27 research outputs found

    Spiritual Well-Being Scale: Mental and Physical Health Relationships (Chapter 48 of Oxford Textbook of Spirituality in Healthcare)

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    The existence of this handbook documents the recent increase in research on and practical attention to the role of spirituality in healthcare. One essential companion to the concept of spirituality is spiritual well-being (SWB).[1] That is, although the degree and type of spirituality per se can no doubt play an important role in how well a person faces the dilemmas related to health issues,[2,3] the degree to which a person perceives or derives a sense of wellbeing from that spirituality may be equally or more important. In this connection, SWB is an outcome indicator, or barometer, of how well a person is doing in the face of whatever the person is confronting.[4] Therefore, although SWB is not synonymous with spirituality, it is closely related to it. Similarly, SWB is not synonymous with mental health or physical health, but is likely to be related to both of them. SWB connotes one\u27s subjective perception of well-being in both the religious and/or existential dimensions in accord with whatever is implicitly or explicitly conceived of as a spiritual umbrella for the individual. The Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS)* was developed in order to be a tool for self-assessment of these aspects of general perceived well-being. [ 4,5] Since its first publication in 1982, a large body of research has been done with the SWBS. In preparation for writing this chapter, a literature search documented the scale\u27s use in over 300 published articles and chapters, 190 doctoral dissertations and Masters theses, 35 posters and presentations, and 50 unpublished papers. It has also been reprinted in no less than 4 books on palliative care and counseling. [ 6-9] An exhaustive review of all of this research is beyond the scope of this chapter; the interested reader is referred to a companion review article. [ 10] Here, we focus specifically and selectively on research related to healthcare. We highlight those studies using the SWBS that are related to mental health variables or to the mental and well-being issues that are consequences or correlates of physical health conditions. In order to maximize the usefulness of this chapter, it is necessary to ( 1) summarize the intellectual roots of the concept of SWB and what the SWBS does and does not measure, (2) explain the meaning and utility of its religious well-being (RWB) and existential well-being (EWB) subscales, (3) summarize the literature with the SWBS as related to mental and physical health variables, ( 4) note any strengths and weaknesses, research directions, and applications of the SWBS, and (5) summarize implications of SWB research for healthy health care practice

    Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS): Measuring Spiritual Well-being in International Contexts

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    The Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) is a 20-item measure of self-perceived spiritual health. Developed in the 1980s, it includes 2 subscales with 10 items each. Responses are made on a 6-point continuum from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree with no neutral point; 9 of the items are negatively worded to minimize response biases. The US samples show good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Content validity was established in construction. Expected correlations with religion and spirituality indices, social and psychological mea-sures, and physical functioning and demonstration of expected group differences support criterion validity. Factor analysis commonly shows 2 factors corresponding to the religious and existential dimensions, but 3, 4, and even 5 factors are found in some cultural samples. Together, data show the SWBS is a good indicator of biopsychosocial and spiritual wellness. Gradually, international interest in the SWBS has grown, and the SWBS has been translated into 22 lan-guages to date. Results of translations are broadly consistent with the English-language literature. In general, translations are internally consistent and show good test-retest reliability. In some groups, negatively worded items tend to cluster together regardless of content, suggesting a methods factor for those samples. Among international samples, factor analysis generally results in 2 fac-tors or 2 factors and an additional methods factor. Empirical correlates and group differences found with SWBS translations generally parallel those with the English version

    Human interaction with the divine, the sacred, and the deceased: topics that warrant increased attention by psychologists

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    Humans have likely been attempting to communicate with entities believed to exist, such as the divine, sacred beings, and deceased people, since the dawn of time. Across cultures and countries, many believe that interaction with the immaterial world is not only possible but a frequent experience. Most religious traditions across the globe focus many rituals and activities around prayer to an entity deemed divine or sacred. Additionally, many people–religious, agnostic, and atheists alike–report communication with their departed loved ones. During highly stressful times associated with natural disasters, war, pandemics, and other threats to human life, the frequency and intensity of these activities and associated experiences substantially increase. Although this very human phenomenon seems to be universal, the empirical literature on the topic within psychology is thin. This paper discussed the topic and reviews what we know from the professional literature about how people perceive communication with these unseen entities. It highlights the perceptual and social cognition evidence and discussed the role of attribution theory, which might help us understand the beliefs, motivations, and practices of those engaged with communication with the unseen. Empirical laboratory research with mediums is discussed as well, examining the evidence for communication with the deceased. Final reflections and suggestions for future research are also offered

