Spiritual Support Keeps Patients' Spirits Up

When the going gets tough the tough get going÷But what if you are laid up in a hospital bed, battling a serious illness? What keeps you going then? An extensive study on coping found seeking a connection with God staved off depression and improved life quality-despite how serious the illness.

To see what might help physically struggling patients, the first comprehensive study of coping strategies was conducted at Duke University Medical Center. Nearly 600 severely ill hospital patients aged 55 or over were studied with measures of 47 ways of coping. Some coping methods included religious faith, while others did not.

The study was launched after more than 40% of earlier hospital patients had named "religion" when asked the open-ended question of "What helps you cope?" This contrasted with a survey of doctors in which only 9% thought religious faith might play a significant role for patients in dealing with illness.

This new study revealed that patients who sought a connection with a benevolent God as well as support from clergy and church members were less depressed and rated their quality of life as higher, even after taking into account how severe their diagnosis. Patients who gave spiritual support to others, by praying for them or encouraging their faith, also fared better emotionally, noted Dr. Harold Koenig and his research team.

Coping that excluded God's help was linked to greater depression and poorer quality of life. Also patients that saw God as punishing were more likely to become depressed.

Hard times may "make us or break us," the saying goes. What might help tip the scale? This published study discovered that the seriously ill patients who grew most in empathy and insight as measured by a "stress-related growth" scale also drew upon their relationship with God.

In addition, the patients who used religious coping were more cooperative. Cooperation can enhance recovery, discovered a study of heart transplant patients who complied more fully with doctors' orders if they had an active religious faith. This new coping study expanded and confirmed earlier findings.

"Other research demonstrates that older persons who depend on religion for support experience lower rates of depression, have higher self esteem, and may even live longer than those who do not," commented Dr. Koenig.

"This study shows that religious coping can make a positive difference in patients' lives," commented Dr. David B. Larson, president of the National Institute for Healthcare Research. "Physicians can show an interest by asking patients what helps them cope and then collaborate with pastoral care counselors at a patient's request. According to this research, keeping patients' spirits up with spiritual support strengthens emotional health."

Reference: Koenig, Harold G., Pargament, Kenneth L., and Nielson, Julie. "Religious Coping and Health Status in Medically Ill Hospitalized Older Adults," The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 1998; 186(9): 513-521.