Religiosidade, espiritualidade e saúde mental: da conceptualização, à relação e às orientações para a integração (revisão teórica)

In the Portuguese research society, particularly in the mental health field, little has been done regarding religiosity, spirituality and mental health. Thus, this paper strives to stimulate the interest in this area by providing an overview of the body of research on religiosity, spirituality and mental health, highlighting the role and importance these dimensions represent in the life of many people, whether in health or mental distress and illness. A brief review of the conceptualisation of religion (religiosity) and spirituality is provided, as well as some areas of disagreement and contention. Guidelines for the integration and professional training are also included, not discarding the ethical considerations inherent in this process. Finally, reflections are offered as to why bringing religiosity and spirituality into mental health field is important, as well as some implications for clinical practice, with particular focus on Portuguese mental health systeminfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of age on spiritual well-being and homonegativity: religious identity and practices among LGB persons in Portugal

The present study explored the effects of age on spiritual well-being and internalized homonegativity among Portuguese lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons. A set of questionnaires were filled out by 471 LGB participants using the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Scale; the Spiritual Well-being Scale; and the Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousness and Spirituality. While most participants had been raised Catholic, only 17% currently belonged to a religious denomination. Participants higher in religious well-being were more likely to have concerns in concealing their sexual identity. Existential well-being was related to higher identity affirmation. Older participants reported better spiritual well-being and lower homonegativity

Immigrants' perspectives on clinician cultural diversity competence: a qualitative study with immigrants in Portugal

Purpose - The recognition of the importance of addressing cultural issues in psychotherapy and counseling has been increasing. The present paper seeks to contribute to the specification of multicultural competencies in the fields of counseling and clinical psychology, based on clients' perspectives. In particular, its objectives were to explore the experiences of individuals of ethnic minority groups regarding their access to the Portuguese healthcare system and to identify the multicultural competencies of the clinicians (as perceived by the clients) which would be required to improve culturally sensitive treatments. Design/methodology/approach - The sample included 40 adults from different ethnic minority groups in Portugal - a total of 30 women and ten men - with a mean age of 34. Participants took part in one of eight focus groups, which were conducted using a semi-structured interview plan. Findings - Content analysis revealed that, generally, participants had experienced discrimination in the healthcare system, and that mental healthcare was perceived as mixed (both positive and negative). Furthermore, participants identified specific aspects of multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills required of clinicians to provide culturally sensitive treatments, providing support for the tridimensional model of multicultural competencies. Originality/value - Implications are discussed for ethical guidelines and clinical training of counselors, clinical psychologists, and other social and health professionals in Europe.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Calling for awareness and knowledge: perspectives on religiosity, spirituality and mental health in a religious sample from Portugal (a mixed-methods study)

Recent studies have demonstrated that when suffering or in psychological distress, religious clients tend to recover faster and with better outcomes when mental health professionals (MHPs) seek to integrate their clients' religious beliefs and practices in psychotherapy. As described in the literature and highly-recommended by the American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines, promotion of an accurate and sensitive integration of a client's religious and spiritual beliefs is implied among MHPs: the awareness of the particularities, the differences and barriers that religious clients might encounter when seeking help; the knowledge and respect of those specific characteristics and needs; and the development of specific competencies. A mixed-methods approach was used to conduct this study, with the aim of understanding the role which religiosity and spirituality play in mental health and the psychotherapeutic processes of religious members and clients in Portugal. Eight focus groups and three in-depth interviews were conducted, with a total of 41 participants. Participants stated their religiosity as vital aspects in their life and reported religious/spiritual practices as their primary coping strategies. They recognised that their religiosity should not be concealed or marginalised in the context of their psychological and/or psychiatric treatment, but revealed apprehensions, dilemmas and barriers prior to disclosure. MHPs and services were seen as a possible source of help, but often as a last resort. Participants who sought professional help overall seemed to be satisfied with the service provided to them, although such treatment was mostly related to symptoms relief. Also, many concerns were shared, among them were both their wish for a religious match/similarity with their MHP, and the perception of a lack of sensibility by their MHP towards religious and spiritual issues. Conclusions and implications for research are provided.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cultural and individual diversity in mental health services: defining and assessing clinical competences

One of the most significant challenges facing the provision of health care in present societies is the fact that it needs to be sensitive to the growing diversity of patients, their families and origins. This is particularly salient in mental health care given the fact that most models of etiology and treatment were not historically-rooted in such diversity. The present paper describes the work that our team has been developing in order to (i) provide culturally and individually diverse groups in Portugal an opportunity to voice their psychological health needs, experiences and expectations of sensitive health services; (ii) develop distinct methods for assessing individual and cultural diversity competences for mental health practitioners; and (iii) ultimately lead to the discussion and greater recognition of such specific competences. Thus, this paper will present a description of our project and the five studies that were developed (both with clinicians and clients/potential clients). Key findings are included, followed by a brief conclusion and implications for practice.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Clusters of abusive parenting: a latent class analysis of families referred to Child Protective Services in Portugal