    An interdisciplinary framework for Islamic cognitive theories

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    The Islamic psychology (IP) community in Europe has recently witnessed a heated debate about the credentials required to participate in the theoretical substantiation of IP and Islamically integrated psychotherapy and counseling. This debate has provided convenient circumstances for Muslim psychologists and Islamic scholars alike to rethink their roles within the flourishing movement. Specifically, the discussions hint toward the importance of adopting a collaborative research methodology for IP, in particular for basic research. The methodology of choice will need to define the necessary qualifications and responsibilities of scholars and psychologists in a collaborative research process (personal collaboration) and evince its capability to appropriately marry knowledge and data, diverging research methods, and perspectives, concepts, and theories from Islamic studies and contemporary psychology (content-related collaboration). Here, we devise and offer a case illustration of an Islamic Psychology Basic Research Framework (coined the SALAAM Framework). This framework uses the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies (IIS) Model of Interdisciplinary Research, developed by the IIS at the University of Amsterdam. Our first aim is to appropriate the IIS model for the IP literature by applying the model's research process phases and technique for the integration of disparate bodies of knowledge—that is, the identification of common ground—to methodological approaches in the contemporary IP literature. Our second aim is to exemplify the devised SALAAM Framework using the relatively unexplored area of Islamic cognitive theories (ICTs), which remain underdeveloped in contemporary psychological literature, primarily because of a lack of commensurability with the nomenclature of contemporary psychology. We thus provide a primer on the potential scope of ICTs. Toward the end of this article, we discuss the potential of the project of interdisciplinary construction of Islamic psychological theory, and the ability of the SALAAM Framework to establish a research program in IP that centers on cognition. We finally offer our reflections on the distinctiveness of Islamic psychologies in comparison to mainstream and Christian psychology.Q4WOS:0004589189000062-s2.0-8506156876

    The Spiritual Well-Being Scale: Portuguese Translation and Suggestions for Use

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    In recent years the study of the relationships between religion and health has expanded to include the study of the relationships between spirituality and health. “Spirituality” is typically thought of as the more inclusive of the two terms. Meanwhile, the concept of spiritual well-being (SWB) has been invoked to reflect someone’s self-perception of well-being in terms that the person understands “spiritual” to mean – whether religious or existential in connotation. Thus, spirituality and SWB should not be confused with each other. Measures of each construct differ in psychological dimensions they are trying to tap and in the kind of assessments they are intended to yield. This paper explains each construct, presents the Portuguese translation of the SWBS, and notes suggestions for its use.Recentemente, o estudo das relações entre religião e saúde tem se expandido para incluir o estudo das relações entre espiritualidade e saúde. "Espiritualidade" é normalmente considerado como sendo, entre os dois, o termo mais inclusivo. Entrementes, o conceito de bem-estar espiritual (SWB – spiritual well- being) tem sido invocado para refletir a auto-percepção de bem-estar em termos do que a própria pessoa entende como sendo o sentido de "espiritual" – quer seja com uma conotação religiosa ou existencial. Assim, espiritualidade e bem-estar espiritual não devem ser confundidos um com o outro. Medidas de cada constructo diferem nas dimensões psicológicas que tais termos estão tentando cobrir e no tipo de avaliações que se destinam a produzir. Este texto explica cada constructo e apresenta a tradução para o português da SWBS e faz sugestões de uso

    Editors' note

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    Editoria

    Handbook of the psychology of religion and sprituality

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    this book is about psychology of religionxv, 562 p

    Conversion, Deconversion, and Transformation: A Multilevel Interdisciplinary View

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    Paloutzian RF, Murken S, Streib H, Namini S. Conversion, Deconversion, and Transformation: A Multilevel Interdisciplinary View. In: Paloutzian RF, Park CL, eds. Handbook of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 2nd ed. New York: Guilford Press; 2013: 399-421
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