Spirituality may aid patients with neurological diseases cope with their illness

1. In patients with neurological disorders, spirituality appeared to be associated with a higher quality of life and emotional wellbeing.

2. Furthermore, there was a lower incidence of certain neurological disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia) amongst religious communities incorporating lifestyle recommendations, compared to the general population.

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)

Neurological disorders are highly prevalent and can cause high rates of disability and dependency around the world. In the literature, there have been reports of several other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and cancer which have benefitted from spiritual practices. As the literature is limited with respect to neurological disorders, the objective of the present systematic mapping review was to map the knowledge of spirituality experienced by these patients and determine its influence on outcomes as well as their ability to cope.

Of 159 identified records, 13 were included in the literature review from April 1^st 2022 to April 21^st 2022. Studies were included if they studied the effect of spiritual/religious interventions on coping in patients with neurological/neurodegenerative disorders. Following the search, authors prepared an analysis and synthesis table.

Results of the synthesis demonstrated that in patients with neurological disorders, spirituality appeared to be associated with a higher quality of life and emotional wellbeing. Furthermore, this scoping review identified studies suggesting a lower incidence of certain neurological disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia) amongst members in religious communities who incorporate lifestyle recommendations, compared to the general population. Despite these findings, the study was limited by searching only three databases and also omitting a quality appraisal of the included studies, which may limit applicability to clinical practice. Nonetheless, these results suggest that spirituality may be an important adjunct to treatment of patients with neurological/neurodegenerative disorders.

Click to read the study in Journal of Religion and Health 

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