From the perspective of ecological models, it is suggested that a thorough behavior analysis of parental mistreatment and neglect is undertaken from a general approach to a more comprehensive and multi-dimensional perspective. Hence, the main goal of the present study was to determine if meaningful groups or clusters of abusive parenting in Portugal could be identified based on the characterization of the children and adolescents, their parents and context variables. An instrument was developed to assess variables of the children or adolescents, the family and the social context, all of which have been shown to be important in the literature. Child and Youth Protection Commissions from the whole of Portugal participated in the study, a total of 504 cases. Latent class analysis was applied in order to identify distinct parenting abusing behavior. The results showed four distinct clusters of families which are clearly defined in light of the types of risk and associated variables. The four groups are probabilistic and propose the composition of clusters with socio-demographic variables related to the types of risk. The significant interrelationships of different profiling characteristics are directly related to parenting abusing behavior. The results of this study confirmed our hypothesis of heterogeneous abusive parenting in Portugal. The findings yield useful policy-oriented results. Meaningfully organizing abusive parenting may be an important step not only in understanding the origins of abuse and neglect, but also in integrating this information into intervention models with children, young people and their families.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Autonomy-connectedness, gender and culture: a comparative study on the interplay of personality functioning and social context

Autonomy-connectedness refers to the need and ability the individual has for selfgovernance, as well as the capacity for intimacy and interpersonal relationships. The present study aimed to examine and compare participants (N=121) of four different cultural groups, namely Portuguese natives as well as Brazilian, British and Ukrainian immigrants residing in Portugal, on the different autonomy-connectedness components (self-awareness: SA; sensitivity to others: SO; capacity for managing new situations: CMNS). It also aimed at investigating the relationship between autonomy-connectedness and acculturation among the groups of immigrants. The results showed significant gender differences and among the cultural groups on SO. Adherence to the heritage culture was associated with the distinct dimensions of autonomy-connectedness differently for the various groups, and time of residence was also key in how the dimensions were endorsed cross time. This study contributes to the theoretical framework of the concept of autonomy-connectedness in light of cross-cultural perspectives.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

'The place I long to be': processos de resiliência em migrantes

Migration has been addressed in studies with a marked focus on its obstacles and difficulties, particularly in the contact with the host country. Recognizing that migrating is a complex process that involves several hardships, it is imperative to understand how migrants overcome adversity and to become aware of the resources mobilised to be cultural adjusted. Based on the theoretical perspective of resilience, this study aims to understand the contexts of adversity, resources and adjustment of Cape Verde migrants in Portugal, who have migrated to continue their studies in higher education. The collected 10 biographical narratives revealed the meanings of their life journeys, both in their country of origin and in the host country. The analysis of the narratives allowed the understanding of the diversity of resilience processes among the participants. The adversities were related to two main dimensions: cultural differences and interpersonal relationships with the Portuguese. In terms of resources, participants stressed the importance of the Cape Verdean diaspora upon arrival to the new country. Along the length of stay for some migrants, this remained the main resource; however, others were developing belongings and significant attachments in a broader context. In terms of cultural adjustment, many configurations have emerged, standing for the fluid nature of the resilience process, which can occur in different ways.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Integrating diversity into therapy processes: the role of individual and cultural diversity competences in promoting equality of care

Background: One of the most significant challenges facing the provision of health care in present societies is the fact that the largest growing segment of the patient population is comprised of individual and culturally diverse people. However, the impact of this diversity on clinician–client interactions has only been examined recently. This study addresses the issues of culture and diversity in psychotherapy processes in Portugal. Methods: The study used an analogue experimental design, in a qualitative analogue study. The sample included 31 psychotherapists of varied years of experience and theoretical training background. Cultural diversity competences were measured with a semi-structured interview, through case conceptualisation and intervention planning by watching four minute video case vignettes with stigmatised group clients (varying on migration background, religion, race and sexual orientation), and all female college students presenting the same complaint. Two cases (of four) were presented to each psychotherapist (at random, controlling for presentation order). Interviews addressed case conceptualisation of each of the clients, as well as questions on how the participants typically integrated diversity in psychotherapy practice. Transcripts of the interviews were analysed incorporating features of thematic content analysis and Consensual Qualitative Research. Findings: Results showed that awareness, knowledge and skills were identified mostly at a level of blindness (n = 519; 70.5%) and precompetence (n = 172; 23.5%), while only a few units of analysis were categorised as competent (n = 43; 6.0%). Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of individual and cultural diversity competence training for clinicians, particularly in Europe, given its current migratory context, and encourages the promotion of diversity-sensitive approaches in mental health care.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

A call for collaboration: perception of religious and spiritual leaders on mental health (a Portuguese sample)

To assess the relationship and collaborations between mental health professionals and religious and spiritual leaders, eleven representatives of ten different religious affiliations in Portugal participated in this qualitative study. Major findings reported showed that religious leaders perceive themselves as important agents in promoting and preserving their congregants’ mental health, as well as aiding their recovery processes; however this occurs without much referral to or collaboration with mental health professionals. These findings are discussed, as well as why and how a healthy collaboration between mental health professionals and religious leaders can positively impact the psychotherapeutic relationship and clinical outcomes with religious/spiritual clients.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio