mechanisms through which religious involvement may protect against depression, especially among African Americans, are discussed. 568-573 Aug 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19684492 2009-11-14 01:11:23 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19684492 journalArticle Morse M L Adolescent Adult Attitude to Death Child Child, Preschool Counseling Death Fantasy Female Hallucinations Humans Male Parapsychology Near death experiences and death-related visions in children: implications for the clinician Near death experiences (NDEs) have been reported throughout human history in a wide variety of cultures. In the past 20 years an explosion of accounts of such experiences occurring to those surviving coma, cardiac arrest, and noninjurious near fatal brushes with death has been reported. Such events occur to a broad cross section of society, including children, and are variously estimated to occur in between 10% and 90% of near-death situations. A number of similar elements are common to NDEs, including out-of-body experiences (OBEs), hearing buzzing or rushing sounds, entering into a void or a tunnel, seeing or entering into a bright spiritual light, encountering a border or limit, and the subjective perception of making a conscious choice or being forced to return to the body. Anecdotal cases exist in which the reality of the out-of-body perceptions can be independently verified by external conditions, situations, people, and objects. Childhood experiences are often compelling because children have a different perception of death than adults. Their experiences are simple and reveal a core NDE that is universal to the human dying experience. 55-83 Feb 1994 Near death experiences and death-related visions in children http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/8026218 2009-10-09 20:11:12 NCBI PubMed PMID: 8026218 Current Problems in Pediatrics 24 2 Curr Probl Pediatr ISSN 0045-9380 journalArticle Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.) 13 4 J Altern Complement Med DOI 10.1089/acm.2006.6052 ISSN 1075-5535 Xin Liu Miller Yvette D Brown Wendy J Blood Glucose Breathing Exercises Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 Evidence-Based Medicine Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated Humans Research Design Self Care A qualitative review of the role of qigong in the management of diabetes OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence relating to the effectiveness of qigong in the management of diabetes. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature review of qigong intervention studies published in English or Chinese since 1980, retrieved from English-language databases and Chinese journals. Qigong intervention studies conducted with adults with diabetes, which reported both preintervention and postintervention measures of fasting blood glucose and/or hemoglobin A(1c)(HbA(1c)) were included. Sample characteristics, intervention frequency/duration, and metabolic outcomes were reviewed. RESULTS: Sixty-nine intervention studies were located. Of these, only 11 met the criteria for inclusion. There were consistent and statistically significant positive associations between participation in qigong and fasting and 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test results, blood glucose, and triglycerides and total cholesterol. Effects on insulin and HbA(1c) were inconsistent. There was no evidence of any effect of qigong on weight. Most of the studies were of short duration, involved small samples, and did not include a control group. CONCLUSIONS:Although qigong has beneficial effects on some of the metabolic risk factors for type 2 diabetes, methodologic limitations make it difficult to draw firm conclusions about the benefits reported. Randomized controlled trials are required to confirm the potential beneficial effects of qigong on the management of type 2 diabetes. 427-433 May 2007 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/17532735 2009-11-02 18:08:31 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17532735 journalArticle Dittmann K A Freedman M R Adult Attitude Awareness Body Image Eating Disorders Female Humans Middle Aged Personality Inventory Questionnaires Self Concept Spirituality Yoga Young Adult Body awareness, eating attitudes, and spiritual beliefs of women practicing yoga This research evaluated attitudes about body image and eating in women practicing postural yoga. Study 1 described scores from questionnaires on variables related to body awareness, intuitive eating, spirituality, and reasons for practicing. Scores were favorable on all measures with significant correlations (p < .01) among all main variables except between spiritual readiness and intuitive eating, and between BMI and both body awareness and spiritual readiness. Reasons for practicing did not affect scores. Study 2 evaluated interviews in a sub-sample. Qualitative data reported improvements in body satisfaction and disordered eating due in part to yoga and its associated spirituality. 273-292 2009 Jul-Sep http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19548145 2009-11-09 05:41:38 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19548145 Eating Disorders 17 4 Eat Disord DOI 10.1080/10640260902991111 ISSN 1532-530X book Philadelphia Temple University Press Baronov David 19th century 20th century Africa Anthropology, Cultural Ethnology History History of Medicine History, 19th Century History, 20th Century Medicine Medicine, African Traditional Traditional medicine The African Transformation of Western Medicine and the Dynamics of Global Cultural Exchange 2008 ISBN 1592139159 library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog GN645 .B37 2008 journalArticle Bulletin of the Indian Institute of History of Medicine (Hyderabad) 35 1 Bull Indian Inst Hist Med Hyderabad ISSN 0304-9558 Narayana Ala Subhose Varanasi Drug Compounding Formularies as Topic History, Medieval Humans Medicine, Ayurvedic Plant Preparations Standardization of Ayurvĕdic formulations : a scientific review Safety and efficacy of a drug mainly depends on the method of preparation. To assess the quality of a finished product, there should be some basic standards as well as methods of preparation. There are several parameters for testing the quality of a chemical drug, which have, are true indicators. So, there is no problem in assessing a synthetic drug's quality. As far as the preparation used in Ayurvĕdic system of medicine, a drug formulation or design may not be a problem, because many formulations are well documented in classical texts. But, there is confusion with respect to standards to be followed while preparing a formulation as well as basic parameters to assess the quality of the finished product. In Ayurvĕda, pañcavidhakaşăyakalpana are the basic pharmaceutical preparations, from which all the other preparations are developed. A specific method for each and every preparation and some basic standards of finished products are mentioned in Ayurvĕdic texts to maintain their quality. This information may some times vary from text to text. To overcome this problem Sărangdhara mentioned detailed information about various formulations with respect to their methods of preparation as well as basic standards and are documented in Sărangdhara Samhita. 21-32 2005 Jan-Jun Standardization of Ayurvĕdic formulations http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/17333659 2009-11-02 07:29:26 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17333659 journalArticle Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.) 15 1 J Altern Complement Med DOI 10.1089/acm.2008.0008 ISSN 1557-7708 Cohen Debbie L Wintering Nancy Tolles Victoria Townsend Raymond R Farrar John T Galantino Mary Lou Newberg Andrew B Cerebral blood flow effects of yoga training: preliminary evaluation of 4 cases OBJECTIVES: Experienced practitioners of yoga have been shown to alter brain function, but this case series measured cerebral blood flow before and after a 12-week training program in Iyengar yoga (IY) for naïve subjects. METHODS: On the first day, each of the 4 subjects listened to the teacher speaking on the history and background of the yoga program while they were injected with 250 MBq of (99m)Tc-bicisate and received a single photon emission computed tomography scan (pre-program baseline). Subjects then had their first IY training and were injected and scanned with 925 MBq bicisate while they did their first meditation (pre-program meditation). Subjects then underwent a 12-week training program in IY and then underwent the same imaging protocol with a postprogram baseline and postprogram meditation scan. Baseline and meditation scans, before and after training, were compared using paired t tests. RESULTS: There were significant decreases (p < 0.05) between the pre- and postprogram baseline scans in the right amygdala, dorsal medial cortex, and sensorimotor area. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the pre- and postprogram percentage change (i.e., activation) in the right dorsal medial frontal lobe, prefrontal cortex, and right sensorimotor cortex. CONCLUSIONS: These initial findings suggest the brain experiences a "training effect" after 12 weeks of IY training. 9-14 Jan 2009 Cerebral blood flow effects of yoga training http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19769471 2009-09-26 20:27:26 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19769471 journalArticle Goldstein Michael S. The Emerging Socioeconomic and Political Support for Alternative Medicine in the United States Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly utilized and accepted by patients and providers throughout the American health care system. Most accounts attribute this growing acceptability to the shortcomings of conventional medicine, the appeal of CAM's core beliefs, and the growing body of research indicating that CAM actually works. These explanations, while all accurate to some degree, neglect the extent to which CAM's recent success is due to economic and political factors. This article describes the emerging relationship between CAM and major economic actors (pharmaceutical firms, managed care companies, insurance companies, media conglomerates, Internet providers, etc.) as well as CAM's relationship with a range of political forces (political parties, bureaucrats, lobbying groups, ethnic- and gender-based movements and organizations, etc.). The convergence of interests between these economic and political forces and many of CAM's goals is one important reason for CAM's recent success. 44-63 Sep., 2002 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/1049688 2009-10-13 04:59:26 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Issue Title: Global Perspectives on Complementary and Alternative Medicine / Full publication date: Sep., 2002 / Copyright © 2002 American Academy of Political and Social Science Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 583 ISSN 00027162 journalArticle Explore (New York, N.Y.) 2 6 Explore (NY) DOI 10.1016/j.explore.2006.08.002 ISSN 1550-8307 Levenson Michael R Aldwin Carolyn M Yancura Loriena Adult Affect Aged Anger Conflict (Psychology) Depression Female Humans Interpersonal Relations Male Middle Aged Personal Satisfaction Questionnaires Spirituality Stress, Psychological Treatment Outcome Positive emotional change: mediating effects of forgiveness and spirituality We evaluated the efficacy of an emotional education program that seeks to reduce the intergenerational transmission of negative interaction patterns by increasing forgiveness and spirituality. We examined both reduction of psychological symptoms and increase in positive psychological outcomes over the course of a year, as well as the mediators of this change. At baseline, the sample consisted of 99 participants and 47 waiting list controls. Comparisons of scores from baseline (Time 1) to one week after the Hoffman Quadrinity Process (Time 2) showed large declines in negative affect (depressive symptoms) and increases in both positive outcomes (mastery, empathy, emotional intelligence, life satisfaction, forgiveness, and spiritual experience) and health and well-being. Over the course of a year, most of these gains were sustained, in comparison with the control group. Further, increases in forgiveness and spirituality mediated the effect of program participation on depressive symptoms. 498-508 2006 Nov-Dec Positive emotional change http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17113490 2009-11-13 21:59:37 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17113490 journalArticle Martin Richard T. The Role of Coca in the History, Religion, and Medicine of South American Indians 422-438 Oct. - Dec., 1970 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/4253177 2009-11-09 05:11:20 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Oct. - Dec., 1970 / Copyright © 1970 New York Botanical Garden Press Economic Botany 24 4 ISSN 00130001 journalArticle Manley L K Adolescent Critical Illness Death Emergency Nursing Humans Hypoxia, Brain Male Organizations Enchanted journeys: near-death experiences and the emergency nurse 311-316 Aug 1996 Enchanted journeys http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/8936142 2009-10-09 20:02:07 NCBI PubMed PMID: 8936142 Journal of Emergency Nursing: JEN: Official Publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association 22 4 J Emerg Nurs ISSN 0099-1767 book New York Insight Books Eden James Energetic healing : the merging of ancient and modern medical practices 1993 ISBN 9780030644634 Energetic healing Open WorldCat journalArticle Journal of Advanced Nursing 57 6 J Adv Nurs DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.04190.x ISSN 0309-2402 Koslander Tiburtius Arvidsson Barbro Adult Female Humans Male Mental Disorders Middle Aged Nurse-Patient Relations Patient Satisfaction Spirituality Sweden Patients' conceptions of how the spiritual dimension is addressed in mental health care: a qualitative study AIM: This paper reports a study to describe patients' conceptions of how the spiritual dimension is addressed in mental health care. BACKGROUND: Spirituality is a broad concept, and is highly subjective, multidimensional and difficult to define. Spirituality and religiousness are two separate concepts but have several common features. In mental health care, it is essential that nursing care be built on a holistic view, and the spiritual dimension has an important function in nursing care. The notion of spirituality is full of nuances, and in a multi-cultural society patients express their spirituality in different ways. METHOD: Data were collected by interviewing 12 strategically selected patients in mental health care and analysed according to a qualitative method inspired by the phenomenographic approach. The data were collected in 2003 in Sweden. FINDINGS: Three descriptive categories emerged: patients wish to have their spiritual needs addressed; patients must see to it that their spiritual needs are addressed; patients lack confidence in nurses with regard to discussing spirituality. The findings show that patients actively sought the assistance of nurses to meet their spiritual needs. They turned their thoughts inwards and found community with other patients, while nurses often avoided addressing the spiritual dimension. CONCLUSION: Nurses should work actively to seek new knowledge about how they can address patients' spiritual needs. It is also important that there be scope for discussing and reflecting on spiritual questions at the workplace. Additional research is needed to explore how knowledge about spirituality should be implemented in mental health care and nursing education. 597-604 Mar 2007 Patients' conceptions of how the spiritual dimension is addressed in mental health care http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17346318 2009-11-13 22:27:02 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17346318 journalArticle Review of Religious Research 32 4 ISSN 0034673X Poloma Margaret M. A Comparison of Christian Science and Mainline Christian Healing Ideologies and Practices Within the past decade there has been an increasing interest shown in the practice of spiritual healing. Evidence suggests that a sizeable minority of Americans not only believe in spiritual healing but also that they have personally experienced such a healing. This article empirically explores the differences in ideology and practices of a group of Christian Scientists and another of Mainstream Christians who have experienced a physical healing as a result of prayer. It concludes with a discussion of the future of the two very different streams of the religious healing movement. 337-350 Jun., 1991 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/3511680 2009-11-09 05:19:29 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Jun., 1991 / Copyright © 1991 Religious Research Association, Inc. journalArticle Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 12 6 Altern Ther Health Med ISSN 1078-6791 Lesniak Karen T Animals Behavior, Animal Faith Healing Galago Humans Religion and Medicine Treatment Outcome Tryptophan Wound Healing The effect of intercessory prayer on wound healing in nonhuman primates OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to examine the effects of intercessory prayer (IP) on wound healing and related physiological and behavioral factors in nonhuman primates. DESIGN: Twenty-two bush babies (Otolemur garnettii) with chronic self-injurious behavior (SIB) were stratified by wound severity and matched by total wound area. The animals were then randomized to IP and L-tryptophan or L-tryptophan only for treatment of SIB and related wounds. The IP intervention was conducted in a double-blind, randomized manner. Prayer was conducted daily for 4 weeks. Initiation of prayer was coincident with the first day of L-tryptophan administration. Physiological and behavioral variables were assessed at baseline and end of study. RESULTS: Following IP/L-tryptophan treatment, prayer-group animals had a reduction in wound size compared to non-prayer animals (P=.028). Prayer-group animals had a greater increase in red blood cells (P=.006), hemoglobin (P=.01), and hematocrit (P=.018); a greater reduction in both mean corpuscular hemoglobin (P=.023) and corpuscular volume (P=.008); and a reduction in wound grooming (P=.01) and total grooming behaviors (P=.04) than non-prayer-group animals. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study are consistent with prior human trials of IP effectiveness, but suggest IP-induced health improvements may be independent of confounds associated with human participants. Findings may provide direction for study of the mechanisms of IP-induced health improvements in both human and animal models. 42-48 2006 Nov-Dec http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/17131981 2009-10-14 15:26:42 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17131981 book Rockville, Md. National Institute for Healthcare Research Larson David B Swyers James P McCullough Michael E Templeton Foundation Scientific Progress in Spirituality Conference Health Health aspects Religious aspects Spirituality Scientific Research on Spirituality and Health: A Report Based on the Scientific Progress in Spirituality Conferences 1998 Scientific Research on Spirituality and Health Library of Congress Catalog BL65.M4 S35 1998 journalArticle Review of Religious Research 35 4 ISSN 0034673X Williams Richard N. Faulconer James E. Religion and Mental Health: A Hermeneutic Reconsideration This paper argues that the question of the relationship between religiosity and mental health has been miscast because both religiosity and mental health have been understood in the discipline from a distinctly modernist perspective. This modernist perspective is characterized by a metaphysic of substances and by empiricism, and it insists that all scientifically interesting relationships must be efficient causal relationships among substances. From this perspective the only legitimate questions revolve around which way the causal arrow points. The paper argues that this framing of the question and the modernist perspective which gives rise to it fail as adequate accounts of either phenomenon and, thus, of their relation. Further, in some fundamental sense the perspective fails to take either religiosity or psychopathology seriously. 335-349 Jun., 1994 Religion and Mental Health http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/3511734 2009-10-13 04:20:41 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Jun., 1994 / Copyright © 1994 Religious Research Association, Inc. journalArticle Journal of Holistic Nursing: Official Journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association 27 1 J Holist Nurs DOI 10.1177/0898010108327212 ISSN 0898-0101 Kreitzer Mary Jo Gross Cynthia R Waleekhachonloet On-anong Reilly-Spong Maryanne Byrd Marcia Adaptation, Psychological Adult Aged Attitude to Health Female Holistic Health Holistic Nursing Humans Male Middle Aged Mind-Body Relations (Metaphysics) Nursing Methodology Research Personality Assessment Psychometrics Quality of Life Spirituality United States The brief serenity scale: a psychometric analysis of a measure of spirituality and well-being PURPOSE: This article describes a factor analysis of a 22-item version of the Serenity Scale, a tool that measures spirituality and well-being. METHOD: A sample of 87 participants, enrolled in a National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trial examining the impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction on symptom management post-solid organ transplantation, completed the abbreviated instrument. FINDINGS: Exploratory factor analysis yielded three subscales: acceptance, inner haven, and trust. The Serenity Scale was positively associated with positive affect and mindful awareness and inversely related to negative affect, anxiety, depression, health distress and transplant-related stress. CONCLUSIONS: Serenity, a dimension of spirituality that is secular and distinct from religious orientation or religiosity, shows promise as a tool that could be used to measure outcomes of nursing interventions that improve health and well-being. IMPLICATIONS: Spirituality is recognized as being an essential component of holistic nursing practice. As nurses expand their use of spiritual interventions, it is important to document outcomes related to nursing care. The Serenity Scale appears to capture a dimension of spirituality, a state of acceptance, inner haven and trust that is distinct from other spirituality instruments. 7-16 Mar 2009 The brief serenity scale http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19176898 2009-11-14 00:50:54 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19176898 journalArticle Younghusband Francis Religious Experience and Philosophy 117-134 1927 - 1928 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/4544133 2009-10-09 20:49:22 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: 1927 - 1928 / Copyright © 1927 The Aristotelian Society Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 28 ISSN 00667374 journalArticle Ni Hanyu Simile Catherine Hardy Ann M. Utilization of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by United States Adults: Results from the 1999 National Health Interview Survey 353-358 Apr., 2002 Utilization of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by United States Adults http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/3767839 2009-11-09 04:19:04 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Apr., 2002 / Copyright © 2002 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Medical Care 40 4 ISSN 00257079 journalArticle Social Science & Medicine 43 5 DOI 10.1016/0277-9536(96)00150-5 Levin Jeffrey How religion influences morbidity and health: Reflections on natural history, salutogenesis and host resistance This paper surveys the field that has come to be known as the epidemiology of religion. Epidemiologic study of the impact of religious involvement, broadly defined, has become increasingly popular in recent years, although the existence, meaning and implications of an apparently salutary religious effect on health have not yet been interpreted in an epidemiologic context. This paper attempts to remedy this situation by putting the “epidemiology” into the epidemiology of religion through discussion of existing empirical findings in terms of several substantive epidemiologic concepts. After first providing an overview of key research findings and prior reviews of this field, the summary finding of a protective religious effect on morbidity is examined in terms of three important epidemiologic concepts: the natural history of disease, salutogenesis and host resistance. In addition to describing a theoretical basis for interpreting a religion-health association, this paper provides an enumeration of common misinterpretations of epidemiologic findings for religious involvement, as well as an outline of hypothesized pathways, mediating factors, and salutogenic mechanisms for respective religious dimensions. It is hoped that these reflections will serve both to elevate the status of religion as a construct worthy of social-epidemiologic research and to reinvigorate the field of social epidemiology. 849-864 Sept. 1996 journalArticle Splevins Kate Smith Alistair Simpson Jane Aged Anxiety Disorders Attention Awareness Cognitive Therapy Depression Female Humans Male Meditation Middle Aged Psychotherapy, Group Stress, Psychological Treatment Outcome Do improvements in emotional distress correlate with becoming more mindful? A study of older adults OBJECTIVES: The study aimed (1) to investigate changes in older adults' emotional wellbeing (specifically depression, anxiety and stress levels) and mindful ability following a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) course; (2) to explore correlations between mindfulness (measured as an overall ability and as individual components; observe, describe, act with awareness and accept without judgement) and changes in depression, anxiety and stress levels. METHOD: Twenty-two participants took an eight-week MBCT course. Levels of depression, anxiety and stress were recorded pre- and post-intervention, as was mindfulness ability (measured both as an overall ability and as individual components). RESULTS: Significant improvements in emotional wellbeing and mindfulness were reported post-MBCT, with large to moderate effect sizes. Increased mindfulness was moderately and significantly associated with improved emotional wellbeing. Increases on all four components of mindfulness were positively associated with greater emotional wellbeing, however only act with awareness and accept without judgement were significantly correlated (with reduced depression). Older adults in our sample reported higher scores on observe and act with awareness than other populations. CONCLUSION: This study adds to a growing evidence-base indicating the efficacy of MBCT for depression, anxiety and stress, and extends these finding to older adults. This study found older adults to have elevated levels of certain facets of mindfulness and recommendations are made for researching the possibility that mindfulness may be an extension of the developmental process. 328-335 May 2009 Do improvements in emotional distress correlate with becoming more mindful? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19484596 2009-09-26 19:21:47 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19484596 Aging & Mental Health 13 3 Aging Ment Health DOI 10.1080/13607860802459807 ISSN 1364-6915 journalArticle Aponte H J Humans Psychiatry Psychotherapy Religion and Psychology Social Values Political bias, moral values, and spirituality in the training of psychotherapists Today psychotherapists face a challenge quite different from Karl Menninger's early efforts to foster an understanding between the new science of psychiatry and traditional religion. Today the mental health sciences are struggling with the contradictions and conflicts about society's values and spirituality that are currently vexing us all. The challenge today for psychotherapists is how to address values and spirituality professionally, ethically, and usefully in our work. This article looks at the scope of the task of training psychotherapists to work with values and spirituality in today's climate of amorphous values and culture wars. 488-502 1996 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9009377 2009-11-12 22:29:20 NCBI PubMed PMID: 9009377 Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic 60 4 Bull Menninger Clin ISSN 0025-9284 journalArticle Brewer Harry Arab World History of Nursing History, Ancient Hospitals Humans Medicine, Arabic Medicine, Traditional Historical perspectives on health. Early Arabic medicine The Arabian conquests during and after the 7th century led to a spread of Islam as well as the consequential influence of theology on health through the teachings of the Qur'an (Koran). Although traditional medicine was widely accepted and used, the character of early aggrandisement of Arabic medicine involved a facility for adapting and absorbing Graeco-Roman knowledge. The translation schools and libraries, famous in both the East and West, preserved and expanded the knowledge acquired. European academic learning owed much to the Arabs. Information came through Spain to Italy, France and, later on, England. The founding of hospitals, whilst not an Arab initiative, received a fillip from the religious prescriptions for care of the sick. The Military Orders developed specialist institutions for the sick, probably as a result of what they saw during their sojourn in the Middle East. The legacy of Arabic medical care is still with us today and deserves understanding and greater appreciation. 184-187 Jul 2004 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/15301318 2009-11-02 18:39:30 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15301318 The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health 124 4 J R Soc Promot Health ISSN 1466-4240 journalArticle Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1172 Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci DOI 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04394.x ISSN 1749-6632 Brown Richard P Gerbarg Patricia L Yoga breathing, meditation, and longevity Yoga breathing is an important part of health and spiritual practices in Indo-Tibetan traditions. Considered fundamental for the development of physical well-being, meditation, awareness, and enlightenment, it is both a form of meditation in itself and a preparation for deep meditation. Yoga breathing (pranayama) can rapidly bring the mind to the present moment and reduce stress. In this paper, we review data indicating how breath work can affect longevity mechanisms in some ways that overlap with meditation and in other ways that are different from, but that synergistically enhance, the effects of meditation. We also provide clinical evidence for the use of yoga breathing in the treatment of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and for victims of mass disasters. By inducing stress resilience, breath work enables us to rapidly and compassionately relieve many forms of suffering. 54-62 Aug 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19735239 2009-09-15 05:55:13 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19735239 book Norman University of Oklahoma Press Schwarz Maureen Trudelle Christianity and other religions Indians, North American Medicine Medicine, Traditional Navajo Indians Religion Religion and Medicine Shamanism Southwest, New Surgery Traditional medicine I Choose Life: Contemporary Medical and Religious Practices in the Navajo World 2008 ISBN 9780806139418 "I Choose Life" library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog E99.N3 S3577 2008 journalArticle Davies Betty Brenner Paul Orloff Stacy Sumner Liz Worden William Adult Child Child Psychology Family Holistic Health Humans Needs Assessment Nursing Assessment Palliative Care Pastoral Care Pediatrics Practice Guidelines as Topic Religion and Medicine Religion and Psychology Spirituality Addressing spirituality in pediatric hospice and palliative care Hospice and palliative care principles mandate clinicIans to provide "total" care to patients and their families. Such care incorporates not only physical, emotional, and psychosocial care, but spiritual care as well. Even though considerable attention has been directed to spiritual issues for adult patients in hospice and palliative care, spirituality in pediatric palliative care has been virtually neglected. The need for guidelines to assess spirituality in this population was identified as a priority issue by members of a subcommittee of the Children's International Project on Children's Palliative/Hospice Services, created under the auspices of the National Hospice Organization. Committee members, based on their clinical, research, and personal experiences, identified several aspects relevant to spirituality in general, and to spirituality in pediatric palliative care in particular, and developed guidelines for clinicians in pediatric palliative care. The purpose of this paper is to share the results of this committee's work and, in particular, to present their guidelines for addressing spiritual issues in children and families in pediatric hospice and palliative care. 59-67 2002 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12001404 2009-11-13 02:33:08 NCBI PubMed PMID: 12001404 Journal of Palliative Care 18 1 J Palliat Care ISSN 0825-8597 journalArticle French Christopher C Attitude to Death Brain Death Dissociative Disorders Heart Arrest Humans Models, Neurological Models, Psychological Near-death experiences in cardiac arrest survivors Near-death experiences (NDEs) have become the focus of much interest in the last 30 years or so. Such experiences can occur both when individuals are objectively near to death and also when they simply believe themselves to be. The experience typically involves a number of different components including a feeling of peace and well-being, out-of-body experiences (OBEs), entering a region of darkness, seeing a brilliant light, and entering another realm. NDEs are known to have long-lasting transformational effects upon those who experience them. An overview is presented of the various theoretical approaches that have been adopted in attempts to account for the NDE. Spiritual theories assume that consciousness can become detached from the neural substrate of the brain and that the NDE may provide a glimpse of an afterlife. Psychological theories include the proposal that the NDE is a dissociative defense mechanism that occurs in times of extreme danger or, less plausibly, that the NDE reflects memories of being born. Finally, a wide range of organic theories of the NDE has been put forward including those based upon cerebral hypoxia, anoxia, and hypercarbia; endorphins and other neurotransmitters; and abnormal activity in the temporal lobes. Finally, the results of studies of NDEs in cardiac arrest survivors are reviewed and the implications of these results for our understanding of mind-brain relationships are discussed. 351-367 2005 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/16186035 2009-10-09 19:34:58 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16186035 Progress in Brain Research 150 Prog. Brain Res DOI 10.1016/S0079-6123(05)50025-6 ISSN 0079-6123 journalArticle Psychiatry 66 1 Psychiatry ISSN 0033-2747 Castillo Richard J Cross-Cultural Comparison Culture Dissociative Disorders Hallucinations Hinduism Humans Meditation Psychotic Disorders Trance, functional psychosis, and culture This paper discusses the hypothesis that the symptoms of functional psychoses can be caused by culturally structured spontaneous trances that may be reactions to environmental stress and psychological trauma. Findings are reviewed of anthropological studies of meditative trance experiences in Indian yogis characterized by divided consciousness (dissociation), religious auditory and visual hallucinations, and beliefs in their own spiritual powers. An explanation of the psychological mechanisms of meditative trance is also provided, highlighting trance-related alteration of consciousness within an Indian cultural context. It is suggested that the psychological mechanisms of meditative trance are similar in structure to spontaneous trances underlying the symptoms of some functional psychoses. Findings from cross-cultural studies are also reviewed, highlighting the effects of culture on the symptoms, indigenous diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes of functional psychoses. In non-Western cultures, transient functional psychoses with complete recovery are 10 times more common than in Western cultures. It is suggested that egocentrism and a loss of spiritual explanations for psychosis in Western cultures constructs a clinical situation in which persons with functional psychoses are treated for a biogenetic (incurable) brain disease rather than a curable spiritual illness. This difference in cultural belief systems leads to poorer outcomes for Western patients compared to non-Western patients. Recognizing cultural differences in symptoms, indigenous diagnoses, and treatment for functional psychoses can help explain the dramatic cross-cultural differences in outcome. 9-21 2003 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/12710226 2009-10-09 21:34:42 NCBI PubMed PMID: 12710226 journalArticle Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 527 ISSN 00027162 McGuire Meredith B. Health and Spirituality as Contemporary Concerns One theme of particular importance in contemporary U. S. religion and quasi-religion is health and healing. Groups as diverse as Pentecostal Christians and New Age groups, women's spirituality groups and New Thought churches are promoting non-medical approaches to health and healing. Indeed, to many contemporary Americans, health and healing appear to be salient metaphors for salvation and holiness. Religious and quasi-religious attention to health is adamantly holistic in the belief that spiritual, emotional, social, and physical aspects of well-being are fundamentally interconnected. To understand the significance of this widespread focus on health and healing, we need to look beyond the religious groups themselves and appreciate some twentieth-century structural and cultural changes in the meanings of the body, the self, and the nature of well-being. 