An Examination of Religiosity

By the last 3 decades, consistent scientific research has proved that the spiritual-religious dimension is strongly related to human health. Since then, this field and its applications are progressively growing and developing, through: psycho-neuro-immunological-endocrine research; curricular disciplines on medical schools; the bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach as standard for patient-centered integrative healthcare; complementary therapies derived from spiritual traditions became valuable allies; hospitals developing policies to respect spiritual values and necessities; faith-based interventions cooperating with psychosocial initiatives. Each of these movements meets the patients' demands for a comprehensive healthcare with a human approach. However, most healthcare professionals were not educated within the view derived from recent research associating religiosity and health. At the other hand, clergymen tend to receive little or none information about health issues during their theological graduation. Notwithstanding progress in including the religious dimension in the clinical context, there are still many significant obstacles for a real transformation. In this context, "An Examination of Religiosity - Influences, Perspectives and Health Implications" aspires to disseminate the ideal form of clinical healthcare, based on the best available scientific evidence. This work does not have the goal of being exhaustive, but rather aims to be a reliable reference to accompany a paradigm shift. The chapters are original manuscripts of high-standard methodological quality, selected among authors from Austria, Brazil, Egypt, Poland, and the United States. The book starts with a historical trajectory and the current state-of-the-art of spirituality-religiosity as a clinical therapeutic resource. The following chapters explore the relationships between spirituality and religiosity in the areas of physical and mental health in many populations and groups: the general population, college students, older adults, cancer patients, and bereaved parents. The final chapters bring intriguing and challenging models about phenomena involving the nonlocal mind and the brain-independent consciousness. The target audience includes professionals, students and researchers on the fields of clinical healthcare (physicians, nurses, psychologists, among others), multi-professional patient care (social workers, hospital managers, among others), and pastoral support for ill people (professional chaplains, community clergymen, among others).