RESIDENT: Integrating Spirituality into Mental Health Practice (UofC)

Abstract

Incorporating spirituality into mental health care offers clinicians a pathway to address the holistic needs of patients, cultivating patient resilience and overall well-being. Historically, psychiatry engaged intimately with matters of the soul, but with time, the discipline shifted towards neurobiological paradigms, omitting spiritual dimensions. However, emerging evidence highlights that patients desire spiritually-informed care, recognizing its role in coping, meaning-making, and emotional support. Despite this, many practitioners hesitate to address spirituality, citing concerns about professionalism, boundaries, and the absence of clear frameworks.

This scoping review explores practical strategies for integrating spirituality into mental health assessments and treatment. Findings suggest that acknowledging a patient’s spiritual beliefs enhances therapeutic rapport, improves treatment adherence, and facilitates recovery by tapping into sociocultural strengths. Nevertheless, clinicians must navigate this domain carefully to avoid potential harm or ethical pitfalls. Tools such as structured spiritual assessments (e.g., HOPE and FICA models) provide clinicians with a professional and sensitive means to engage with spirituality in clinical settings.

The review underscores the need for increased training and awareness, offering guidelines that align spiritual inquiry with evidence-based practices like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). By addressing the spiritual dimensions of care, psychiatrists can embody a more comprehensive understanding of the human experience, ultimately enhancing patient-centered care and clinical outcomes.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how to sensitively introduce and assess spirituality during psychiatric interviews using structured frameworks;

2. Recognize the clinical benefits and potential risks associated with integrating spirituality into mental health care; and

3. Apply evidence-based models (e.g., HOPE, FICA) to facilitate patient-centered, spiritually-informed care.

Literature References

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