144-154 May, 1993 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/1048682 2009-10-13 04:54:11 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Issue Title: Religion in the Nineties / Full publication date: May, 1993 / Copyright © 1993 American Academy of Political and Social Science journalArticle Journal of Church and State 32 Summer 1990 ISSN 0021-969X Simmons Paul D. Religious liberty and the abortion debate 567-84 1990 2009-10-27 04:00:00 journalArticle BMJ: British Medical Journal 319 7218 ISSN 09598138 Vickers Andrew Zollman Catherine ABC of Complementary Medicine: The Manipulative Therapies: Osteopathy and Chiropractic 1176-1179 Oct. 30, 1999 ABC of Complementary Medicine http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/25186229 2009-11-09 05:24:10 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Oct. 30, 1999 / Copyright © 1999 BMJ Publishing Group book Comparative studies of health systems and medical care Berkeley University of California Press Leslie Charles M Young Allan American Anthropological Association Asia Congresses East Asia Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine, Oriental Medicine, Oriental Traditional Paths to Asian Medical Knowledge 1992 ISBN 0520073177 library.bu.edu Library Catalog R581 .P38 1992 journalArticle BMJ: British Medical Journal 319 7224 ISSN 09598138 Zollman Catherine Vickers Andrew ABC of Complementary Medicine: Complementary Medicine and the Doctor 1558-1561 Dec. 11, 1999 ABC of Complementary Medicine http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/25186616 2009-11-09 05:29:04 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Dec. 11, 1999 / Copyright © 1999 BMJ Publishing Group journalArticle Journal of Palliative Care 20 1 J Palliat Care ISSN 0825-8597 Flannelly Kevin J Weaver Andrew J Costa Karen G Attitude to Death Holistic Health Humans Palliative Care Pastoral Care Periodicals as Topic Publishing Qualitative Research Religion Religion and Medicine Religion and Psychology Research Design Spirituality A systematic review of religion and spirituality in three palliative care journals, 1990-1999 50-56 2004 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15132077 2009-11-13 17:51:13 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15132077 book New York, N.Y Harmony Books Mishra Rammurti S Yoga Fundamentals of Yoga: A Handbook of Theory, Practice, and Application 1987 ed 1987 ISBN 051756422X Fundamentals of Yoga library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog B132.Y6 M5 1987 journalArticle The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 192 12 J. Nerv. Ment. Dis ISSN 0022-3018 Baetz Marilyn Griffin Ronald Bowen Rudy Koenig Harold G Marcoux Eugene Adolescent Adult Canada Depressive Disorder Female Health Status Health Surveys Humans Life Style Logistic Models Male Psychiatric Status Rating Scales Questionnaires Religion and Psychology Self Concept Severity of Illness Index social support Spirituality The association between spiritual and religious involvement and depressive symptoms in a Canadian population Data from a large epidemiologic survey were examined to determine the relationship of religious practice (worship service attendance), spiritual and religious self-perception, and importance (salience) to depressive symptoms. Data were obtained from 70,884 respondents older than 15 years from the Canadian National Population Health Survey (Wave II, 1996-1997). Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship of the religious/spiritual variables to depressive symptoms while controlling for demographic, social, and health variables. More frequent worship service attendees had significantly fewer depressive symptoms. In contrast, those who stated spiritual values or faith were important or perceived themselves to be spiritual/religious had higher levels of depressive symptoms, even after controlling for potential mediating and confounding factors. It is evident that spirituality/religion has an important effect on depressive symptoms, but this study underscores the complexity of this relationship. Longitudinal studies are needed to help elucidate mechanisms and the order and direction of effects. 818-822 Dec 2004 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15583502 2009-11-13 19:15:31 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15583502 journalArticle Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.) 10 5 J Altern Complement Med DOI 10.1089/acm.2004.10.879 ISSN 1075-5535 Joshi Rajani R Algorithms Biometry Complementary Therapies Humans Medicine, Ayurvedic Qi Regression Analysis A biostatistical approach to ayurveda: quantifying the tridosha OBJECTIVE: To compute quantitative estimates of the tridosha--the qualitative characterization that constitutes the core of diagnosis and treatment in Ayurveda--to provide a basis for biostatistical analysis of this ancient Indian science, which is a promising field of alternative medicine. SUBJECTS: The data sources were 280 persons from among the residents and visitors/training students at the Brahmvarchas Research Centre and Shantikuj, Hardwar, India. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY: A quantitative measure of the tridosha level (for vata, pitta, and kapha) is obtained by applying an algorithmic heuristic approach to the exhaustive list of qualitative features/factors that are commonly used by Ayurvedic doctors. A knowledge-based concept of worth coefficients and fuzzy multiattribute decision functions are used here for regression modeling. VALIDATION AND APPLICATIONS: Statistical validation on a large sample shows the accuracy of this study's estimates with statistical confidence level above 90%. The estimates are also suited for diagnostic and prognostic applications and systematic drug-response analysis of Ayurvedic (herbal and rasayanam) medicines. An application with regard to the former is elucidated, extensions of which might also be of use in investigating the role of nadis in Ayurvedic healing vis-a-vis acupuncture and acupressure techniques. The importance and scope of this novel approach are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: This pioneering study shows that the concept of tridosha has a sound empirical basis that could be used for the scientific establishment of Ayurveda in a new light. 879-889 Oct 2004 A biostatistical approach to ayurveda http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/15650478 2009-11-02 07:33:59 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15650478 journalArticle Schiffeler John Wm. The Origin of Chinese Folk Medicine 17-35 1976 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/1177648 2009-10-13 04:00:47 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: 1976 / Copyright © 1976 Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture Asian Folklore Studies 35 1 ISSN 03852342 book Kobe, Japan World Health Organization WHO International Symposium World Health Organization Congresses Health Traditional medicine Traditional Medicine: Better Science, Policy and Services for Health Development: Proceedings of a WHO International Symposium, Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, 11-13 September 2000 2001 Traditional Medicine library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog journalArticle Otori Ranzaburo The Acceptance of Western Medicine in Japan 254-274 1964 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/2383172 2009-10-13 04:14:30 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: 1964 / Copyright © 1964 Sophia University Monumenta Nipponica 19 3/4 ISSN 00270741 journalArticle Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine: eCAM Evid Based Complement Alternat Med DOI 10.1093/ecam/nep113 ISSN 1741-427X Patwardhan Kishor Gehlot Sangeeta Singh Girish Rathore H C S The Ayurveda Education in India: How Well are the Graduates Exposed to Basic Clinical Skills? 'Ayurveda' is an ancient system of healthcare that is native to India. At present, in India, there are more than 240 colleges that offer a graduate-level degree (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery-BAMS) in Ayurveda. Even though the Central Council of Indian Medicine, the governing body that monitors the matters related to Ayurveda education, has imposed various educational norms and regulations, the standard of education has been a cause of concern in recent years. The mushrooming of substandard Ayurvedic colleges is the most important factor that is being held responsible for this kind of erosion in the standards. The present study is a mailed survey, which was carried out to evaluate the 'Extent of exposure to basic clinical skills during BAMS course' as perceived by the sample groups of students and teachers drawn from 32 Ayurvedic educational institutions spread all over India. A methodically validated questionnaire was used as the tool in the study, to which 1022 participants responded. The study indicates that there are some serious flaws in the existing system of the graduate-level Ayurveda education. Since the Ayurvedic graduates play an important role in the primary healthcare delivery system of the country, governing bodies are required to take necessary steps to ensure the adequate exposure of the students to basic clinical skills. Along with the strict implementation of all the regulatory norms during the process of recognition of the colleges, introducing some changes in the policy model may also be required to tackle the situation. Aug 17, 2009 The Ayurveda Education in India http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19687194 2009-11-02 07:11:51 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19687194 book Oxford Oxford University Press Barnes Linda Sered Susan Religion and healing in America 2005 ISBN 9780195167955 Open WorldCat journalArticle Journal of General Internal Medicine 21 Suppl 5 J Gen Intern Med DOI 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00641.x ISSN 1525-1497 Cotton Sian Tsevat Joel Szaflarski Magdalena Kudel Ian Sherman Susan N Feinberg Judith Leonard Anthony C Holmes William C Adult African Americans Female HIV Infections Humans Life Change Events Male Odds Ratio Religion and Psychology Sex Distribution Social Alienation United States Changes in religiousness and spirituality attributed to HIV/AIDS: are there sex and race differences? BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Having a serious illness such as HIV/AIDS raises existential issues, which are potentially manifested as changes in religiousness and spirituality. The objective of this study was (1) to describe changes in religiousness and spirituality of people with HIV/AIDS, and (2) to determine if these changes differed by sex and race. METHODS: Three-hundred and forty-seven adults with HIV/AIDS from 4 sites were asked demographic, clinical, and religious/spiritual questions. Six religious/spiritual questions assessed personal and social domains of religiousness and spirituality. RESULTS: Eighty-eight participants (25%) reported being "more religious" and 142 (41%) reported being "more spiritual" since being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 1 in 4 participants also reported that they felt more alienated by a religious group since their HIV/AIDS diagnosis and approximately 1 in 10 reported changing their place of religious worship because of HIV/AIDS. A total of 174 participants (50%) believed that their religiousness/spirituality helped them live longer. Fewer Caucasians than African Americans reported becoming more spiritual since their HIV/AIDS diagnosis (37% vs 52%, respectively; P<.015), more Caucasians than African Americans felt alienated from religious communities (44% vs 21%, respectively; P<.001), and fewer Caucasians than African Americans believed that their religiousness/spirituality helped them live longer (41% vs 68% respectively; P<.001). There were no significantly different reported changes in religious and spiritual experiences by sex. CONCLUSIONS: Many participants report having become more spiritual or religious since contracting HIV/AIDS, though many have felt alienated by a religious group-some to the point of changing their place of worship. Clinicians conducting spiritual assessments should be aware that changes in religious and spiritual experiences attributed to HIV/AIDS might differ between Caucasian and African Americans. S14-20 Dec 2006 Changes in religiousness and spirituality attributed to HIV/AIDS http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17083495 2009-11-13 21:55:54 NCBI PubMed PMID: 17083495 journalArticle Asian Folklore Studies 37 1 ISSN 03852342 Demetrio Francisco R. The Shaman as Psychologist 57-75 1978 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/1177583 2009-11-09 04:45:52 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: 1978 / Copyright © 1978 Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture book Evolution and Cognition Series Oxford University Press Atran Scott In Gods We Trust: The Evolutionary Landscape of Religion 2002-11-12 ISBN 0195178033 In Gods We Trust Amazon.com journalArticle Social Forces 71 4 ISSN 00377732 Ellison Christopher G. Religious Involvement and Self-Perception among Black Americans This study focuses on the relationships between the religious involvement of black Americans and two important dimensions of self-perception: self-esteem, or one's sense of personal worth, and personal mastery, or feelings of control over one's affairs. This article argues that participation in church communities may foster positive self-perception through the interpersonal supportiveness and positive reflected appraisals of coreligionists. Private devotional activities may also be linked with positive self-regard via processes of religious role taking. Analyses of data from the 1979-80 National Survey of Black Americans support these arguments with regard to self-esteem, but not personal mastery. In addition, the findings suggest that public religious participation buffers the negative influence of physical unattractiveness on self-esteem, while private religious devotion buffers the negative impact of chronic illness on self-esteem. The results shed new light on the contemporary psychosocial role of religious life among black Americans. 