Spirituality

The term ‘spirituality’ is increasingly being used to define those aspects of a person’s experience or being that can be seen as distinct from the physical, medical, social and in some cases emotional aspects of life. It is recognised that what someone may define as their spirituality may be significant to their mental wellbeing. The consideration of spirituality is becoming more widely recognised as an important part of health and social care services as it can play a key role in the reasons a person may be seeking support, the way services respond to them, the experience of treatment and recovery and the way a person can maintain good mental wellbeing.

Defining spirituality

The term is accepted as a broad one that can mean different things to different people. There are ways of breaking down the term that may help people to define what spirituality means to them, such as:

·                     religion

·                     an existential meaning (the ‘meaning of life’)

·                     spiritual care

·                     the act of being kind, compassionate – humanity

The H.O.P.E. model of describing spirituality is similar to the above in the way it breaks down the definition of spirituality into four areas:

This model has been used by the Royal College of Psychiatry Spirituality Special Interest Group.

Another definition (below) has been used in Sheffield by the Spirituality Strategy Group of Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust (SHSC):

“In every human being there seems to be a spiritual dimension, a quality that goes beyond religious affiliation; that strives for inspiration, reverence, awe, meaning and purpose....The spiritual dimension tries to be in harmony with the universe, strives for answers about the infinite, and comes essentially into focus in times of emotional stress, physical illness, loss, bereavement, and death”

 Murray R.B, Zentner J.P. (1989) Nursing concepts for health promotion London: Prentice Hall

It is also important to recognise that, even given the broad use of the term ‘spirituality’, it may be a term that a person does not wish to use to reflect those aspects of themselves as defined above, preferring another term of definition. There may be people who do not identify in themselves any ‘spiritual’ aspects or those who do not wish to discuss or explore their ‘spirituality’ as part of their mental wellbeing, their care or their recovery.

However, an understanding of and a consideration for a person’s spiritual experience or needs as defined by them is increasingly being incorporated into health and social care services.