Spirituality and Health

But spirituality is not the same as religion, she notes: “Religion is a set of beliefs and rituals that helps people express their spiritual selves. Spirituality, on the other hand, is your personal relationship with a higher power.”

Among all the different religions, spirituality is the common bond, says Kamalesh Shah, M.D., a trauma surgeon at the hospital. “It’s the positive, strong part of your psyche that gives you strength in tough times.”

As Americans make their way through one of the toughest times in our nation’s history, spirituality has come to the surface of public awareness, Shah says.

“A crisis like the terrorist attacks gives you a smack in the face; it reminds you of your mortality,” says his colleague, patient care specialist Eileen Fruchtl, R.N. “You ask yourself what’s truly important.”

But national disasters aren’t the only times that call for spiritual strength. “A personal health crisis can affect you just as deeply,” Fruchtl says. “When a mother discovers she has heart disease, big spiritual issues arise: Will the children be OK? After being the caretaker all her life, can she become the care receiver? These questions become spiritual when the answers define who we are and what we believe.”

Health professionals play a vital role in helping people through such challenges. “Nurses are in the perfect position to offer support,” says Fruchtl, who’s worked in parish nursing. “We’re trained to look at the patient as a whole person. By asking appropriate questions, we can bring in the spiritual aspect—and nurses are great listeners. We also know the importance of physical touch to a sense of connectedness.”

Physicians like Shah are just as committed to their patients’ spiritual health. The serenity he’s gained from his Hindu upbringing helps him care for trauma patients and their families. “When someone is going into surgery, after explaining the whole procedure and promising to do my very best, I’ll pray with the patient—or just look into his eyes and make sure he’s feeling calm and strong,” he says. “I believe it helps in recovery.”

Research has shown that prayer does, indeed, have an impact on recovery. In hospital-based studies nationwide, Rutt says, patients who prayed felt better, and those who were prayed for had better outcomes.

Sometimes, despite the best care and prayers, the illness worsens or the accident victim dies. Being in touch spiritually, Shah says, helps us “come to accept what we can’t control.” It can even provide a kind of healing that transcends the physical, Rutt says. “A person who reconnects with a loved one before dying is being profoundly healed emotionally and spiritually.”