1027-1055 Jun., 1993 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/2580129 2009-09-25 16:11:31 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Jun., 1993 / Copyright © 1993 Social Forces, University of North Carolina Press journalArticle Daaleman Timothy P Usher Barbara M Williams Sharon W Rawlings Jim Hanson Laura C Adult Attitude to Death Caregivers Female Humans Male Middle Aged Palliative Care Pastoral Care Professional-Family Relations Professional-Patient Relations Spirituality Terminal Care Terminally ill An exploratory study of spiritual care at the end of life PURPOSE: Although spiritual care is a core element of palliative care, it remains unclear how this care is perceived and delivered at the end of life. We explored how clinicians and other health care workers understand and view spiritual care provided to dying patients and their family members. METHODS: Our study was based on qualitative research using key informant interviews and editing analysis with 12 clinicians and other health care workers nominated as spiritual caregivers by dying patients and their family members. RESULTS: Being present was a predominant theme, marked by physical proximity and intentionality, or the deliberate ideation and purposeful action of providing care that went beyond medical treatment. Opening eyes was the process by which caregivers became aware of their patient's life course and the individualized experience of their patient's current illness. Participants also described another course of action, which we termed cocreating, that was a mutual and fluid activity between patients, family members, and caregivers. Cocreating began with an affirmation of the patient's life experience and led to the generation of a wholistic care plan that focused on maintaining the patient's humanity and dignity. Time was both a facilitator and inhibitor of effective spiritual care. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians and other health care workers consider spiritual care at the end of life as a series of highly fluid interpersonal processes in the context of mutually recognized human values and experiences, rather than a set of prescribed and proscribed roles. 406-411 2008 Sep-Oct http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18779544 2009-11-14 00:13:24 NCBI PubMed PMID: 18779544 Annals of Family Medicine 6 5 Ann Fam Med DOI 10.1370/afm.883 ISSN 1544-1717 journalArticle Review of Religious Research 38 2 DOI 10.2307/3512336 ISSN 0034673X Ellison Christopher G. Taylor Robert Joseph Turning to Prayer: Social and Situational Antecedents of Religious Coping among African Americans Although observers have long suggested that prayer is an important coping behavior for African Americans, there has been little research on the social and situational antecedents of such religious coping in this population. This study develops a series of theoretical arguments linking four sets of factors -- religiosity, problem domain, social and psychological resources, and social location -- with religious coping. Relevant hypotheses are then tested using data from a large national probability sample of African Americans. Findings confirm the general importance of religious coping among African Americans. Further, while multiple dimensions of religiosity are important predictors of the use of prayer in coping, this practice is also most likely among persons dealing with health problems or bereavement, persons with low general personal mastery, and females. A number of promising directions for further research on religious coping -- among African Americans, and in the general population -- are discussed. 111-131 Dec., 1996 Turning to Prayer http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512336 2009-09-07 17:48:36 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Dec., 1996 / Copyright © 1996 Religious Research Association, Inc. journalArticle Review of Religious Research 39 1 ISSN 0034673X Nelson Timothy J. He Made a Way out of No Way: Religious Experience in an African-American Congregation Sociologists have expended little effort to examine the experiential dimension of religion. When social scientists have turned their attention to religious experience, they have used a definition of the concept which has overly restricted its scope. This paper is based upon an ethnographic study of an African Methodist Episcopal congregation made up primarily of the working poor and near-poor. I use the data to study the reported experiences of congregational members concerning the action of spiritual beings in their everyday lives, and I discuss the role of social ties and the cultural devices of metaphor and narrative in shaping these experiences. Finally, I demonstrate the influence of social location -- primarily race and class -- on attributions to supernatural agency. 5-26 Sep., 1997 He Made a Way out of No Way http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/3512476 2009-10-09 20:49:19 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Sep., 1997 / Copyright © 1997 Religious Research Association, Inc. journalArticle Psycho-Oncology 8 5 Psychooncology ISSN 1057-9249 Kristeller J L Zumbrun C S Schilling R F Adaptation, Psychological Adult Attitude of Health Personnel Family Health Female Health Care Surveys Humans Male Medical Oncology Middle Aged Neoplasms Nurses Physician-Patient Relations Religion and Medicine Stress, Psychological 'I would if I could': how oncologists and oncology nurses address spiritual distress in cancer patients Medical providers are called upon to address a wide range of psychosocial issues, under increasing time constraints. Spiritual/existential distress was one of 18 issues covered in a survey of oncologists' (n=94) and oncology nurses' (n=267) attitudes and practices regarding psychosocial issues. The survey included patient vignettes at good, moderate and poor prognosis levels, and questions regarding attitudes toward patient care, typical and ideal services, and expectation for impact. A substantial proportion of both oncologists (37.5%) and nurses (47.5%) identified themselves as primarily responsible for addressing spiritual distress in their setting. However, over 85% of both MDs and RNs felt that ideally a chaplain should address such issues. Working in an inpatient setting predicted that nurses, but not doctors, would confer with chaplains. When ranking spiritual distress as important to address in comparison to 17 other issues, only 11.8% of MDs and 8.5% of RNs ranked it in the top three for the poor prognosis vignette, with yet lower values with better prognoses. For the poor prognosis, younger MDs were more likely to address spirituality (r=-0.26) and were also more likely to address anxiety or depression (r=0.25) and family distress (r=0.20). For RNs, no such relationships appeared. Perceived impact was also a predictor of whether spirituality issues were addressed. These results suggest that spiritual distress experienced by cancer patients may be under-addressed due to time constraints, lack of confidence in effectiveness, and role uncertainty. 451-458 1999 Sep-Oct 'I would if I could' http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10559804 2009-11-13 01:31:45 NCBI PubMed PMID: 10559804 journalArticle Kilpatrick Shelley Dean Weaver Andrew J McCullough Michael E Puchalski Christina Larson David B Hays Judith C Farran Carol J Flannelly Kevin J Humans Nursing Care Nursing Research Periodicals as Topic Qualitative Research Religion and Medicine Spirituality A review of spiritual and religious measures in nursing research journals: 1995-1999 Background: A series of systematic reviews has revealed relatively high levels of interest in religion and spirituality in different nursing specialties, but not in general nursing research journals. Purpose: To identify the extent to which spirituality and religiousness were measured in all quantitative and qualitative research articles published in Research in Nursing and Health, Nursing Research, Advances in Nursing Science (ANS), and Image: The Journal of Nursing Scholarship from 1995 to 1999. Methods: A full-text search was conducted of ANS and Image using the Ovid search system. Nursing Research and Research in Nursing and Health were hand searched for spiritual/religious measures. Characteristics of selected studies, the measures taken, and their uses were coded for data analysis. Results: A total of 564 research studies were identified, of which 67 (11.9%) included at least one measure of spirituality or religiousness. A significant difference was found between the percentage of qualitative and quantitative studies that contained measures of these concepts. Of the 119 qualitative studies, 23 (19.3%) contained a measure of religion or spirituality, compared to 44 of the 445 (9.9%) quantitative studies. Nominal indicators of religious affiliation were the most commonly used measures in the quantitative studies and measures of religion and spirituality were rarely used in the analyses. Although only a few quantitative or qualitative studies intended to focus on religion or spirituality, these themes often emerged spontaneously in the qualitative research. Conclusions: Research in Nursing and Health, Advances in Nursing Science, Nursing Research, and Image: The Journal of Nursing Scholarship all published research measuring spirituality and religiousness during the time-period studies. The rate at which spirituality and religion appeared in these nursing research articles is substantially higher than that found in most fields outside of nursing. Even more frequent inclusion of spiritual and religious variables and richer measures of spirituality and religiousness would help to increase the available scientific information on the role of spirituality and religion in nursing care. 55-66 2005 A review of spiritual and religious measures in nursing research journals http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16285132 2009-11-13 20:28:40 NCBI PubMed PMID: 16285132 Journal of Religion and Health 44 1 J Relig Health ISSN 0022-4197 journalArticle Larijani Bagher Zahedi Farzaneh Beneficence Bioethical Issues Codes of Ethics Ethical Theory Ethics, Medical Hippocratic Oath History, 20th Century History, 21st Century Humans Iran Islam Moral Obligations Morals Personal Autonomy Principle-Based Ethics Social Justice Contemporary medical ethics: an overview from Iran The growing potential of biomedical technologies has increasingly been associated with discussions surrounding the ethical aspects of the new technologies in different societies. Advances in genetics, stem cell research and organ transplantation are some of the medical issues that have raised important ethical and social issues. Special attention has been paid towards moral ethics in Islam and medical and religious professions in Iran have voiced the requirement for an emphasis on ethics. In the last decade, great strides have been made in biomedical ethics, especially in the field of education, research and legislation. In this article, contemporary medical ethics in Iran, and the related moral philosophy, have been reviewed in brief and we have discussed some of the activities in the field of medical ethics that have been carried out in our country within recent years. These activities have included the establishment of the National and Regional Committees for Medical Research Ethics and the production of national codes of ethics in biomedical research in the 1990 s and the introduction of a comprehensive strategic plan for medical ethics at the national level in 2002. This paper will discuss these issues, along with the production, in 2005, of the Specific National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research. 192-196 Dec 2008 Contemporary medical ethics http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19046256 2009-11-02 18:19:38 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19046256 Developing World Bioethics 8 3 Dev World Bioeth DOI 10.1111/j.1471-8847.2006.00180.x ISSN 1471-8847 journalArticle Holistic Nursing Practice 7 1 Holist Nurs Pract ISSN 0887-9311 Olson M Adaptation, Psychological Aged Attitude to Death Geriatric Nursing Human Development Humans Male Questionnaires Near-death experiences and the elderly 16-21 Oct 1992 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/1447326 2009-10-09 20:17:58 NCBI PubMed PMID: 1447326 journalArticle Sloan Richard P. Ramakrishnan Rajasekhar. Science, Medicine, and Intercessory Prayer Among the many recent attempts to demonstrate the medical benefits of religious activity, the methodologically strongest seem to be studies of the effects of distant intercessory prayer (IP). In these studies, patients are randomly assigned to receive standard care or standard care plus the prayers or "healing intentions" of distant intercessors. Most of the scientific community has dismissed such research, but cavalier rejection of studies of IP is unwise, because IP studies appear to conform to the standards of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and, as such, would have a significant advantage over observational investigations of associations between religious variables and health outcomes. As we demonstrate, however, studies of IP fail to meet the standards of RCTs in several critical respects. They fail to adequately measure and control exposure to prayer from others, which is likely to exceed IP and to vary widely from subject to subject, and whose magnitude is unknown. This supplemental prayer so greatly attenuates the differences between the treatment and control groups that sample sizes are too large to justify studies of IP. Further, IP studies generally do not specify the outcome variables, raising problems of multiple comparisons and Type 1 errors. Finally, these studies claim findings incompatible with current views of the physical universe and consciousness. Unless these problems are solved, studies of IP should not be conducted. 