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Healthcare Professionals’ Attitudes, Practice and Influencing Factors with Regard to Considering Older Persons’ Spirituality during Rehabilitation: A Mixed-Methods Study

Background

Healthcare has grown from a narrow, disease perspective to a wider notion of well-being. Interest in ageing and spirituality has increased due to research evidence supporting the health benefits of religious participation and spirituality; spirituality is linked to positive psychological functioning in older adults and higher life-satisfaction. However, older adults’ spiritual and religious needs are often overlooked. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) must be able to respond effectively to clients’ spiritual and religious commitments and beliefs to enrich the therapeutic experience and provide quality care.

Methods

50 surveys were distributed to a purposive sample of HCPs working with older adults in Cork city. Questions examined HCPs’ own spirituality using the Spirituality Index of Well-Being (SIWB), and their behaviours and attitudes regarding spirituality in clinical practice. A small focus-group was held to further explore survey topics.

Results

Survey response rate was 82%, representing HCPs from seven disciplines. All HCPs scored high in the SIWB. The majority (97.3%) believe it is appropriate to discuss religious/spiritual issues when a patient brings them up, however only (16.2%) say they often or always encourage patients’ own spiritual beliefs and practices. HCPs are unsure about when it’s appropriate to inquire regarding spiritualty (73% believe it’s usually or always appropriate), talk about their own religious beliefs or experiences (45.9% say never, 13.5% rarely), and pray with patients (57.6% say never, 29.7% rarely). HCPs who identify themselves as spiritual, or who reported training in spirituality, are more likely to integrate spirituality in the clinical encounter.

Conclusions

Overall, the HCPs were highly spiritual. Differences in spiritual and religious characteristics were associated with different behaviours and attitudes regarding integrating spirituality in the clinical encounter. Consideration should be given to specific training in spirituality in undergraduate and post-graduate curricula to enable a more uniform and informed approach to spirituality in clinical practice.