The Goal
The study’s primary goal is to examine the attitudes of citizens receiving mental health services toward spirituality. In many respects, this circumstance is determined due to the tendency to develop clients’ interests in religion and spirituality in the context of treating mental illness (Oxhandler et al., 2021). The topic of spirituality and health has recently been of increasing concern not only to representatives of the clergy and a church but also to doctors themselves, not to mention the numerous patients who resort to the help of spirituality as the last resort when faced with specific serious ailments in life. Yamada et al. (2020) emphasized identifying and determining predictors in determining the interest in integrating spirituality into mental health care. Accordingly, the authors conducted a comprehensive and thorough analysis of the survey results to achieve this goal. However, it is necessary to emphasize that this survey was conducted in order to inform about the provision of services and approval by the committee.
Results
The results suggest that spirituality in the provision or receipt of mental health services is one of the most significant moments in the life and recovery of patients. Based on the knowledge gained, it becomes evident that the vast majority of people want to be able to discuss their spirituality with their service providers (Yamada et al., 2020). They report the best health and condition due to various spiritual practices (Yamada et al., 2020). For example, prayer, meditation, attending religious services, or reading sacred texts contribute to normalizing mood and behavior and restoring mental health. These are the most common methods that, at least, will help to ease stress and anxiety, reducing the load on the psyche.
Additionally, it is no secret that spirituality and health-related behavior are deeply connected to psychological well-being. Thus, the development of spirituality promotes a healthy lifestyle on a mental and physical level (Bożek et al., 2020). Accordingly, the conclusions made by the authors of the study allowed us to state the facts once again. Spirituality is one of the integral components of human well-being. Due to this, the impact of stressors and unfavorable life circumstances on the individual’s well-being is reduced or leveled. The authors emphasized that spirituality is recognized as a particular field of quality-of-life research, and spiritual health and psychological well-being have heuristic potential in the context of psychiatric issues.
How the Results Affected Public Policy
One should note that the study’s results significantly impacted public policy in the state of California. Thus, for instance, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health soon initiated a training program due to the information received (Yamada et al., 2020). It has spread to most of the psychiatric institutions in the state. This innovation is mainly associated with a statement about the importance and significance of integrating the spiritual interests of clients in the provision of services and support in the mental health field. In this case, the medical staff should encourage and support people who have decided to include spirituality in their wellness plans. Moreover, the organization additionally defined prohibitions and permits regarding services that integrate citizens’ spiritual values in the mental health field. It is assumed that the results obtained by the researchers will serve as a basis for implementing new and more advanced plans in the aspect of religiosity and mental health. The authors made a valuable contribution to the development and promotion of science and the formation of new policies to ensure the best care and provision of quality services to patients, taking into account their individual characteristics and interests.
References
Bożek, A., Nowak, P. F., & Blukacz, M. (2020). The relationship between spirituality, health-related behavior, and psychological well-being. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(1997), 1-13. Web.
Oxhandler, H. K., Pargament, K. I., Pearce, M. J., Vieten, C., & Moffatt, K. M. (2021). Current mental health clients’ attitudes regarding religion and spirituality in treatment: A national survey. Religions, 12(6), 371. Web.
Yamada, A. M., Lukoff, D., Lim, C. S., & Mancuso, L. L. (2020). Integrating spirituality and mental health: Perspectives of adults receiving public mental health services in California. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 12(3), 276. Web.