504-514 2006 http://muse.jhu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu/journals/perspectives_in_biology_and_medicine/v049/49.4sloan.html 2009-10-09 18:59:00 Project MUSE Volume 49, Number 4, Autumn 2006 Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 49 4 ISSN 1529-8795 journalArticle J Gerontol 40 5 DOI 10.1093/geronj/40.5.615 Hunsberger Bruce Religion, Age, Life Satisfaction, and Perceived Sources of Religiousness: A Study of Older Persons Eighty-five persons aged 65 to 88 years participated in this interview study of three issues. The present study supported previous findings of a tendency toward increased religiosity in older age. This was tempered, however, by the finding that, although highly religious older persons tended to report an increase in religiousness over the course of their lives, respondents who were low in religiosity tended to report a decrease. These two groups reported that before the age of 20 a relatively small difference in religiosity existed but by old age this difference had become substantial. Second, there was evidence of a low to moderate positive relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction. Finally, mothers were reported to have had the strongest proreligious influence, although both parents were generally perceived to be important influences in religious development. 615-620 September 1, 1985 Religion, Age, Life Satisfaction, and Perceived Sources of Religiousness http://geronj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/40/5/615 2009-10-17 19:35:34 HighWire journalArticle Research on Social Work Practice 17 2 DOI 10.1177/1049731506296170 Hodge David R. A Systematic Review of the Empirical Literature on Intercessory Prayer Perhaps surprisingly, many social workers appear to use intercessory prayer in direct practice settings. To help inform practitioners' use of this intervention, this article evaluates the empirical literature on the topic using the following three methods: (a) an individual assessment of each study, (b) an evaluation of intercessory prayer as an empirically supported intervention using criteria developed by Division 12 of the American Psychological Association (APA), and (c) a meta-analysis. Based on the Division 12 criteria, intercessory prayer was classified as an experimental intervention. Meta-analysis indicated small, but significant, effect sizes for the use of intercessory prayer (g =-.171, p =.015). The implications are discussed in light of the APA's Presidential Task Force on Evidence-based Practice. 174-187 March 1, 2007 http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/2/174 2009-10-12 21:46:42 Sage Journals Online journalArticle Holt Cheryl L Roberts Chastity Scarinci Isabel Wiley Shereta R Eloubeidi Mohamad Crowther Martha Bolland John Litaker Mark S Southward Vivian Coughlin Steven S Adult African Americans Aged Aged, 80 and over Colorectal Neoplasms Female Health Education Humans Male Mass Screening Middle Aged Patient Acceptance of Health Care Spirituality Development of a spiritually based educational program to increase colorectal cancer screening among African American men and women This study describes the development of a spiritually based intervention to increase colorectal cancer screening through African American churches by framing the health message with spiritual themes and scripture. The intervention development phase consisted of ideas from an advisory panel and core content identified in focus groups. In the pilot-testing phase, prototypes of the intervention materials were tested for graphic appeal in additional focus groups, and content was tested for acceptability and comprehension in cognitive interviews. Participants preferred materials showing a variety of African Americans in real settings, bright color schemes, and an uplifting message emphasizing prevention and early detection. Spiritual themes such as stewardship over the body, being well to serve God, and using faith to overcome fear, were well received. The materials were then finalized for implementation and will be used by community health advisors to encourage screening. 400-412 Jul 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19657823 2009-11-14 01:11:11 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19657823 Health Communication 24 5 Health Commun DOI 10.1080/10410230903023451 ISSN 1532-7027 book Wadsworth Publishing Ruscio John Clear Thinking with Psychology: Separating Sense from Nonsense 1 2001-07-13 ISBN 053453659X Clear Thinking with Psychology Amazon.com journalArticle Yakirevitch Arkadi Bedrin Lev Migirov Lela Wolf Michael Talmi Yoav P Use of alternative medicine in Israeli chronic rhinosinusitis patients OBJECTIVE: The worldwide interest in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been established in multiple surveys. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is often an unremitting disease with frequent troubling relapses, and despite wide use of endoscopic sinus surgery, conventional medicine may have a smaller contribution than expected. Because of prevalent use of CAM among patients, it is important that physicians acquire basic knowledge of this subject. We studied the prevalence of CAM use among CRS patients in Israel. DESIGN: Use of CAM was evaluated in a cohort of consecutive adult patients with CRS. SETTING: An outpatient clinic in a tertiary medical centre. METHODS: Patients were asked to fill out an anonymous questionnaire containing demographic data and data pertaining to allergy, traditional medical and surgical treatment use of CAM, and modalities used. RESULTS: Ninety patients were included. Nineteen of them (21%) reported CAM use. This included herbal medicine, vitamins, homeopathy, acupuncture, massage, reflexology, yoga, and chiropractics. There was a tendency, although not statistically significant, for patients with allergy and a history of sinus surgery to use CAM. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CAM use among patients with CRS in Israel is high and may correlate with the presence of allergies and a history of sinus surgery. 517-520 Aug 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19755095 2009-09-29 03:51:44 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19755095 Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery = Le Journal D'oto-Rhino-Laryngologie Et De Chirurgie Cervico-Faciale 38 4 J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg ISSN 1916-0216 journalArticle Philosophy East and West 37 3 ISSN 00318221 Larson Gerald James Medicine, Ayurvedic Āyurveda and the Hindu Philosophical Systems 245-259 Jul., 1987 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/1398518 2009-10-13 03:17:35 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Jul., 1987 / Copyright © 1987 University of Hawai'i Press journalArticle Cotton Sian Grossoehme Daniel Rosenthal Susan L McGrady Meghan E Roberts Yvonne Humenay Hines Janelle Yi Michael S Tsevat Joel Adaptation, Psychological Adolescent Adolescent Psychology Anemia, Sickle Cell Child Chronic Disease Data Collection Female Humans Male Pilot Projects Religion and Medicine Religion and Psychology Spirituality Young Adult Religious/Spiritual coping in adolescents with sickle cell disease: a pilot study Religious/spiritual (R/S) coping has been associated with health outcomes in chronically ill adults; however, little is known about how adolescents use R/S to cope with a chronic illness such as sickle cell disease (SCD). Using a mixed method approach (quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews), we examined R/S coping, spirituality, and health-related quality of life in 48 adolescents with SCD and 42 parents of adolescents with SCD. Adolescents reported high rates of religious attendance and belief in God, prayed often, and had high levels of spirituality (eg, finding meaning/peace in their lives and deriving comfort from faith). Thirty-five percent of adolescents reported praying once or more a day for symptom management. The most common positive R/S coping strategies used by adolescents were: "Asked forgiveness for my sins" (73% of surveys) and "Sought God's love and care" (73% of surveys). Most parents used R/S coping strategies to cope with their child's illness. R/S coping was not significantly associated with HRQOL (P=NS). R/S coping, particularly prayer, was relevant for adolescents with SCD and their parents. Future studies should assess adolescents' preferences for discussing R/S in the medical setting and whether R/S coping is related to HRQOL in larger samples. 313-318 May 2009 Religious/Spiritual coping in adolescents with sickle cell disease http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19415008 2009-11-14 01:02:03 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19415008 Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology: Official Journal of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology 31 5 J. Pediatr. Hematol. Oncol DOI 10.1097/MPH.0b013e31819e40e3 ISSN 1536-3678 journalArticle New Series Medical Anthropology Quarterly 15 3 ISSN 07455194 Baer Hans A. The Sociopolitical Status of U. S. Naturopathy at the Dawn of the 21st Century Naturopathic medicine in the United States had its inception around the turn of the 20th century. Subsequently, it underwent a process of relatively rapid growth until around the 1930s, followed by a period of gradual decline almost to the point of extinction due to biomedical opposition and the advent of "miracle drugs." Because its therapeutic eclecticism had preadapted it to fit into the holistic health movement that emerged in the 1970s, it was able to undergo a process of organizational rejuvenation during the last two decades of the century. Nevertheless, U.S. naturopathy as a professionalized heterodox medical system faces several dilemmas as it enters the new millennium. These include (1) the fact that it has succeeded in obtaining licensure in only two sections of the country, namely, the Far West and New England; (2) increasing competition from partially professionalized and lay naturopaths, many of whom are graduates of correspondence schools; and (3) the danger of cooptation as many biomedical practitioners adopt natural therapies. 329-346 Sep., 2001 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/649583 2009-11-10 06:13:08 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Sep., 2001 / Copyright © 2001 American Anthropological Association book London Routledge & Kegan Paul Hillier S. M Jewell J. A China History Medical care Medicine Medicine, Chinese Health Care and Traditional Medicine in China, 1800-1982 1983 ISBN 0710094256 library.bu.edu Library Catalog R601 .H5 1983 journalArticle Patwardhan Bhushan Mashelkar Raghunath Anant Medicine, Ayurvedic Traditional medicine-inspired approaches to drug discovery: can Ayurveda show the way forward? Drug discovery strategies based on natural products and traditional medicines are re-emerging as attractive options. We suggest that drug discovery and development need not always be confined to new molecular entities. Rationally designed, carefully standardized, synergistic traditional herbal formulations and botanical drug products with robust scientific evidence can also be alternatives. A reverse pharmacology approach, inspired by traditional medicine and Ayurveda, can offer a smart strategy for new drug candidates to facilitate discovery process and also for the development of rational synergistic botanical formulations. 804-811 August 2009 Traditional medicine-inspired approaches to drug discovery http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/science/article/B6T64-4WCSRFR-7/2/4ec31dd3bed40025bf61979a784409ca 2009-09-07 06:12:45 ScienceDirect Drug Discovery Today 14 15-16 DOI 10.1016/j.drudis.2009.05.009 ISSN 1359-6446 journalArticle Koenig H G Larson D B Aged Female Hospitalization Hospitals, University Humans Length of Stay Male Mental Healing Middle Aged North Carolina Religion and Medicine Use of hospital services, religious attendance, and religious affiliation BACKGROUND: We examined the relationship between religious attendance, religious affiliation, and use of acute hospital services by older medical patients. METHODS: Religious affiliation (n = 542) and church attendance (n = 455) were examined in a consecutive sample of medical patients aged 60 or older admitted to Duke University Medical Center. Information on use of acute hospital services during the year before admission and length of the current hospital stay was collected. Frequency of church attendance and religious affiliation were examined as predictors of hospital service use, controlling for age, sex, race, education, social support, depressive symptoms, physical functioning, and severity of medical illness as covariates using logistic regression. RESULTS: Patients who attended church weekly or more often were significantly less likely in the previous year to have been admitted to the hospital, had fewer hospital admissions, and spent fewer days in the hospital than those attending less often; these associations retained their significance after controlling for covariates. Patients unaffiliated with a religious community, while not using more acute hospital services in the year before admission, had significantly longer index hospital stays than those affiliated. Unaffiliated patients spent an average of 25 days in the hospital, compared with 11 days for affiliated patients; this association strengthened when physical health and other covariates were controlled. CONCLUSIONS: Participation in and affiliation with a religious community is associated with lower use of hospital services by medically ill older adults, a population of high users of health care services. Possible reasons for this association and its implications are discussed. 925-932 Oct 1998 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9786287 2009-11-12 22:40:21 NCBI PubMed PMID: 9786287 Southern Medical Journal 91 10 South. Med. J ISSN 0038-4348 journalArticle New Series Medical Anthropology Quarterly 1 4 ISSN 07455194 Foster George M. On the Origin of Humoral Medicine in Latin America For the past half-century humoral medicine has been recognized by anthropologists to be the most important and widespread ethnomedical system in Latin America. While most scholars believe this system is largely a simplified folk variant of classical Greek and Persian humoral pathology, a small minority--particularly Audrey Butt Colson and Alfredo López Austin--argues for a New World origin. In this paper the author supports the former hypothesis by tracing the well-documented history of classical medicine from Greece and Persia to Latin America, where it was disseminated via formal medical education, hospitals and missionary orders, home medical guides and pharmacies. The fallacies in the arguments of Colson and López Austin are also pointed out. 355-393 Dec., 1987 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/648542 2009-10-13 04:00:08 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Dec., 1987 / Copyright © 1987 American Anthropological Association book Upper Saddle River N.J. Prentice Hall Kinsley David Health, healing, and religion : a cross-cultural perspective 1996 ISBN 9780132127714 Health, healing, and religion Open WorldCat journalArticle Persinger M A Adult Electroencephalography Evoked Potentials Female Frontal Lobe Humans Occipital Lobe Relaxation Therapy Religion and Psychology Temporal Lobe Striking EEG profiles from single episodes of glossolalia and transcendental meditation Transient, focal, epileptic-like electrical changes in the temporal lobe, without convulsions, have been hypothesized to be primary correlates of religious experiences. Given these properties, direct measurement of these phenomena within the laboratory should be rare. However, two illustrated instances have been recorded. The first case involved the occurrence of a delta-wave-dominant electrical seizure for about 10 sec. from the temporal lobe only of a Transcendental Meditation teacher during a peak experience within a routine TM episode. The second case involved the occurrence of spikes within the temporal lobe only during protracted intermittent episodes of glossolalia by a member of a pentecostal sect . Neither subject had any psychiatric history. These observations are commensurate with the hypothesis that religious experiences are natural correlates of temporal lobe transients that can be detected by routine EEG measures. 127-133 Feb 1984 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/6371700 2009-10-09 21:47:25 NCBI PubMed PMID: 6371700 Perceptual and Motor Skills 58 1 Percept Mot Skills ISSN 0031-5125 journalArticle Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 33 1 DOI 10.2307/1386636 ISSN 00218294 Ellison Christopher G. George Linda K. Religious Involvement, Social Ties, and Social Support in a Southeastern Community Although many studies suggest that religious participation enhances the social resources of individuals, there is little empirical evidence on this issue. This study develops a theoretical model linking institutional religious participation, social ties, and social support. Hypotheses derived from this model are then tested using data on a large (N = 2956) southeastern community sample. Frequent churchgoers report larger social networks, more contact with network members, more types of social support received, and more favorable perceptions of the quality of their social relationships than do their unchurched counterparts. Further, most of these empirical patterns withstand statistical controls for a wide range of covariates. A number of promising directions for future research on religious differences in social resources are identified. 46-61 Mar., 1994 http://www.jstor.org/stable/1386636 2009-09-07 17:45:03 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Full publication date: Mar., 1994 / Copyright © 1994 Society for the Scientific Study of Religion journalArticle Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.) 15 5 J Altern Complement Med DOI 10.1089/acm.2008.0495 ISSN 1557-7708 Chiesa Alberto Serretti Alessandro Anxiety Empathy Humans Meditation Relaxation Therapy Self Care Stress, Psychological Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: a review and meta-analysis BACKGROUND: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a clinically standardized meditation that has shown consistent efficacy for many mental and physical disorders. Less attention has been given to the possible benefits that it may have in healthy subjects. The aim of the present review and meta-analysis is to better investigate current evidence about the efficacy of MBSR in healthy subjects, with a particular focus on its benefits for stress reduction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE (PubMed), the ISI Web of Knowledge, the Cochrane database, and the references of retrieved articles. The search included articles written in English published prior to September 2008, and identified ten, mainly low-quality, studies. Cohen's d effect size between meditators and controls on stress reduction and spirituality enhancement values were calculated. RESULTS: MBSR showed a nonspecific effect on stress reduction in comparison to an inactive control, both in reducing stress and in enhancing spirituality values, and a possible specific effect compared to an intervention designed to be structurally equivalent to the meditation program. A direct comparison study between MBSR and standard relaxation training found that both treatments were equally able to reduce stress. Furthermore, MBSR was able to reduce ruminative thinking and trait anxiety, as well as to increase empathy and self-compassion. CONCLUSIONS: MBSR is able to reduce stress levels in healthy people. However, important limitations of the included studies as well as the paucity of evidence about possible specific effects of MBSR in comparison to other nonspecific treatments underline the necessity of further research. 593-600 May 2009 Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/19432513 2009-09-15 05:20:05 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19432513 journalArticle Journal of Gerontology 38 5 Journal of Gerontology Markides Kyraikos S. Aging, Religiosity, and Adjustment: A Longitudinal Analysis. 621-25 1983 Aging, Religiosity, and Adjustment ERIC book New York Crossroad Vaux Kenneth Health Medicine Religious aspects Health and Medicine in the Reformed Tradition: Promise, Providence, and Care 1984 ISBN 082450612X Health and Medicine in the Reformed Tradition library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog BX9423.H43 journalArticle Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America 13 1 Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am ISSN 1056-4993 Stuber Margaret L Houskamp Beth M Adaptation, Psychological Adolescent Attitude to Death Bereavement Child Child, Preschool Female Humans Infant Male Patient Care Team Psychotherapy Religion and Psychology Religious Philosophies Sick Role Spirituality Spirituality in children confronting death This article uses a developmental framework to consider common spiritual issues raised by children and adolescents who are confronting death. The literature exploring the role of children's spirituality in addressing death is used to illustrate specific areas of concern and topics deserving further research. Clinical examples are offered to illustrate the types of situations encountered by mental health professionals dealing with seriously ill children and their families. Recommendations are offered for concrete approaches for mental health professionals dealing with families confronting the death of a child. 127-136, viii Jan 2004 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14723304 2009-11-13 17:35:21 NCBI PubMed PMID: 14723304 book Durham Duke University Press Kirkland James Medicine, Traditional North Carolina Traditional medicine Virginia Herbal and Magical Medicine: Traditional Healing Today 1992 ISBN 0822312085 Herbal and Magical Medicine library.bu.edu.ezproxy.bu.edu Library Catalog GR110.V8 H47 1992 journalArticle Blackmore S J Anoxia Death Endorphins Humans Parapsychology Temporal Lobe Thanatology Near-death experiences Reactions to claims of near-death experiences (NDE) range from the popular view that this must be evidence for life after death, to outright rejection of the experiences as, at best, drug induced hallucinations or, at worse, pure invention. Twenty years, and much research, later, it is clear that neither extreme is correct. 73-76 Feb 1996 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/8683504 2009-10-09 20:02:38 NCBI PubMed PMID: 8683504 Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 89 2 J R Soc Med ISSN 0141-0768 journalArticle Sociological Analysis 43 2 Hoge Dean R. Smith Ella I. Normative and non-normative religious experience among high school youth A sample of 451 Catholic, Baptist, and Methodist tenth-grade youth were asked about definite religious experiences in their lives, and 58 percent reported them. Most took place in church services or at a retreat or camp. The authors categorized the experiences using the Elkind-Elkind and Stark typologies and found that with one additional category the Elkind-Elkind typology was apt. The "salvation or inspiration" type is the most common, especially among the Baptists and Methodists. This type is normative in those denominations, and church life encourages it. The analysis of factors encouraging the experiences showed the necessity of distinguishing normative from non-normative religious experiences, since their determinants are different. The former are encouraged in certain denominations, and their occurrence is patterned. The latter are idiosyncratic and unpatterned. 69-81 April 1982 book New York NY Putnam Pub. Group Monte Tom World medicine : the East West guide to healing your body 1993 ISBN 9780874777338 World medicine Open WorldCat journalArticle Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 583 ISSN 00027162 Frohock Fred M. Moving Lines and Variable Criteria: Differences/Connections between Allpathic and Alternative Medicine The standard narratives of medicine recognize its origins in natural cures and in religious or spiritual discourses. The uneasy relationships of such practices (now designated as complementary or alternative medicine [CAM]) to conventional health care today can be tracked to the formation of medicine as a distinct profession based on modern science. The author accepts four statements as a framework for exploring CAM in the context of modern medicine. The first is that all versions of unconventional medicine depend for their identity on the existence of conventional medicine. The second is that the distinctions between alternative and conventional medicine are variables of time, place, and the attitudes of health care practitioners. Third, CAM today in the West occupies no sharp and distinctive category. There are instead continuums of various slopes and lengths on which types of complementary and alternative medicine are arrayed. Fourth, the turn to CAM may represent a chronic (and, to some, welcome) inclination of the human intellect to delimit the energies of material inquiries with metaphysical baselines and options. 