Question: Religion, spirituality and medicine: Is there a connection?

Answer: A growing body of scientific research suggests connections between religion, spirituality, and both mental and physical health. Recent studies indicate that religious beliefs influence medical decisions, such as the use of chemotherapy and other life-saving treatments.

Even though religion typically involves connections to a community with shared beliefs and rituals while spirituality is more individualistic and self-determined, nearly 90 percent of medical patients consider themselves both religious and spiritual. When it comes to discussing such matters with patients, it is probably best to use spirituality because of its broad and inclusive nature.

The area of spirituality can make many physicians uncomfortable because they are worried about overstepping ethical boundaries or interfering with private business. They also worry about having to spend more time with the patient and some may not see the value in spirituality as it relates to health.

Spirituality/religiosity tends to increase with increasing age as does serious or chronic health problems. Also, as people become ill, they experience stress related to the changes in their life that the illness causes. Many turn to spiritualism for comfort by involving themselves in activities such as prayer and meditation, scripture reading and looking for support from members of their faith community.

More than 60 studies have now examined the role that religion plays in helping patients cope with cancer, asthma, arthritis, heart disease, lung disease, HIV/AIDS, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, chronic pain and Lou Gehrigs disease. Patients in these studies report that spiritual/religious beliefs are powerful sources of comfort, hope, and meaning, particularly in coping with medical illness. The population for whom religion is especially relevant is the elderly, women, and ethnic minorities (blacks and Hispanics).

More than 700 studies examined the relationship between religion, well-being and mental health. Not only were religious beliefs and practices associated with significantly less depression and faster recovery from depression, lower suicide rates, less anxiety, and less substance abuse but they were also associated with greater well-being, hope, optimism, and more purpose and meaning in life, greater marital satisfaction and stability and higher social support.

If increased religiosity/spirituality reduces stress levels and enhances social support, then it ought to also affect physical health. A summary of research on physical health outcomes produced the following: religious beliefs/spirituality have been associated with better immune function; lower death rates from cancer; less heart disease or better cardiac outcomes; lower blood pressure; lower cholesterol; less cigarette smoking; more exercise and better sleep. Religious/spiritual people were also found live significantly longer!

Given the role religious/spiritual beliefs play in successful coping and recovery, and the effects of beliefs on medical decisions and willingness to receive treatment, there are plenty of reasons why doctors should know about their patients religiosity or spiritualism and its effect on their health and medical care. Physicians should take a brief spiritual history and ask which beliefs are a source of comfort and which a cause for stress; which beliefs are in conflict with medical care; do they have a supportive faith community that will be able to assist them during treatment and recovery and are there beliefs that might influence medical decisions.

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Connecting religion and spirituality with medicine