214-232 Sep., 2002 Moving Lines and Variable Criteria http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.bu.edu/stable/1049698 2009-11-10 06:19:58 JSTOR ArticleType: primary_article / Issue Title: Global Perspectives on Complementary and Alternative Medicine / Full publication date: Sep., 2002 / Copyright © 2002 American Academy of Political and Social Science book Health/medicine and the faith traditions New York Crossroad Rahman Fazlur Health Medicine Religious aspects Health and Medicine in the Islamic Tradition: Change And Identity 1987 ISBN 0824507975 Health and Medicine in the Islamic Tradition library.bu.edu Library Catalog BP166.72 journalArticle Hodge David R Conflict (Psychology) Cultural Characteristics Cultural Diversity Emigration and Immigration Family Relations Female Humans Islam Male Professional-Patient Relations September 11 Terrorist Attacks Social Values Social Work United States Social work and the house of Islam: orienting practitioners to the beliefs and values of Muslims in the United States Despite the media attention focused on the Islamic community after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Muslims remain one of the most misunderstood populations in the United States. Few articles have appeared in the social work literature orienting practitioners to the Islamic community, and much of the mainstream media coverage misrepresents the population.This article reviews the basic beliefs, practices, and values that commonly characterize, or inform, the House of Islam in the United States. The organizations that embody and sustain the Muslim communities that constitute the House of Islam are profiled, and areas of possible value conflicts are examined.The article concludes by offering suggestions for integrating the article's themes into practice settings. Particular attention is given to enhancing cultural competence and to suggestions for spiritual assessment and interventions. 162-173 Apr 2005 Social work and the house of Islam http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/15853193 2009-11-02 18:38:09 NCBI PubMed PMID: 15853193 Social Work 50 2 Soc Work ISSN 0037-8046 journalArticle Social Science & Medicine (1982) 53 11 Soc Sci Med ISSN 0277-9536 Daaleman T P Kuckelman Cobb A Frey B B Adult Aged Chronic Disease Diabetes Mellitus Female Focus Groups Health Status Humans Middle Aged Spirituality Spirituality and well-being: an exploratory study of the patient perspective Spirituality has become a construct of interest in American health care: however, there remains a limited understanding of how patients themselves describe spirituality and view its impact on their health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe elements of patient-reported, health-related spirituality. A qualitative study utilized focus group interviews of 17 women with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 18 women with no self-identified illness. Purposeful sampling of participants who had prior experiences in healthcare settings, with or without a chronic illness, guided the sampling strategy. Editing analysis of the interview transcripts were coded into conceptual categories. Participant narratives were grouped into eight general categories: (1) change in functional status, (2) core beliefs, (3) medical/disease state information gathering and processing, (4) interpretation and understanding, (5) life scheme, (6) positive intentionality, (7) agency, and (8) subjective well-being. A change in functional status was the catalyst for two process-oriented categories; medical/disease state information gathering and processing, and the higher-order interpretation and understanding, or meaning making of life events. Core beliefs were sources that grounded and maintained an interpretative structure through which participants viewed their life events and positively framed their experiences. Life scheme described a heuristic framework through which all life events were viewed. Positive intentionality was participant belief in the capacity to execute a specific action that was required for a desired outcome. Participants tied the attitudes and practices of positive intentionality with agency, or the use or exertion of power through belief, practice, or community. Participants outlined both a positive affective and cognitive component of subjective well-being. Patients describe several interrelated elements and a process of events in their depiction of spirituality in healthcare settings. Patient-reported spirituality is predominantly a cognitive construct incorporating the domains of life scheme and positive intentionality. 1503-1511 Dec 2001 Spirituality and well-being http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11710425 2009-11-13 02:07:34 NCBI PubMed PMID: 11710425 journalArticle Wyatt G K Friedman L L Given C W Given B A Beckrow K C Aged Complementary Therapies Depression Educational Status Female Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Humans Male Middle Aged Neoplasms Patient Acceptance of Health Care Questionnaires Complementary therapy use among older cancer patients PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the use of complementary therapies among older cancer patients, to report patterns of use, and to understand who is more likely to use complementary therapies. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY: A survey was conducted of 699 older cancer patients at 4 weeks and 6 weeks into cancer treatment. All participants were 64 years of age or older, had received a diagnosis of breast, colorectal, prostate, or lung cancer, and were recruited from community cancer treatment centers throughout Michigan. Measures of interest included self-reported physical symptoms, depressive symptomatology, optimism, spirituality, and use of conventional and complementary health services. RESULTS: Approximately 33% of older cancer patients reported using complementary therapies. These individuals were more likely to be women, to be breast cancer patients, and to have a higher level of education. The three most frequently used therapies were exercise, herbal therapy, and spiritual healing. Complementary therapy users were significantly more optimistic than nonusers. Also, there were significant differences between users and nonusers on types of physical symptoms experienced, but no differences on reported depressive symptomatology or spirituality. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Oncology providers need to be aware that one third of their older patients are likely to supplement conventional care with complementary therapies. Therefore, providers should be knowledgeable about the safety and efficacy, in particular, of various exercise programs, herbal and vitamin therapies, and spiritual healing. It would be beneficial to develop a system within cancer centers by which patients could easily report on their use of complementary therapies, allowing providers to work in partnership with their patients. 136-144 1999 May-Jun http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10352076 2009-11-13 01:27:42 NCBI PubMed PMID: 10352076 Cancer Practice 7 3 Cancer Pract ISSN 1065-4704 book SUNY series, the body in culture, history, and religion Albany State University of New York Press Kasulis Thomas P Aimes Roger T Dissanayake Wimal Asia History Human body (Philosophy) Mind and body Self (Philosophy) Self as Body in Asian Theory and Practice 1993 ISBN 079141079X library.bu.edu Library Catalog B105.B64 S45 1993 book New York Routledge Peters Ted Human genetics Human Genome Project Moral and ethical aspects Playing God?: Genetic Determinism and Human Freedom 2nd ed 2003 ISBN 0415942489 Playing God? library.bu.edu Library Catalog QH438.7 .P48 2003 journalArticle Ng Siu-Man Fong Ted C T Tsui Elaine Y L Au-Yeung Friendly S W Law Sally K W Adult Culture Factor Analysis, Statistical Female Hong Kong Humans Male Middle Aged Psychometrics Questionnaires Self Assessment (Psychology) Self Concept Spirituality Translating Young Adult Validation of the Chinese version of Underwood's Daily Spiritual Experience Scale--transcending cultural boundaries? BACKGROUND: Daily spiritual experience (DSE) refers to one's interaction with the transcendent in day-to-day life. Underwood's Daily Spiritual Experience Scale mic(DSES) was developed to measure this experiential component of religiousness and spirituality. Addressing ordinary daily experiences rather than particular beliefs, DSES has transcultural applicability potential. PURPOSE: The current study aimed to develop and evaluate the Chinese version of DSES (DSES-C). METHOD: The 16-item scale was translated faithfully through standard translation/back-translation procedures. The term "God" required an extended definition embracing both a humanized and a philosophical higher power in Chinese culture. The translated scale plus a battery of validation scales were administered to staff of a large rehabilitation service complex, resulting in 245 completed questionnaires. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis revealed a similar factor structure as the original English version and similar problems with items 13 (compassion) and 14 (mercy). After carefully deliberating on the Chinese conceptualization of spirituality and balancing psychometric properties, the one-factor 16-item structure of the English version was supported. DSES-C showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.97). Construct validity was supported by correlations with validation scales in expected directions. CONCLUSION: The psychometric properties of DSES were similar to the English version in factor structure, internal consistency, and convergence/divergence construct validity. 91-97 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19291413 2009-11-14 00:57:42 NCBI PubMed PMID: 19291413 International Journal of Behavioral Medicine 16 2 Int J Behav Med DOI 10.1007/s12529-009-9045-5 ISSN 1532-7558 journalArticle Cancer Practice 6 6 Cancer Pract ISSN 1065-4704 Gioiella M E Berkman B Robinson M Activities of Daily Living Adaptation, Psychological Adult Aged Analysis of Variance Female Genital Neoplasms, Female Humans Middle Aged Needs Assessment Nursing Methodology Research Oncologic Nursing Pastoral Care Quality of Life Questionnaires Religion and Psychology Spirituality and quality of life in gynecologic oncology patients PURPOSE: The inclusion of spiritual well-being in healthcare assessments can provide insight into patients' needs and coping resources. This study explored the relationship between spiritual well-being and quality of life (QOL) in gynecologic oncology patients in an attempt to clarify the significance of spiritual well-being in the assessment process. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY: Eighteen women with gynecologic cancer completed a self-administered questionnaire that obtained sociodemographic, medical, spiritual, and functional information. The Spiritual Well-being Scale was used to assess spiritual well-being, and the Functional Living Index: Cancer (FLIC) measured QOL. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, comparison of means, and analysis of variance. RESULTS: Patients with gynecologic cancers other than ovarian reported a better QOL and a higher degree of spiritual, existential, and religious well-being. Older patients consistently reported higher degrees of spiritual well-being and QOL than did younger patients. Married patients consistently reported higher degrees of spiritual well-being than patients who were not married (never married or separated). Catholic patients scored higher in degrees of religious and spiritual well-being as well as in FLIC scores than other patients. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Health professionals do not generally assess spiritual well-being in their evaluations of patients' needs. The findings from this study support the inclusion of spirituality as part of routine patient assessment and intervention. Clinical intervention that would increase a patient's level of spiritual awareness and his or her level of comfort associated with a personal perspective on death could help decrease the patient's level of psychosocial distress. Despite the medical establishment's bias to the contrary, religion and spirituality are positively associated with both physical and mental health and may be particularly significant to terminally ill patients. The curricula of medical, nursing, and other health schools should be redesigned appropriately. 333-338 1998 Nov-Dec http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9824424 2009-11-13 00:37:57 NCBI PubMed PMID: 9824424 journalArticle Medicina Nei Secoli 14 1 Med Secoli ISSN 0394-9001 De Maio Domenico History, Medieval Islam Pharmacology Psychiatry Religion and Medicine Psychiatric therapy and pharmacology in medieval Islam Although psychiatric therapy and pharmacology in Medieval Islam are based on the ancient Greek tradition, the original Arabic contribution in the introduction and employment of new substances is undeniable. Another important aspect which received a decisive impetus by Arab physicians was the concept of psychical therapy. 39-68 2002 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy.bu.edu/pubmed/12747380 2009-11-02 18:44:16 NCBI PubMed PMID: 12747380 journalArticle Psychology of Addictive Behaviors: Journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors 21 1 Psychol Addict Behav DOI 10.1037/0893-164X.21.1.84 ISSN 0893-164X Walker Carmella Ainette Michael G Wills Thomas A Mendoza Don Adolescent Adolescent Behavior Child Female Humans Male Models, Theoretical Parent-Child Relations Parents